Brown County Hall of Fame

Last night, Mom was one of the inductees into the first ever Brown County Fair Hall of Fame.   This new HOF was created to recognize the amazing people who bring this event to life each year. 

This induction was the very first of its kind.  It was specifically for the board in 1986... the year that changed the fair forever.    Unfortunately, some of the past fair board members from that time have passed, but their families were there to celebrate for them.

Before 1986, there was no concert entertainment at the BCF; it was strictly a 4-H Achievement Day event.  As such, it had very little foot traffic from non-4Hers.   This group grew the fair exponentially, not only by hiring great acts like Lee Greenwood and The Monkeys the first year, but also with promoting the youth agricultural and arts activities.  

This group literally changed the tide of the BCF forever.   It is now the 2nd largest county fair in the state and the third largest fair in the state overall.   Tens of thousands of people now visit this fair every year.

Mom served on the fair board from 1982-1987.  She served as chair 1984 and 1985.

Being a part of the BCF was a huge part of our lives growing up.  There, we met many lifelong friends, competed successfully in the 4-H and open cattle shows, attended concerts, ate yummy food, camped out, and made a ton of amazing memories.

I have memories from when I was young... Mom would take me to the fair board meetings with her on Wednesday nights.  While they had their meeting in the basement of the courthouse, I roamed the hallways or sat at the table and drew pictures.  They all sat around a large set of tables that were in the shape of a square, discussing ways they could make the fair more successful and grow the 4-H participation numbers.  I realize now how much time these people took from their daily lives.  They volunteered nights and weekends for meetings.  And, during fair time, they took off a week or two from work or personal lives to prepare and work at the fair.  I'm very proud of Mom and her efforts!

The best part about the night: We saw a lot of wonderful people and cherished friends whom we hadn't seen for ages.  It was like "old times" with great conversations and lots of meaningful hugs.