State Fair

[petitepedal ★]

Starts on Thursday....There goes my commute

I tend to stay away..it is expensive...I think $12 (maybe more) to get in and well..once you are in it cost even more for food and drink..

However...we have one of the largest State Fairs in the US....I think we go head to head with Iowa!!   Food on a stick...and lots of it deep fried...although healthier alternative are slowing making it into the food line up.

[maddmaxx ★]

Just now, petitepedal said:

Starts on Thursday....There goes my commute

I tend to stay away..it is expensive...I think $12 (maybe more) to get in and well..once you are in it cost even more for food and drink..

However...we have one of the largest State Fairs in the US....I think we go head to head with Iowa!!   Food on a stick...and lots of it deep fried...although healthier alternative are slowing making it into the food line up.

We don't have a state fair but we have several local shindigs.  We usually end up going to the Hebron Harvest Fair on one of the early evenings using the senior discount, early bird free parking etc.  The kids are grown so the carnival and rides aren't of much interest so we walk around and eat "bad for you but tastes so good" fair food.  It's possible to take in the tractor pulls and the horse pulls, or at least the early rounds.

[petitepedal ★]

One of these days I may venture to the land of the Cheese...and go to the Cranberry festival...

[sheep_herder ★]

Our Eastern Montana Fair is next week.  We are busy preparing photos, and my wife has several yarn projects.  I'll be taking photos of the students with their animals and even decorated cakes.  I've never been a fan of a lot of the fair foods, but there are some Gyros sold by a fellow from Wyoming that I usually seek out several time during the fair. I'll also eat one or two Indian tacos during the fair.

Fair will be a bit different this year, as one of the large exhibit buildings was closed after the snow caused part of the roof to cave in this winter. Some people complain that the attendance is down from years past, but that doesn't affect my activities or enjoyment of the fair week. I try and avoid the politicians like the plague.

[maddmaxx ★]

My neighbor has left for his new home in Maine and so have his antique tractors that I used to to to see at the fair.  We will check out the livestock and the 4H displays.  I too will avoid the politicians but their booths have some good inexpensive food and drink.  I'm not sure what to look up this year.  I don't need a new hat, a new pellet stove, a new belt buckle or a magic water filter.  Perhaps there will be something new and amazing to find.

I'd be more interested in the politicians if they would have a special demolition derby in their Lexus SUV's.

[maddmaxx ★]

This live cam business must be catching on.

http://www.hebronharvestfair.org/fairgrounds/live-web-cams/

It's no state fair, but it's not too shabby.

[pedalphile]

We don't have these, but a week on Monday (a Bank Holiday in the UK) is the Hope Show, out in Debyshire, a lovely wee village/town, there'll be all sorts of events and displays, including home made cake and pie and Sheep Dog Trials. I've not been to it before but am looking forward greatly to this edition.

[donkpow]

42 minutes ago, pedalphile said:

We don't have these, but a week on Monday (a Bank Holiday in the UK) is the Hope Show, out in Debyshire, a lovely wee village/town, there'll be all sorts of events and displays, including home made cake and pie and Sheep Dog Trials. I've not beren to it before but am looking forward greatly to this edition.

The "county fair" in the US is likely to be have started as something like a harvest festival. It is also a place where you could have expanded or improved your agricultural business and lifestyle. There are prize bulls on display/for sale, examples of genetically superior crops, new types of farm machinery, etc. The woman folk would also display their wares; knit articles, superior recipes, prize ornamental flowers, etc. 

[ChrisL]

2 hours ago, petitepedal said:

Starts on Thursday....There goes my commute

I tend to stay away..it is expensive...I think $12 (maybe more) to get in and well..once you are in it cost even more for food and drink..

However...we have one of the largest State Fairs in the US....I think we go head to head with Iowa!!   Food on a stick...and lots of it deep fried...although healthier alternative are slowing making it into the food line up.

Our county fair ended last weekend and traffic in my area is back to normal.  I live close to the fairgrounds and two major arteries to the fair go right by my house. 

I didn't think I'd go this year, even posted about it but we got free passes so went one night, then while there we bought the UB 40 tickets so went back the following weekend.

[jsharr ★]

2 hours ago, petitepedal said:

 

However...we have one of the largest State Fairs in the US....I think we go head to head with Iowa!!   

You non Texans and your concept of what is large are so cute.

https://www.readers.com/blog/biggest-state-fairs/

[pedalphile]

6 minutes ago, jsharr said:

You non Texans and your concept of what is large are so cute.

https://www.readers.com/blog/biggest-state-fairs/

Embarassingly, Yorkshire has the same concept of itself in the UK context that Texas has of itself in the US. I am able to rise above it though, being only a naturalised Yorkshireman, not a native born and bred.

