My First Little House Book.

* Showcases close to 80 Blue Ribbon-winning recipes from across America's state and county fairs, covering all manner of homemade pies and cakes, jams and jellies, pickles, preserves, and sweets, from the classic apple pie to the unique wild foraged preserve, the chokecherry jelly* Lists the ingredients that should be in every pantry, a set of standard recipes, plus a state-by-state breakdown* Lush full-color photography by Liza Gershman, showcasing the county fair culture and atmosphere, the people with whom she interviewed, and some of the vintage ephemera unique to each regionThe all-American state and county fair tradition is not all carnies, corn dogs, cotton candy, and apple pie. The fair is a place for communities to come together and share some of the most meaningful moments in life. It's an important institution that evokes affection and nostalgia and has helped to define many of the great American ideals for small towns and rural life, the purebred and homegrown. Liza Gershman's book is a visual feast -- it's jam-packed with the images, stories, and voices of the folk and tight-knit communities who celebrate this unique slice of Americana each year. These pages are beautifully illustrated throughout with stunning color photographs of vintage and retro ephemera, and showcased here are close to 80 nostalgic classic Blue Ribbon-winning recipes from across America's heartland. What's not to love about homemade pies and cakes, jams and jellies, pickles, preserves, and sweets! The County Fair weaves together a celebration of classic, prize-winning regional specialties, secret tips for stocking your pantry, and the legacy of an American institution.

Portraits made in a portable studio that was hauled from county fair to county fair in California and Arizona from 1976 to 1980.

During the mid-20th century, the Erie County Fair in Hamburg, New York, began a journey that transformed a traditional, agriculturally based fair into the largest independent county fair and exposition in the United States. As the number of fair days and exhibits expanded, so did the number of fairgoers, increasing gate attendance figures to over one million visitors annually. While fair traditions have provided continuity over the decades, the fair continues to evolve and renew itself through improvements to the fairgrounds, the addition of unique attractions, and an ongoing commitment to agriculture. Erie County Fair showcases the many dramatic changes that have taken place during the modern era of this fair. From the thrills of the midway and entertainment to nationally recognized agricultural, creative arts, and livestock competitions, the fair's history comes alive through color photographs from the archives of the Erie County Agricultural Society.

The annual County Fair sparks a flurry of activity and brings some surprising secrets to light in this heartwarming conclusion to Katherine Valentine’s beloved Dorsetville series. It’s the end of summer and Dorsetville folks are busier than bees. Days are filled from dawn to sunset with last-minute chores, while the women struggle to find time to prepare their special dishes in hopes of winning a coveted blue ribbon at the annual County Fair. As opening day of the fair draws near, folks have plenty to occupy their minds as well. Much to the chagrin of Father James, he has been chosen to help judge the apple pie contest; Matthew Metcalf worries about how to keep his girlfriend and pay for college at the same time; the Petersons welcome a long-awaited and newly adopted baby; and Hudson, Marion Holmes’s butler, hopes to give his beloved employer a new reason to live by researching the parentage of a young boy who has just arrived in town along with the fair. The boy is a carbon copy of Marion’s deceased son, William. Could he be the product of an old love affair between William and a girl whose uncle once owned a carnival? Before this mystery can be solved, however, the sheriff and the FBI must figure out—before it’s too late—that the owner of the fair is planning to risk the lives of the fairgoers in order to hide a major drug deal he is taking part in. THE COUNTY FAIR is a wonderful continuation of the Dorsetville series, where good friends are never farther away than a handshake and God’s intervention is as close as a prayer.

This hardcover, full-color treasury includes six picture book stories adapted from the classic Little House books. The Little House series introduced generations of readers to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life on the frontier. Now with this illustrated storybook collection, the youngest readers can share in her world as well. Laura Ingalls lives in a snug little log cabin with her ma, her pa, her sisters, Mary and Carrie, and their dog, Jack. Almanzo Wilder lives on a farm with his family and lots of animals. These pioneer children have all sorts of adventures, including trips to town, county fairs, cozy winter days, and holidays with family. The six stories included in this treasury were originally published as stand-alone picture books: A Little Prairie House, Going to Town, County Fair, Sugar Snow, Winter Days in the Big Woods, and Christmas in the Big Woods.

In the fall of 1923, the Shelby Kiwanis Club developed a plan to create a county-wide fair combining the Boiling Springs, Fallston, and Union community fairs into one event. Through the sales of $20 shares of stock, $15,000 was raised to establish the Cleveland County Fair. The first fair was held in 1924 with 70,000 in attendance. Since then, the theme has always been to celebrate city and farm life coming together through such popular attractions as agricultural exhibits, livestock, carnival rides, stage show revues, stock car racing, tractor pulls, and demolition derbies. Today, the Cleveland County Fair remains the largest county fair in North Carolina and the county's largest continuing attraction, drawing attendees in from a 75-mile radius of Shelby. The average annual attendance holds strong at over 175,000 people.

A photographic journey through the county fairs of America, discussing the lasting appeal of the community celebrations that began in 1811 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, when a gentleman farmer invited neighbors to display their best livestock for prizes.