Bound for the State Fair

Growing up I never participated in fair activities beyond eating fried food and hopping from ride to ride.
The concept of showing animals was beyond me because I lived in town so I just assumed that you couldn’t. As I got older I never joined FFA or 4-H for the same not solid logic. 
It never occurred to me that the building full of static exhibits was submitted by my peers, not just children, and that there were other ways to join these groups and show at the fair.
Once I became an adult I just assumed that was the end of it and that showing anything at a fair was only for students. It wasn’t until my editor, Cheyenne, pointed out that open class existed that I put two and two together.
I was so excited last year and worked to prepare my entries. I printed photographs, mounted them to boards and I was all set to drop them off at the county fair ... then had to go into quarantine. 
Shortly after that, the State Fair decided to not have any open class exhibits. The entries were put in a box and I honestly kind of forgot about it.
Then this year rolled around. I knew for sure that I wanted to try and enter the State Fair and decided to try my hand at the county fair as well. That was until I forgot what the deadline was. I tried to prep my entries, got tired and made macaroni and cheese instead. The next weekend I finally buckled down and finished my entries so I could at minimum submit something to the State Fair.
In the end, I was able to drop off 12 photos, two cross stitches and one entry into the bee photography category. The whole process had me so nervous.
I started to second guess my tags, how things were displayed and if I had even entered correctly. 
I texted Cheyenne pictures and questions in my panic to not somehow get myself disqualified. So a big thanks to her for putting up with my constant freak outs.
Finally, the drop-off day comes and my dear husband loaded my entries in the back of the truck and off we went to the fairgrounds.
As we found our way to the open class location I was so nervous. Would everything be all right? Would I be disqualified before I could even enter? 
The superintendents looked over my pieces as I awkwardly explained that it was my first time entering as a way to hopefully justify any mistakes. After checking their entry lists they took the pieces and that was the end of it. Kind of anticlimactic for all my panicking. 
Now I get to wait with a different type of nervous anticipation for the fair to open so I can drag my husband and sister with me to try and find each entry and how it did.
It delights me that something as simple as trying to win a ribbon can be done in adulthood. I know for a fact that the chance of winning is slim.
I also know that between mounting materials and gas there is no way I’m actually going to make money. Those mass-produced ribbons probably only cost a few pennies, but I don’t care.  I’m out here to fulfill the childhood dream of hopefully bringing home a purple ribbon, which I will promptly display on my desk at work.
I hope other adults can take time to enjoy open class this fair season and wish all entries from our county the best of luck as they compete this year.
JENI OBERMIER can be reached at features@ hamilton.net