How We Raised $60 to Take Our Kids to the County Fair: A Lesson in Resourcefulness

The county fair came to town and my kids had never been to one.

We were still living paycheck to paycheck in the months after our house fire, but I wasn't going to let that be the answer. So I sat the kids down and we wrote out every idea we could think of for raising the sixty dollars we'd need to get everyone in the gate.

Sell homemade soap. Run a garage sale. Mow lawns. The ideas came fast.

The 11pm Craigslist Move

Since time was short, I chose the fastest option: I posted an ad on Craigslist at 11pm offering some of my silver Walking Liberty coins at spot price. I wrote honestly in the ad that I was trying to raise money to take my kids to the fair.

By 7am the next morning I had a response. The buyer showed up, the silver changed hands, and we had our fair money.

What the Fair Actually Was

We spent the day in the fun house, at the rides, watching the animals, eating fair food. My daughter and I got our picture taken in the fun house mirrors. The kids had never experienced any of it — the livestock barns, the 4H exhibits, the carnival energy of a real county fair.

It was one of those days that costs sixty dollars and is worth a thousand.

Jerome County Families Know This Feeling

In Jerome County and throughout Magic Valley, the county fair isn't just entertainment — it's a community institution. The 4H animals, the baked goods competition, the local vendors, the rodeo events. It's where the region comes together every year and reminds itself what it's made of.

I'm Dr. Ron Jones, a real estate agent and southern Idaho family man who has taken his kids to the fair more times than he can count. Let's find your family a home near one.

Dr. Ron Jones | Rim & River Real Estate | rimandriver.com | 208-712-8386