The COVID-19 restrictions last year forced us to give up a lot of things that we take for granted — packing into a ballpark to watch a town team baseball game, for instance, or going to the movies or out for dinner. One thing that hurt a lot of small Minnesota communities was the shutdown of the county fairs.

All the kids working on their 4-H and FFA projects and preparing their animals for showing thought they had nowhere to show them. However, thanks to Steve Pomerenke and Kent Thiesse, The Minnesota Youth Livestock Expo provided an outlet.

However, adults working on their art, their crafts, their baking, and their livestock had nowhere to go. People who enjoyed spending sunny afternoons and warm evenings wandering the fairgrounds had to stay home.

This year things are different. The Youth Expo entered its second year, and the county fairs are back. The Martin County Fair is scheduled for Aug. 16 at the Fairgrounds in Fairmont.

After a year without a county fair in the state — even without the Minnesota State Fair! — we’re sure people are looking forward to the experiences we all missed last summer.

Let the fun begin.