BY RICHELLE THOMPSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LEBANON -- Lori Keller was still pink and wrinkled when her mother wrapped her up in a blanket and headed to the Warren County Fair.
"One of my first experiences out of the womb was the fair," said Ms. Keller, who, 24 years later, hasn't missed one yet.
And she doesn't intend to start this year. The 147th annual Warren County Fair kicks off Monday and runs through Saturday, and Ms. Kemper expects that as a 4-H agent, she'll be working the fairgrounds each day from 7:30 a.m. to "the other side of morning."
In 24 years, Ms. Kemper has seen the fair make some adjustments to accommodate the rapid influx of suburbanites into Warren County, the second-fastest growing county in the state. The population has increased from 113,927 in 1990 to 134,791 in 1996.
Shifting traditions
As more people move into the area, there's less farmland for young 4-H members to graze cattle and sheep or to raise hogs and horses.
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IF YOU GO
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Doors open at the Warren County Fairgrounds, 665 N. Broadway (Ohio 48) Monday at 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, the hours are 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Cost is $5 per person, children 12 and under free. Parking is free. Tuesday and Wednesday, senior citizens 65 and older are admitted free. For more information, contact the Warren County Agricultural Society at 932-2636.
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"As the county becomes more urban, I think we get more non-livestock projects," said Ken Osborne Sr., who has been involved in Warren County fairs for 30 years. "It's a change with the way the country is changing. We have less agriculture now than we had 20, 25 years ago."
Ed Wade, president of the Warren County Agricultural Society, said the tradition of livestock shows and rural endeavors still runs deep. But instead of larger herds of cattle, the fair board sees more participants in the categories for rabbits and chickens. Now, few of the families raise livestock for a living, Mr. Wade said. Instead, "they do it on the side to be involved in a good youth program."
The fair is trying to attract the new residents of Warren County -- and increase the revenue -- by expanding the events, Mr. Wade said. They added a mud run last year, and this year, for the first time, fairgoers can place bets on harness racing.
Mr. Wade is hoping the new events boost the number of visitors, from 40,000 in 1997 to 50,000 this year. It also would be nice to break even on the $90,000 budget, he said. Last year, the fair brought in about $75,000.
Despite the changes in Warren County demographics, Ms. Keller said area residents and merchants still show a lot of support for the fair and the 4-H events.
"There's still a strong rural tradition in this county, and I don't think that's going to change," Ms. Keller said. "The county fair is one way of celebrating a valued part of society."
When Ms. Keller was a child, her family lived in a Maineville subdivision, a far cry from the farm fields needed to nurture cattle or sheep for the fair's 4-H livestock competition. But that didn't stop them from participating in the dozens of available 4-H projects. At Ms. Keller's first fair in 1973, it was older sister, Paula, who had submitted a project. By the time Ms. Keller was 8, she joined the local 4-H club.
In 1991, she served as Junior Fair Board president, overseeing all of the 4-H competitions. The following year, Ms. Kemper was named first runner-up for Fair Queen.
"I probably won a few blue ribbons," Ms. Keller said of her 11 years in 4-H. "But that wasn't what was really important."
She named the benefits from those years of competing and participating in the fair: self-confidence, public-speaking abilities, organizational skills.
At this week's fair, she'll be on hand to make sure the competitions run smoothly and to admire the hard work of 832 kids who have submitted projects.
And, Ms. Kemper admitted, she'll be there for the frozen lemonade and fair food. It's a tradition. Just like the livestock competitions, midway rides and elephant ears. Just like Ms. Kemper attending year after year, 24 in a row.
