The State Fair... Then and Now

I have been going to the State Fair (the Kentucky State Fair for my first 30 years) for as far back as I can remember.  Since then, I have been fortunate to visit many State Fairs in several States.  There have been many times when I went to the same State Fair several times in the same year... as in... I went with my Grandparents and Cousins, then went again with my Mom, Dad and Brother, then again with my Boyfriend (who is now my husband!), then went again with Girlfriends from school, then went again with my Boyfriends Family.  You would think that once was enough... but that just isn't true... because... you experience different things with each person or group you go with... and after all... the State Fair comes but once a year, and is only in town for a couple of weeks.

When I went with my Grandparents and Cousins... Grandpa would walk around and 'work the Fair', checking on his many employees... Grandpa was the owner and operator of a Security Police company, and the State Fair was just one of many sites that hired his company... so while Grandpa did his work thing, Grandma would take us youngsters straight to the Mid-way where she would begin a night full of spoiling us rotten... buying us anything and everything we wanted to eat from all the food venders, and packets of tickets for us to ride any ride we wanted... as many times as we wanted to ride it.  Grandma herself did not partake in any of the rides... she would sit or stand near the ride holding all our stuff, smiling and waving and taking pure pleasure in our pleasure.  However, Grandma did partake and enjoy in the eating ritual of greasy Fair food... such as corn dogs (her personal must have favorite), corn on the cob, funnel cakes, lemon shake-ups, cotton candy, caramel apples, italian sausages w/peppers and onions, elephant ears, soft serve ice cream, milk shakes... you name it, we ate it.  Grandma would also give us all the quarters we needed or wanted to play the various 'Games of Chance'... and again... she would carry and hold all our big winnings while we played our games and continued to ride the rides.  When I was a child, I never understood how Grandma said she had as much fun as us kids did, when she never even rode a single ride and insisted on being the pack mule... but now that I have had my own children, whom I have taken to the State Fair and/or to Amusement Parks, and have been the wallet and pack mule... I totally get it!  Seeing the pure joy of your Children and Grandchildren is a totally priceless pleasure that just can not be described!  Grandma... I'm trying to 'pay it forward' and pass on the joys of childhood you gave to all us kids!  After my Grandpa was finished doing his rounds, and Grandma and us kids were finished doing our Mid-way thing... we would gather all together once again and do the rounds of the animal barns, and then go see the Rodeo Show and/or the Horse Show... another particular favorite of both my Grandparents.

When I went to the Fair with my Boyfriend (between the ages of 14 - 19)... we too went straight to the Mid-way... holding on to our wallets/purse tight that held our own hard earned cash or allowance.  We were much pickier in rides and our food vending choices (usually sharing our food selections)... and usually we spent every single cent in our wallets/purse... but the experience was totally different from being with Grandma.  We would choose the wildest, craziest, FASTEST rides, and the hidden tunnel rides in which we could grab a quick kiss session.  We would hold hands and let everyone know... we were a real couple!   HA to all you lasses who dared look at my Boyfriend.... he was mine!!!... and to all the fellas who may have looked my way in my short shorts... sorry... I'm with HIM!!  Young love... sooo possessive... but just soo cute too!

When I went to the Fair with my Girlfriends (between the ages of 13 - 18)... now that was a different story all together!  We would definitely dress for as much attention as we could get... usually short shorts, tank tops and sandals...  we would bat our eyes, toss our hair, wiggle our hinnies, and outrageously flirt  and giggle with any and every male we could get attention from.  Why we thought this was fun... who knows... but I still see the same behavior now at the State Fairs from young lasses, as us young lasses did back then.  Now that I am Ohhh so much older and wiser... and have raised three daughters of my own... who I know very well behaved the same way (much to my chagrin!) I see how completely 'see thru' we were, and that no one... well other than the young lads our own age... never took us seriously and were actually laughing at us after we passed by.  Once.... a Girlfriend and I decided we would be 'interesting foreign girls', and thus made up our own language to speak to each other... one of us of course would be the 'interpreter' to everyone else.... again.... why we thought we were actually convincing... I have no clue... but we really thought we pulled it off and had a great time all the same!  We rode only the rides with the cute workers, and rode nothing that would muss our hair out of place!

When I went to the Fair with my Mom, Dad and Brother... my parents would drag my Brother and I through all the exhibits, we would have to go peruse all the aisles of new fangled farm equipment, and through the mucky stinky animal barns before they would FINALLY take us to the Mid-way for just a 'couple' of rides and a corn dog.  We both really actually enjoyed it all... with the exception of the gazing at the boring farm equipment, but... we were kids and the Fair was all about, and only about the Mid-way and the rides!  And of course... you had to walk several steps behind or to the side of your parents... so that any friends you may see wouldn't think you were lame and with your parents.  Of course all the way home my Brother and I would jabber on and on about how much fun we had all had together.

As an adult taking my own girls to the State Fair... I too tried to instill in them all the values the State Fair has to offer other than just the Mid-way and greasy foods.  We would always go view the various art and photo exhibits, the quilts (seems to be everyone's favorite!), peruse through the animal barns, and of course you just have to go see all the HUGE home grown produce Blue Ribbon contestants to "WOW... and OMGOSH... I can't believe that such is such is soooo big"!  I now completely understand why my parents made us see all the Fair had to offer before heading to the Mid-way... because A) they really wanted to enjoy the Fair too and see all the oddities that can be seen at any Fair, and B) because their funds were limited and you had to do the Mid-way last, because you didn't want to spend every cent you had in the first 15 minutes of being at the Fair.  When we were raising our girls, Joe and I too had a limited income and had to stretch our 'extra State Fair money' between the three daughters and the expense of the greasy Fair food and the tickets needed for each ride as far as we could stretch it, and still give the girls a great time at the Fair.

So that brings me to this year's Fair experience at the Kansas State Fair with just Joe and I.  We saw all the bright lights of the Mid-way... and that was all the Mid-way experience we were even remotely interested in.... ahhhh... how times do change!!!  Joe and I were more interested in the greasy food venders and the people watching.... cheapest, funniest entertainment available anywhere!  My favorite Fair food fare is now the corn on the cob..... OMGOSH.... AMAZING!!!  Especially when you make sure they completely douse your cob in all that delish butter!!... we also gave our cob a generous sprinkling of cajun seasoning.... yum yum yum!!!!  I would pay the $8 entrance fee to the Fair again... just to get my mouth on another corn on the cob!  We ate italian sausage w/onions and peppers, a corn dog, a german sausage, a gyro, a lemon shake-up (Joe enjoyed corona's at the beer tent... which was the main place to people watch), chocolate peanut butter decadence ice cream, and a funnel cake.  We heard there was sauerkraut pizza and red velvet funnel cakes... but we weren't able to locate either....  hummm maybe that's even another reason why we should return to the Fair!

Joe and I meandered through food alley, went into the main building to gaze upon the butter sculpture, went to the pig races... which... how hilarious was that!!!???  TOO freaking hilarious!!!... and sat in the beer tent to enjoy our favorite past time of people watching.  We saw body piercings in the strangest of places, tatoos (large and small, black and in color), mullets, mohawks, rainbow colored hair, short shorts on those who should not be wearing short shorts, adorable babies and children, the most outrageous outfits imaginable... just to name a few interesting sites that walked past us.  As Joe likes to say.... we were watching a slice of America right there at the Kansas State Fair.  We enjoyed every minute and I do hope we are able to return for another visit before the Fair packs up and goes away for another year.... I know there is another ear of corn waiting for me to consume!