TLC show ‘7 Little Johnstons’ is filming at this week’s Butler County Fair

Camera crews followed around the members of the hit TLC show who were there. Amber Johnston, mother of Jonah, Elizabeth, Anna, Alex and Emma Johnston, said she, Alex and Emma made the trip from Georgia to support Allie Smith, Alex’s girlfriend, in her last year of 4-H showing pigs.

“We’re super excited for Allie,” Amber Johnston said. “Allie’s been doing this for 13 years, and so we really wanted to be able to experience the fair, but also being that this is her last one, being here to support her.”

She added it was important for her to meet Smith’s family and friends since she is an integral part of Alex Johnston’s life.

While here, Alex Johnston learned how to show pigs and planned to enter the open market hog show Tuesday to compete.

“I am very excited and nervous about learning how to show a pig,” he said. “So my main thing is that I don’t want [it] to run away from me across the arena, but Allie said that that’s normal and I just have to walk up and guide it. But it’s still kind of nerve-wracking.”

Alex said at first it was weird having his relationship open for anyone to see, but now it “doesn’t really bother me anymore.”

“It’s just nice, finally being able to experience this because Allie’s been telling me about it for three years, and it sounded like a lot of fun,” Alex said. “And now that I’m here in person, experiencing it, it’s a lot of fun seeing all the animals, and seeing like the fair and all that, so {I’m] glad I could see her in person.”

Grace Murphy, an 18-year-old 4-H member and fan of the show, said “I think out of all places Butler County is kind of crazy.”

Jenna Haubner, a 17-year-old 4-H member, agreed with Murphy.

“It’s cool, but it’s random,” she said. Haubner thinks it will be interesting to see how people around the nation perceive the Butler County Fair.

“We’re kind of suburban life down in Georgia, there is a lot of farms, but seeing the farm community [here] I mean, it gives us a greater appreciation for farm life, and the community is so tight and so caring and just and very, very welcoming for us,” Amber Johnston said.