I had the pleasure of spending a day last week behind the scenes at the State Fair and getting an up-close look at the County Exhibits. Wandering through these exhibits has always been one of my favorite parts of the Fair – even before I joined the CSAC team. And I’m not alone; the displays are a perennial favorite, attracting hundreds of thousands of fairgoers each year.

While designing and building an exhibit of this magnitude takes a lot of time, commitment and funds, the payback can be significant.  Not only does the exhibit instill county pride, but it’s a great marketing opportunity when you consider how many state residents stop by during the two-plus weeks of the Fair. As for cost, in most cases the award money covers the exhibit expenses.