A preview to fair season for 4-Hers

We spent Saturday at the Cumberland Fairgrounds for the 4-H June Jamboree. June Jamboree is like a practice preview for Cumberland County 4-H kids, especially the ones showing animals during fair season. The 4-Hers bring their animals to the fairgrounds and participate in a show like they would during the fair. The adults judge their animals and offer suggestions and tips on how the kids can improve their skills and enjoy the showing experience. The kids who enter projects in the exhibit hall also do all their entry forms/paperwork required at fair time and receive feedback on how how they might improve their projects. It's and educational, low-key day at the fairgrounds for all the 4-Hers. Jamboree also includes workshops and the girls were particularly excited about the horse rescue demonstration (no, we don't own a horse but the kids love them). L. was excited to have been chosen to help pull the metal horse into a trailer at the demo and I heard in great detail how to help an injured horse and neutralize it's 'weapons' (i.e., hooves). Unfortunately, I missed the whole thing because I was prepping the food booth for lunch. Both of the girls' 4-H clubs (their shooting sports and general club) were in charge of the food booth at Jamboree this year. We volunteer every year during the Cumberland Fair to transform ourselves in to short-order cooks for an afternoon. It is not easy work but we always have a good time (and some of the characters who stop by the booth keep things interesting). The Jamboree menu is simpler than fair time with only hot dogs, chips and soda. So when the clubs were looking for volunteers, Fino and I agreed to work the booth for a couple of hours because our kids really wanted to do it. They love working in that food booth. The girls and two of their fellow 4-Hers were responsible for taking orders and handling the cash drawer. They all handled it like pros with little supervision counting money and change. (And later I reflected again on the many practical skills my girls have learned since joining 4-H and how much I appreciate this program.) Fino was in charge of filling the orders and I was responsible for making sure the hot dogs and buns were replenished in the steamer as needed. The girls also had a chance to take a break from the booth for a few minutes and see how they did with their projects in the exhibit hall. They received some positive feedback about their projects and were pleased with their ribbons for the day. L. has new plans on how to present her flower fairies based on feedback from the judges at Jamboree. It should be interesting to see how she's going to work out her 'big plans' in the next couple of weeks. And G. has some more plans of her own with her cow project as well. By the time we got home not only were we tired, we were also hot. After the many pleas to go swimming on the way home, I decided to indulge the girls with a quick dip after dinner at the river. The first fair of the season is less than a month away. The Houlton Fair opens the season on July 3. (You can get the full schedule of fairs here.) We really enjoy fair season - which fair is your favorite?