95th Annual Rains County Fair

The 95th Annual Rains County Fair is just around the corner! The fair begins on Tuesday, September 9th and runs through Saturday, September 13th. If you are planning to attend or get involved with the fair, here are a few places to start! Additional details are available at https://rains.agrilife.org/county-fair/.

Creative Arts. The Rains County Fair Creative Arts contests are open to residents, young and old, from Rains and surrounding counties. If you have not entered before, give it a try; we love new exhibitors! Rains County Fair Creative Arts Divisions include Antiques, Canned Foods, Collections, Fine Arts, Handcrafts, Horticulture, Needlework, Photography, and Quilting. Special age groups, senior and youth age categories, are judged in special age divisions.

Rains County Fair Creative Arts entries will be accepted next week! Make sure you mark your calendars; you do not want to miss out! Entries will be accepted on Tuesday, September 2nd, and Wednesday, September 3rd, between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. at the Creative Arts Building at the fairgrounds (with Horticulture entries only accepted on Wednesday). Creative Arts Judging is closed to the public. Entries will be on display in the Creative Arts Exhibit building and will be open to the public starting with the fair on Tuesday, September 9th at 6:00 p.m. All grand and reserve Creative Arts entries win a cash prize!

Baked Goods. If baking is more in line with your areas of interest, you do not want to miss entering the Youth or Adult Baked Goods contest. Entries for the Youth Baked Goods contest will be accepted on Tuesday, September 9th in the Creative Arts building between 6:00-6:30 p.m. and judging will begin at 7:00 p.m. Entries for the Adult Baked Goods contest will be accepted on Saturday, September 13th in the Creative Arts building between 6:00-6:30 p.m. and judging will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Miss Rains County Pageants. The 2025 Jr. Miss and Miss Rains County pageants will be held on Wednesday, September 10th at 8:00 p.m. Tiny, Wee, Petite, and Little Miss Rains County pageants will be held on Thursday, September 11th at 6:00 p.m. If you have not attended one of our pageants in the past, you should check them out this year, you will not be disappointed! We have a wonderful group of young ladies ready to wow you! Follow Rains County Fair Pageants on Facebook for up-to-date information.

Mutton Bustin’. For youth ages 4-7 years of age, the annual Mutton Bustin’ contest will be held Friday, September 12th at 7:00 p.m. If you are too old to participate, you can still enjoy the fun, make your way to the fair on Friday evening and check out this fan-favorite! Arrive early if you would like to get a seat in the stands.

Parade. Get your parade floats ready! We welcome entries from organizations, individuals, businesses, or anyone else wanting to join the fun. The Rains County Fair Parade will be held on Saturday, September 13th in Downtown Emory. The parade line-up will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Emory City Centre and the parade will begin at 10:30 a.m.

Chili Cook-Off. Looking for something with a little more spice? The Annual Rains County Fair Chili Cook-Off will be held on Saturday, September 13th. Entries are due Friday, September 12th. Cash prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.

Youth Floral Design. The Rains County Fair Youth Floral Design Contest will be held on Saturday, September 13th. The Grand and Reserve winning entries will be sold in the live auction and all other entries will be available for purchase via silent auction.

Livestock. Youth livestock shows are a county fair staple. Rains County youth may show animals in the following categories: Breeding Beef Heifers, Market Steers, Market Goats, Market Lambs, or Market Pigs. Come out and support our local youth as they show off their dedication and hard work. The steer, lamb, goat, and breeding beef shows will be held on Thursday, September 11th beginning at 9:00 a.m. The pig show will be held on Friday, September 12th at 8:00 a.m. Market animals will be auctioned off during the Junior Livestock Sale on Saturday, September 13th beginning at 6:30 p.m.

If you are interested in becoming a livestock buyer, please call (903) 473-4580 or visit https://rains.agrilife.org/buyer/ to register online (online registration will close at noon on September 12th). You may also register in-person before the sale on Saturday, September 13th between 6:00-6:30 p.m. in the livestock arena.

The Rains County Fair is a fun-filled week of activities offering something for everyone. Please visit our website for a complete schedule of activities, contest entry forms, and much, much more https://rains.agrilife.org/county-fair/. Be sure to follow Rains County Fair on Facebook for regular updates. We look forward to seeing you at the fairgrounds!

If you have questions or concerns, please contact me, (903) 473-4580 or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu. To view upcoming events or additional information please visit https://rains.agrilife.org/ or follow Rains County AgriLife on Facebook.

Kids Kitchen Skills

If I had a dollar for every time my kids asked me what we were eating for dinner, well, I would be off on an island somewhere enjoying my millions of dollars and not writing this article. But since that does not seem to be in my cards, it is probably best to figure out a way that question doesn’t make me lose my mind! Meal planning and preparation is one of the most important life skills you can instill in your children and grandchildren. Plus, if they are comfortable in the kitchen, maybe I will hear that question a few less times. 

Food makes us feel comfortable and safe; we plan major events and family gatherings around food. So, it is not hard to see why many people see food as a love language. Engaging your children in family mealtime helps create close bonds, teaches your children about healthy eating, and teaches them about kitchen safety. Preparing meals and cooking together not only builds excitement but starts daily conversations. 

Engage your children in preparing meals with easy skills that will last a lifetime. Start with basic skills appropriate for their age and interest.  

• For younger children, ages 2-5, make basic tasks seem important, especially since their attention span is shorter. Try tasks such as washing produce, stirring batter or dressings, measuring, pouring liquid, and cutting soft foods with a plastic knife.
• Children 6-8 years old are always eager to help. You can practice their reading, by reading recipes together and practice simple math when measuring foods. Children in this age group can help peel fruits and vegetables, use small gadgets like a can opener, collect ingredients to make a recipe (scavenger hunt), and help decorate desserts.  
• Older children, from 9-12 years old, can provide more assistance in preparing meals.  Basic knife skills and food safety, as well as knowing how to use appliances, should be easy for this age group. Children can help trim and slice foods, use a blender or standing mixer and sauté foods in a skillet. 
• Teenage children, from ages 13-16, can be your personal sous chefs. Planning and preparing some easy meals should be an easy task for them. Using knife skills, such as chopping, slicing, dicing, and mincing can be completed with adult supervision. Following a recipe from beginning to end encourages independence and accomplishment. Learning how to grill on an outdoor grill can also be a new task to research and learn.    

Encouraging your children to help in the kitchen fosters life skills while also building a connection with them. It is important to always have an adult present in the kitchen, regardless of age, to keep everyone safe. Also, remember to follow good food safety practices to prevent cross contamination. You can learn more about food safety, cooking tips and tricks, and healthy recipes at https://dinnertonight.tamu.edu/.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact me, (903) 473-4580 or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu. To view upcoming events or additional information please visit https://rains.agrilife.org/ or follow Rains County AgriLife on Facebook.