A ground hog on the ground...and headin' for his hole...this image has absolutely nothing to do with the Union County Fair, other than the picture was taken during fair week. This hog, which, I suppose technically is not a hog in the strictest sense of the word, was spotted one day last week in metropolitan Anna. Not a ground hog. Not a hog. Not even a chicken. But I'm pretty sure this would be the first one of these feathered creatures yours truly has seen over the years during a visit to the fair. Actually, there were two of them, and they were quite noisy.A hog on the ground...with a porker pillow. This image was indeed captured last week at the Union County Fair. Good thing your intrepid photographer got this picture when he got it, 'cause the porkers, and other livestock, were gone by the next day.

Please read this...Another Union County Fair has come and gone

Other than the pictures, we're going to keep things kind of short and sweet this week...

...by the way...how can it be September already?

Another Union County Fair has come and gone, and as near as this observer could tell, the 2016 edition seemed to go quite well.

And that was a good thing, given some of the uncertainties which seem to surround the future of a time-honored tradition.

Yours truly spent approximately 47,000 hours at the fair last week. And that would be even less time than what was put in by the many folks who work so hard to ensure the success of the fair.

As a vaguely sort of neutral observer of The Journey Through Life, your writer was glad to see that young people still seemed to be excited about the fair, and about being a part of this important part of Union County's heritage.

There was the young man who was proudly hugging the trophy he received for having a champion food exhibit: oatmeal raisin butterscotch cookies which he had made by himself. Well, mom helped to take them out of the oven.

There was the young lady with the champion Holstein steer, all one thousand six hundred forty pounds of Holstein steer. 

There were the young folks who were helping even younger visitors to make "pig cookies," which, I suppose, might be considered a takeoff on Union County's famous "pink cookies."

There were the young participants in the always popular junior livestock auction, young women and young men who have worked very, very hard to be a part of an event which always brings a large crowd to the fair.

The enthusiastic participation by our community's young people truly is a good sign for the Union County Fair, both today and for the future. To all of them, let me just say – job well done.

Same goes for all of those who contributed to the success of the 2016 Union County Fair. Thank you for helping to keep this event such a special part of our community.

The Gazette-Democrat

112 Lafayette St.
Anna, Illinois 62906
Office Number: (618) 833-2158
Email: news@annanews.com

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