Fairs and festivals: Fun close to home

Published 7:14 pm Tuesday, August 7, 2007

By Staff
Fairs and festivals seem to be never ending during the summer and fall seasons. Weeks are filled with carnival foods, rides, concerts, animal shows, arts and crafts and many more exciting things to look forward to. These community events have many benefits and have been growing in popularity.
One reason fairs and festivals are becoming so popular is because many people are changing their travel plans to enable them to stay closer to home. These fun family outings can be much less expensive compared to a trip to another state.
The benefits of fairs and festivals to communities is also why people enjoy them. They give the community an opportunity to provide fun activities for residents and out-of-towners to come for a visit. They also contribute in a big way to the development of a local identity, increasing community pride and it can also provide various economic benefits including money towards the community itself, money to local businesses and a chance for people to visit your community and possibly want to return for future visits.
Though summer is winding down, there are still a few fairs and festivals for people to attend. The Berrien County Youth Fair will take place from Aug. 13 to 17. Some of the main events will be the Super Farm Tractor Pulls, Circus Continental, country music stars Tracy Lawrence and SHeDAISY, Bullmania bull riding and the popular Demolition Derbys.
Don't forget about the Four Flags Area Apple Festival, taking place Sept. 27-30. This will be the 35th year for the annual fall festival, which features delicious apples of all kinds, Queen and Jr. Miss Queen contest, parade, food vendors, carnival rides, arts and crafts and entertainment.
Fairs and festivals keep our communities alive and give us the chance to enjoy fun without traveling far. Be sure to support your community.