Representing this year’s Grant County Fair were grand marshals Carl and Gale Sheppard of Prairie City.

“The fair’s been our way of life,” Gale said.

The couple have lived in Prairie City for nearly 40 years.

Carl retired after 30 years with the U.S. Forest Service and he worked for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs in Prairie City for eight years.

Gale is still employed at the Prairie City Ranger District.

Their daughters Pamela Woodworth of Prairie City and Ann Marino of Redmond grew up experiencing all the fair has to offer.

“It taught my family so much,” Gale said. “We’ve sponsored a lot of 4-H clubs and projects, and were barn superintendents for a few years.”

She said sometimes it seemed they were in the barn 24/7, and their daughters also competed at the state fair.

Ann became a 4-H ambassador, traveling to Salt Lake City and Atlanta, and Pamela stayed in Japan with a 4-H foreign exchange program.

The fair is also a good time to visit with friends, she said.

“It’s been our place for social get-togethers,” she said. “You see people you haven’t seen in years.”