There may be less livestock at the Columbia County Fair this year.

Judging from the slab of prime rib on my plate last night (as well as the giant chicken served up to the one of my dining companions, Tony Jones, former owner of The Independent), we may have consumed most of it.

The event was a dinner at Kozel's Restaurant in West Ghent for sponsors and the board of the fair, which takes place over the Labor Day weekend in Chatham. I was there with Lisa Robinson, advertising director of The Independent, wearing the hat of interim publisher of that twice-a-week community newspaper, which is the major media sponsor of the fair. Also at our table were Vicki Simons, Tony's wife and former editor of The Independent, as well as Roger Coleman, publisher of the dailies in Catskill and Hudson, and his advertising director, Pam Geskie, a former Freeman sales rep, whose father just happens to be the legendary Kingston area radio guy Orvil Norman.

Ricky Skaggs and Eddie Money will be the entertainment headliners at this year's Columbia County Fair.

Fairs in Columbia, Greene, Ulster and, of course, the big one in Dutchess are part of the charm of the region. And with gasoline prices stretching everyone's budget, these events offer a favorable (and less expensive) alternative to more distant destinations. Keep them in mind as you make your plans this summer.