Alva Review-Courier -

Growing up in Missouri, I don’t remember going to any county fairs. I did go to the Missouri State Fair once. Our small community had a summer carnival and shows provided by the electric cooperative headquartered there. That was a big highlight of the summer.

Then we moved to Alva, and I attended the Woods County Fair. Although I’m not a fan of crowds, there was so much to look at and enjoy that I didn’t mind. In the peak evening hours, the fairgrounds won’t accommodate all the vehicles so people park along Harper Road near all the action.

For years, we had a booth in the Merchants...