Farm animals or funnel cake?

That’s the question, as Lawrence teens spend time at the Douglas County Fair. Are they more interested in 4-H events or in carnival rides?

The answer, well, depends.

Many Lawrence teens headed straight to carnival rides and cotton candy on Friday.

For city boys like Doug Bittinger, 16, the fair is a social event.

“I came here to meet all my friends I haven’t seen in a while,” he said.

For other teens, it’s the culmination of a year’s hard work.

Jenn Crawford, an 18-year-old 4-H member, was pitching hay on the fairgrounds in her tennis shoes and jean shorts. She showed two steers and two heifers during Friday’s Livestock Show.

Since she was a child, she has worked with cattle on her parents’ land in west Lawrence.

“I’m glad I grew up on a farm,” Crawford said. “I’m not afraid of hard work.” She’s gained a lot of confidence leading 1,800-pound animals around.

On a typical summer Saturday in the city, Michael Bricker, 16, a Thursday fair visitor, will “sleep till noon, go to the pool and stay out all night,” he said.

That doesn’t work for Misty Emery, 16, of Baldwin City, because there are animals to feed. She wakes up at 6:30 a.m. to feed cows, goats and sheep. Most of her work comes in the evening as she walks “everyone” and brushes them.

She’s shown cows, sheep and pigs at the fair for several years. Cows are her favorite.

“They are a lot bigger and more fun,” she said.

The fair continues today. Highlights include the Pedal Tractor Pull at 1 p.m., Livestock Judging Contest at 9 a.m. and a 7 p.m. musical performance by the Twang Daddies.