The Hood River County Fair made its return to the upper valley July 21-24. A year after the decision was made to cancel the festivities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of people came from far and wide to catch a glimpse of the return to normalcy. Planted between the peaks of Mount Hood and Adams, the Hood River County Fairgrounds provided a stunning picturesque backdrop. People waited in line for 45 minutes to claim a seat on their favorite rides. Children clamored for cotton candy and teenager's cruised the grounds with their friends.

At the west end of the grounds, market animals were on display. But something was different this year compared to years previous. There wasn’t nearly as many penned up in the barns. As uncertainty surrounded the county fair months ago, many FFA members decided to forgo on raising pigs, goats, cattle, chickens and rabbits.