[Parsnip Totin Jack ★]

The VA state fair isn't until late September and it's only 75 miles south of here so traffic won't be a problem. This post got me thinking that I may enter some pies in the competition. A raspberry apple in the the double fruit category and a bourbon pecan in the alcohol infused pecan category. Entrie are due Sept 7, and the pies delivered opening day, Sept 27.

[jsharr ★]

1 hour ago, maddmaxx said:

My neighbor has left for his new home in Maine and so have his antique tractors that I used to to to see at the fair.  We will check out the livestock and the 4H displays.  I too will avoid the politicians but their booths have some good inexpensive food and drink.  I'm not sure what to look up this year.  I don't need a new hat, a new pellet stove, a new belt buckle or a magic water filter.  Perhaps there will be something new and amazing to find.

I'd be more interested in the politicians if they would have a special demolition derby in their Lexus SUV's.

You have to run the gauntlet of hucksters to enter the Great State Fair of Texas.  They sell anything and everything that you don't need but cannot live without from Ginzu pans to Copper Clad knives.

I like to check out the auto show and the animal barns and catch some of the free live acts.  Have seen acrobats, aerilsts, BMX stunt teams, military bands, a wild birds exhibit where the birds fly in to the amphitheater from the top of the ferris wheel.

I do like the exhibt halls where they sell hats, and belts and all that sort of stuff.  Sort of like the mercado in San Antonio.

The Texas fair even has one building where you can get nothing but fair food, as well as all the vendors on the midway and other parts of the fair.

I have only been to the fair in Texas and Oklahoma, but nothing can rival the Texas State Fair on sheer size.  It is massive.

[jsharr ★]

2 minutes ago, pedalphile said:

Embarassingly, Yorkshire has the same concept of itself in the UK context that Texas has of itself in the US. I am able to rise above it though, being only a naturalised Yorkshireman, not a native born and bred.

https://mapfight.appspot.com/yorkshire-vs-texas/yorkshire-texas-size-comparison

If you were here, I would pat your head and give you a nice sweet and tell you to run along.

[pedalphile]

3 minutes ago, jsharr said:

https://mapfight.appspot.com/yorkshire-vs-texas/yorkshire-texas-size-comparison

If you were here, I would pat your head and give you a nice sweet and tell you to run along.

Perhaps you missed the word context in my previous post?

[jsharr ★]

1 minute ago, pedalphile said:

Perhaps you missed the word context in my previous post?

I did not miss a thing,  I am just being a Texan.  Carry on.

[donkpow]

Speaking of fair food. My recollection is that the most popular county fair food tents were food services set up by the locals. 4-H or whatever. Here you could get all your home cooked favorites for a good price. Old people liked them most of all.

[maddmaxx ★]

34 minutes ago, jsharr said:

You have to run the gauntlet of hucksters to enter the Great State Fair of Texas.  They sell anything and everything that you don't need but cannot live without from Ginzu pans to Copper Clad knives.

I like to check out the auto show and the animal barns and catch some of the free live acts.  Have seen acrobats, aerilsts, BMX stunt teams, military bands, a wild birds exhibit where the birds fly in to the amphitheater from the top of the ferris wheel.

I do like the exhibt halls where they sell hats, and belts and all that sort of stuff.  Sort of like the mercado in San Antonio.

The Texas fair even has one building where you can get nothing but fair food, as well as all the vendors on the midway and other parts of the fair.

I have only been to the fair in Texas and Oklahoma, but nothing can rival the Texas State Fair on sheer size.  It is massive.

I bought one of those copper pans "as seen on tv". for $10 at a Marshalls homegoods store.  They must not have sold well online but if you can get one cheap, they aren't bad.

I did want to see a repeat of the drone racing world championship that Page documented a few years ago at the California state fair however.

[pedalphile]

1 hour ago, jsharr said:

I did not miss a thing,  I am just being a Texan.  Carry on.

Yorkshire is the biggest county in the UK, so I can see why Yorkshiremen would be that way, but Texas is nearly the biggest state in the US, so what is Texans' excuse? ?

[jsharr ★]

9 minutes ago, pedalphile said:

Yorkshire is the biggest county in the UK, so I can see why Yorkshiremen would be that way, but Texas is nearly the biggest state in the US, so what is Texans' excuse? ?

Alaska don't count.  Too close to Canada and Russia to be trusted.  Plus, we are Texas, damn it.  Enough said. 

[Kirby]

 

[jsharr ★]

7 minutes ago, Kirby said:

 

Filmed at the Oklahoma State Fair.

