New event at Boulder County Fair

The Boulder County Fair will see a new series of events this year — Wordsmiths.

Webster’s defines a wordsmith as “a skilled user of words,” which could be very loosely interpreted.

“I think a wordsmith could be used to describe several different kinds of individuals,” event organizer Janet Fogg said. “We’re including writers and storytellers. Anything written or sung could be included in that.”

Fogg belongs to the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, a group of local writers and storytellers who will be holding the various events during the fair.

“All of the people are either writing about the area or they live here,” Fogg said. “I’m pretty excited. This is the first year. I hope it will continue. We’re looking forward to having some fun at the fair.”

There will be author signings, singing, readings and storytelling, starting on Aug. 1, which also happens to be Senior Day at the fair.

“Everybody loves a good story. We hope it’s fun for everyone,” Fogg said.

Aug. 3 is kid’s day, with plenty of reading and activities for the youngsters to get excited about, including reading stories that pertain to the region.

“Getting kids reading at an early age only makes their lives richer,” Fogg said. “It’s fun for us to tell stories or read books. Hopefully it will get their imagination excited and they’ll think about wanting to read all summer.”

The art of storytelling is something Fogg is excited about bringing back.

“It’s building a community, really emphasizing the values that we hold dear,” Fogg said. “It’s creating a world that people will enjoy. Listening to a story is very important.”

Fogg hopes that the Wordsmith events will become a staple at the fair for many years to come.

“It’s a different opportunity for people to learn about stories from our region,” Fogg said. “I think part of the fair is community, but it has an agricultural basis. It’s a nice family event, and we hope to compliment that with the storytelling.”