The Troy Shrine Club’s 2019 edition of the Pike County Fair opens at 6 p.m. tonight at the Pike County Fairgrounds. The country fair traditionally features the merriment and thrills of the midway, local entertainment, games of skill, cotton candy, exhibits by local business and, of course, the exhibits that showcase the talents of friends and neighbors. The exhibits feature  farm-grown products and livestock and display community members’ skills in canning, cooking, carving, quilting, painting, photography, ceramics and other hobby interests.

The doors opened from 1 until 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday for the registration of the entries in a large variety of categories. The lines were long and when the doors closed at 5 p.m. Sunday, everything was over except the judging and the shouting.

On Monday, the judging was completed for the 442 art entries from local students and 306 entries from the community in all categories.

The shouting will begin tonight when the blue-ribbon winners are revealed.

The Heisman Trophy doesn’t hold a candle to a blue ribbon won at the county fair.

When the fair opens at 6 p.m. tonight, the first ones in the line will be those who are in hopes of seeing a blue ribbon on their entries.

Ray Crosby, local radio personality, was among those who registered their entries in the 2019 Pike County Fair in Mason jars.

And, like most who enter the home-canned foods section of the county fair, Crosby had a story about his entry.

“It’s pepper relish,” he said, holding his entry so that the light caught it just right. “It’s my granny’s pepper relish recipe and it’s the best I’ve ever tasted.”

Crosby said back years ago, many foods were plain and it was surprising what a good relish could do for rice and beans.

“You can buy pepper relish in the grocery stores and it’s good,” he said. “You can buy pepper relish at farmer’s markets and it’s better but you can’t buy pepper relish anywhere that’s as good as Granny’s Pepper Relish.”

Crosby knew that his granny’s relish was in for tough competition from canned peas, butterbeans, squash, pickled eggs and jellies. But, even if he doesn’t take home a blue ribbon, he stills lays claim to his Granny’s Pepper Relish as the best in the land.