Off to the State Fair

Redoverfarm · August 19, 2010, 11:37:12 AM

I usually try to go to the State Fair one day a year. It is quite close in comparison to other activities at a mere 40 miles. I enjoy looking over the agricultural exhibits and machinery. But this like a lot of other fairs and festivals have gotten away from tradition and become more commercialized. Now off to BOOST the economy.

ScottA · August 19, 2010, 11:44:38 AM

You guys have your fair early. Ours isn't untill October. Have fun.

August 19, 2010, 12:03:53 PM

Growing up in Baxter County Arkansas, the county fair was second only to Christmas in terms of anticipation. It was a small event, but we kids would be there all day, every day if we could.

I can still remember the smells of the fair! Sawdust, livestock, cotton candy and fried foods. Night time was the best, with the strands of lights illuminating the fairgrounds, and the air already getting chilly.

Thanks for the memories Red!

We have the NM state fair here in ABQ, and I don't care for it nearly as much as I did that little county fair.

ChuckinVa · August 19, 2010, 07:20:22 PM

We used to go to the WV state fair when I was a kid. They had lots of ag exibits and livestock exibits. The first and only time I went to the Va state fair I only saw amusment rides and Carnival games. I never went back.

Woodsrule · August 20, 2010, 06:42:46 AM

I grew up in New Hampshire and we went to dozens of fairs all across New England. My dad was a logger and competed in the Woodsmen Field Day in each fair.

He and his brother would team up on the log-rolling event (not the log in the water type) and they would compete in crosscut, bucksaw, tree-felling and chainsaw steeplechase. Us kids would compete in how much candy we could eat. Besides the logging events, my favorite was the oxen pulls. I'm still struck by the power of those magnificent animals. Oh, the fresh cotton candy also is a good memory.

August 20, 2010, 06:57:23 AM

Well it basicly the same as last year except that the prices had to be adjusted for inflation.

. I think I will just keep my old tractor for a few more years now that I have seen the prices to replace it.

Had a good time "meeting and greeting" people from various parts of the state and surround states. The kids had a blast at the amusement rides. Food was good. We sort of stay away from carnival food and eat at the organizations that are local like the Cattlemans booth and Youth Science Cafeteria. Livestock was brought in as far away as Georgia for the draft horse pulling contest. A lot of livestock from Virginia. The milking parlor and dairy cattle brought back fond memories of my earlier years. I would just like the profits made in this past week at the fair and I wouldn't have any problems finishing the cabin.

Scott we couldn't wait that late in the year or the Luge could be a ride.

glenn kangiser · August 20, 2010, 07:37:32 AM

I may have gone to the Oregon State Fair once about 40 years ago. I decided don't like that many people well enough to go again.

IronRanger · August 20, 2010, 10:31:28 AM

Beware of the pony rides.

Last night, my nephew was all smiles and giggles. The next thing we know, the pony is bucking and kicking and my nephew's under the pony taking a hoof. He has a nasty bruise on the inside-upper thigh, but he'll be OK.

They're animals. We understood this when he wanted the ride. The kicker was the pony owners wouldn't apologize for yelling at my nephew. They blamed him when he hadn't done anything other than sit and smile. The guy actually made a joke about it. I had to turn my back and stand facing-away from the guy for a few minutes. Me getting arrested for assault wasn't going to help the situation.

They wouldn't apologize and continued taking people's money and going in circles. By the time I was done talking to potential riders' parents, there was no one left to take a ride. They had all walked-away.

That made me happy.

considerations · August 21, 2010, 01:17:35 PM

Yesterday Mom and I went to the county fair. I love this little fair because it is one of the few county-wide events out here that is created by mass participation, instead of being engineered by a few for the purpose of mass entertainment. Anyway so much for the philosophy.

We had a great time, ate too much of stuff we don't eat any other time of the year, had some good laughs and went away with an appreciation of the creative and hardworking spirit of the "common folk" in this county.

I usually have a quilt entered, but that just didn't happen this year. Darn.

Conclusion: Wahoo!

!

August 23, 2010, 08:23:41 AM

I enjoy the fair. I am torn between the Wasilla/Palmer fair in Alaska...The Veggies there are so HUGE...23 hours of sun light just makes the veggies grow grow grow!I also enjoyed going to the Puyallup Fair in Washington....Ahhhhhhh the memory of funnel cakes.

glenn kangiser · August 23, 2010, 08:41:33 AM

....and I thought size did not matter...

StinkerBell · August 23, 2010, 12:26:17 PM

myth

glenn kangiser · August 23, 2010, 04:07:09 PM

[ouch]

fishing_guy · August 31, 2010, 09:42:15 PM

Just got back from our State Fair. In Minnesota it is 10 days long. One of the bigger fairs in the nation.

We listened to the Quebe Sisters from Fort Worth TX, an amateur talent show, checked out some 1940-1960 tractors.

Oh, and there was a builder there who had some very well built garden sheds and small cabins. I may post a link later after I check them out. It nothing else, they had some good space saving ideas.

Food wise, we had spam curds, olives on a stick, camel on a stick, turkey drumsticks, cream puffs and deep fried cheese on a stick.

Due to a morning rain and a truck taking out a power pole attendance was relatively light. I was ok with that. No fighting the crowds.