The Kern County Fair has changed over the years, but pieces of its history remain — in the preparation, in the competition and in the lessons that carry far beyond the fairgrounds.
Herman Porter, named the 2026 Kern County Fair Person of the Year, said the fair reflects real life.
“The Fair is not fair. But the Fair is like true life. The one who works the hardest doesn’t always reap the most. But one thing about it: the one that works the hardest, they go on with life and go on,” Porter said…