 

[Kzoo]

2 hours ago, jsharr said:

You non Texans and your concept of what is large are so cute.

https://www.readers.com/blog/biggest-state-fairs/

You Texans and your concept of what is large is so cute.

You have 2.25 million visitors over a 24 day period and you think you are larger that Minnesota that has 2 million in a week.

Ha!

I don't think I have ever met a person that has gone to the Michigan State Fair.  

[jsharr ★]

9 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

You Texans and your concept of what is large is so cute.

You have 2.25 million visitors over a 24 day period and you think you are larger that Minnesota that has 2 million in a week.

Ha!

I don't think I have ever met a person that has gone to the Michigan State Fair.  

Yeah, when you have people from 5 states coming, it must be easy to get that many in one week.  We realize it takes a few days of driving just to get to our fair, so we make it last longer and thus fewer have to come per day.  

[Page Turner]

...as a State Fair aficionado, I have (in person) attended both the Minnesota State Fair (two or possibly three years running, IIRC), and the one in Texas (once, on a visit to my crazed sister in law in Flower Mound).

The Minnesota fair is by far the bigger and better of the two, and the memory of it, and machinery hill there, makes me sad for what passes for a state fair here in California (which sucks worse with every passing year.  )

 

 

 

[jsharr ★]

4 minutes ago, Page Turner said:

...as a State Fair aficionado, I have (in person) attended both the Minnesota State Fair (two or possibly three years running, IIRC), and the one in Texas (once, on a visit to my crazed sister in law in Flower Mound).

The Minnesota fair is by far the bigger and better of the two, and the memory of it, and machinery hill there, makes me sad for what passes for a state fair here in California (which sucks worse with every passing year.  )

 

 

 

You must have shitty taste in State Fairs.  Only possible explanation that I can see.

[Kzoo]

8 minutes ago, Page Turner said:

The Minnesota fair is by far the bigger and better of the two

@jsharr can go suck eggs.

BAM!

And no one drives to Minnesota to go to their state fair.

[MickinMD ★]

I had a scare experience at the Maryland State Fair some decades back and wonder if, subconsciously, that keeps me away now - ours is in late August or early September each year.

There was a booth raising money for the Maryland Chess Association where you bet $1 to play against a master chess player and won $5 if you could beat him. There were 20 boards set up going around in a square and the master, on the inside, walked around simultaneously playing up to 20 opponents.

The National Master playing, a guy named Mike, saw me and called me over.  He knew me from my play in tournaments and my coaching and said, "I need to run to the bathroom and eat something. Can you fill in for me for 20 minutes?"  I reminded him that I wasn't a master as the signs claimed, only a Class B player and he said, "No problem: they won't know the difference because you'll win against the casual players who'll challenge you."

So I agreed, thinking I was going to have to donate the money I lost if some chess hustler that might show up.  I got stuck there for 33 minutes and had about 15 games.  Fortunately, no one of any real skill showed up and I made a little money for the MCA.  But I never volunteered to do it again!

[Page Turner]

2 hours ago, jsharr said:

You must have shitty taste in State Fairs.  Only possible explanation that I can see.

...you know how I knew I was in trouble when I got to the Texas State Fair ? It was when I saw Big Tex.

Luckily, some thoughtful person has since set fire to Big Tex and burned him to the ground.  So don't ever give me shit about Burning Man again, @jsharr

 

 

 

 

 

[Page Turner]

 

[Tizeye]

Florida knows better than to have a State Fair in the middle of August. I can just smell the livestock exhibits now. The official State Fair is in Tampa, but other local fairs are in the same timeframe. It kicks off with the Gasparilla celebration in February. Much better time to hold a Fair.

[sheep_herder ★]

1 hour ago, Tizeye said:

Florida knows better than to have a State Fair in the middle of August. I can just smell the livestock exhibits now. The official State Fair is in Tampa, but other local fairs are in the same timeframe. It kicks off with the Gasparilla celebration in February. Much better time to hold a Fair.

What smell?  February is a Great Month to hold a fair with all the vegetables and fruits to display, if you live in Florida.  ?

[Further]

I went to the N Y state fair when I was about 10. The only thing I remember is a kid sitting on a hay bale in one of the exhibit halls, playing that trick with a wallet and a string. He didn't 'get' me but I watched till I was drug away. 

[Further]

My wife worked for the local county fair board for a couple years. The backstory on fairs is fascinating... 

[Page Turner]

...meanwhile, back in Iowa.

[Page Turner]

...candidates for 2018 Iowa State Fair Queen wave before heading on stage for the final results.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/17/us/politics/iowa-voters-2020-election.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=image&module=photo-spot-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news