MONROE — When Randall Smith talks to his father, Richard, about the Green County Fair, there’s a memory he has shared more than once throughout the years of the family patriarch preparing to make the annual trip to the fairgrounds.

Roscoe Smith, a member of the fair board in its earliest years during the late 19th century, hitched horses to a wagon and readied the cattle to be shown later.

“My dad can remember him up in the horse and buggy, cows in tow … on the way to the fair,” Randall said with a laugh. 

The family dairy farm was settled on Center Road near Monticello in 1882, when the Green County Fair had barely existed.  Smith continues to milk cows today. Though the method of getting to the festival has changed, the desire to take part remained steadfast in Randall’s grandfather, also Richard, then his father, and eventually himself. They’ve all served on the board at some point, passing down the shares, Randall said. He can remember his brothers and sisters, aunt and uncles and other family members all looking forward to the Green County Fair. 

“We’ve always been involved in exhibiting,” he said. “We’ve always shown cattle.”

Though his children have just reached adulthood, until recently Kristen, Nicole, Tanya and Ryan all spent time at the fair each year, engaging in generational pastimes and learning to interact with others in a variety of ways. Two of his nephews still show, going to the Wisconsin State Fair and other places throughout the country.  Randall said showing Holsteins, and other exhibitions like crops and woodworking projects, helps children understand how to develop social skills. He remembers making friends at the fair and knows his children did as well. 

“It’s just something you look forward to every year,” he said. 

Roger Brugger of rural Monticello said the same. 

“It was quite a thing back in the day,” he said. “Everyone used to have a really good time. Everybody looks forward to it.”

Brugger has been a part of the Green County Fair since 1954, the first year he showed off a Holstein he purchased from the H. Otto Elmer Farm. He can still recall the quality stock you could find there. He said he showed for roughly five years, recalling the all-white garb exhibitors were required to wear.

Three sons, Brian, Daniel and Todd, followed Brugger in showing at the county fair in the 1970s. Most were cattle, but they occasionally exhibited hogs as well, he said. Brugger said he was named grand champion that first year, a title his grandson Ryan has also received while showing beef cattle. Five other grandchildren have spent their adolescence at the fair showing, ending when they became adults. 

“My great-grandchildren will be next soon enough,” Brugger said laughing.

He still supports the young people who work hard to show off their animals. Brugger has been bidding in the dairy auction for decades. He said it helped his children in previous years and continues to be important because it supports scholarships. 

More than 60 years have passed since Brugger first became involved with the Green County Fair. He has noted some changes. For instance, when he started, a parade throughout the fairgrounds used to take place. Exhibitors would walk “big bulls” throughout the area, but that was discontinued. Brugger has also noticed that the types of showing and the number of exhibitors has changed.

“It’s a lot different,” Brugger said. “They haven’t got the numbers they used to have. Seems to be more pigs than cattle now.”

Randall said despite changes to the fair that he and Jane, his wife, have observed, young people who do not live in the country can still make a difference if they’re taking part. 

“I’m glad to see it,” he said. “That there is interest from the youth.”

He and Brugger both noted the life-long friendships which can be forged through spending time at the county fair. 

Richard Horn, Brooklyn, echoed the sentiment by remembering the relationships his children bonded through fair involvement. 

Horn, originally from rural Milwaukee County, didn’t become involved with the Green County Fair until 1966. He and wife Sandy became very invested, as did his children.

His daughter Eileen Horn shows photography in open class, something he was quick to note was a positive piece of the fair not being county-run. Anyone within the state could take part because of it, Horn said. The family tradition motivated other involvement. Horn said Sandy and their daughter-in-law Jessica Horn “had never had anything to do with a fair” but are now active participants. 

“We kind of started out on the lowest jobs, went through the leadership roles and now we’re volunteers,” he said.

Richard and Sandy continue to show crops and vegetables in open class, earning a Best of Fair in gardening at one point. 

“Our second daughter was like a fair person, on steroids,” Horn said. “It’s all about the family now, but I was the one who kind of got it started. It was initially my interest.”

He added that even though daughter, Kathy, died when her children were younger than 10, his grandchildren continued to be a part of the fair. Now, they’re both adults who visit annually, Horn said. 

When his children were young, Horn noticed the area youth developing partnerships through their fair involvement. He said Kathy would clip the neighbor children’s cattle, and in exchange, they lent the family the use of their trailer since the Horns didn’t have one.

“It’s the opposite of the competition,” Horn said. “It’s the cooperation you learn. … They learn those things themselves, not out of a book.”