I do hope that the stories I’ve seen lately about the impending demise of the county fair in many parts of the U.S. have been greatly exaggerated. I look forward to this time of the year, when one can choose from the large state fairs or smaller district or county fairs to revel in good old Americana. Although I grew up in the city (or maybe because I did), I love roaming the livestock barns and checking out the huge draft horses, cuddly bunnies and exotic fowl, and then heading to the “home arts” halls for the baked goods, quilts and other needlecraft, the grange displays of all kinds of fruits and veggies, and the art and photography of talented amateurs. All of that wandering and admiring has to be fueled, of course, by a generous sampling of fair food: corn on the cob dripping with butter, swirly fries, funnel cakes, barbecue and lemonade. Shortly after we moved to Twin Falls, Idaho, several years ago, my husband and I decided we’d enter into the competitive spirit of the local fair. I submitted a berry pie, and Harry entered his AMAZING baklava (The reason we got hitched is because he got me addicted to it, and I had to marry the source.). My pie earned a red ribbon, but the baklava won a best of class and a big blue ribbon. As Harry picked up his prize of a 10-pound bag of sugar, we noticed a few older ladies giving him the evil eye . . . no doubt they did not appreciate this male interloper intruding on their territory. A few years ago I garnered my own blue ribbon and a best of show at the Chelan County Fair for a last-minute entry of some purple bell peppers from my garden. The effort and expense to submit them were minimal, especially in proportion to the pleasure I still get from recalling the pride and surprise of my win. If you get the chance as this summer winds down, take in a day at the fair and enjoy a little old-time fun.  Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader