"Step right up! Step right up! Win a prize every time!" This is the promise of the carnival games and part of the fun for the kids at almost every fall fair.

Giant stuffed toys, screaming midway riders, hotdogs and candy floss, all spring into a child's imagination when you mention the fair.

But for scores of local students this past weekend, the Shelburne Fair offered much more than the thrill of three minutes of wild whirling or the fleeting joy of a small, lime green stuffy that Dad won for only 10 bucks. It offered the Junior Fair Competition, an opportunity for young people to express their artistic and intellectual creativity, and a forum to test their agricultural skills.

The fair also provided these kids with one of those rare, but important, moments of public validation. The yearly event is a chance for the community, to get to know their youth, cheer for them, support and congratulate them.

Reams of ribbons were given to the many individual entrants; the following were some of the top winners:

Most points: Six years and under: Laura Wagstaff; 10 years and under: Jesse Baker; 14 and under: Emily Teeter; 21 and under: Coulter Baker; Photography: Jenna Artindale; Roots and vegetables: Natasha Dresar.

The grand prize winners of the poster contest were Coulter Baker, a Grade 8 student who will now compete in the grades 7 to 12 category in the regional competition, and Taylor Mills, who will also compete in the regional contest in the Grade 6 and under class at the end of October.

Winners from that contest go to the Ontario competition held in Toronto at the Royal York Hotel in February. Crafts by winners Reece Steele and Gabriella Iusi will also compete at the regional level.

Junior Fair Co-ordinator Marion Webb has strong praise for the participants and hopes to see more participation from local schools in the future. She encourages teachers to implement entry categories into classroom assignments and art lessons.

Fairs such as Shelburne's offer a wide variety of categories for kids to experience competition in a safe and family friendly environment.

From cookies to crafts, creative writing, photography, digital imaging, agriculture, wood work and school work, there is the possibility for any child with a creative idea to experience the thrill of winning. A chance to earn a moment of true accomplishment, a shiny ribbon and even a healthy sized cheque!

The Junior Fair is a significant contribution by the Agricultural Society to the development of our youth. The dedication of these volunteers is a tangible reminder that "it takes a village to raise a child."