often including only exhibits or competitors..

[Silverobama]

A state fair is a competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in their categories at the more-local county fairs.

Hi,

Please take a look at the red part, I am wondering if the red part is talking about the county fair or state fair?

The first sentence introduced what a "state fair" is, and the former part of the second sentence telling me that the "state fair" is larger than a "county fair", but I don't know whether the latter part of the sentence, starting from "often including", is also introducing the state fair rather than an explanation of "county fair".

Thanks a lot

[tedtmc]

A state fair is a competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population.

It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in their categories at the more-local county fairs.

I think there is a typo error - 'exhibits or competitors' should be 'exhibits of competitors'.

The sentence is not clear especially with the comma. It could be better worded this way:

It is a larger version of a county fair and often includes only exhibits of competitors that have won in their categories at the more-local county fairs.

not a teacher

[Raymott]

I think there is a typo error - 'exhibits or competitors' should be 'exhibits of competitors'.

This isn't necessarily a typo. Both exhibits and competitors can win.
Obviously, all exhibits are made by someone, and that person is competing. But there are different types of competitions. Exhibits are things like flower arranging, sewing, knitting, cake baking. The performance is done prior to the fair. So the competitor is not actually competing at the time - the exhibit is.
This contrasts with competitors in rodeos, wood-chopping, etc. in which the competitors compete at the time.

The original sentence is fine, to me.

[Silverobama]

So the red part in the original sentence is a further explanation of "county fair" or "state fair"?

[SoothingDave]

It's explaining what a state fair is.

The competitors at the state fair have won contests in their local county fairs. The state fair has only the best that the counties have to offer.

Just like the athletes in the Olympics are the very best that the nations have to offer.