In this thread, we discuss State Fairs...
 

... or county fairs.

Time for the following:

Over-priced tickets for the hottest days of the year
Free concerts (most of the time)
Fried EVERYTHING
Rides that you aren't sure are safe

And anything else you can think of.

The Cali State Fair starts on my birthday this year. It's probably the only place in California where you can find fried Oreos and Snicker Bars, ever.

The GREAT New York State Fair starts on August 25 and runs through Labor Day. I can't wait to eat all types of bad food.

Toronto has the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE or The Ex) which runs from the end of Agugust till about labour day. There are rides, games, food, and exhibits/shows.

I haven't been to The Ex since I was maybe 12 years old.

Vancouver has The PNE (Pacific National Exhibition). Those are the big ones that I can think of.

Of course, the small towns have their own fairs.

Our county fair is coimng up... I love the demolition derby! This year someone I know is entering a car to raise money for a scholarship. Anyway, I'm really excited about it and I hope I get to go.

My hometown's county fair ran last week (July 13-17). I wasn't able to go back to it this year, but it was one of my favorite times growing up. It's one of the better mid-size county fairs in the state.

The Iowa State Fair runs from August 11-21 this year. I've already told my husband we're going. Last year was the first year he'd been in a looong time and we couldn't do half the things I wanted because 1. we were with my sister, her husband and my niece (who was about 15 months at the time) and 2. we had to leave the fair by 8 pm to go to dinner with his brother and wife. This year we're going by ourselves and we're going to see much more.

The best state fair has got to be the Minnesota State Fair aka "The Great Minnesota Get Together". Nothing like Martha's Chocolate Chip Cookies, deep fried candy bars, pickles on a stick, and the largest gathering of animals I've ever seen in my life.

I'm getting homesick! :(

Thanks to Cheap Trick, I'll be heading back home for the Kentucky State Fair this year :D

Not really a fair, but one of the local radio stations here in Atlanta throws these big free concerts downtown every saturday night. First week was Cake, Last week was Weezer, this week is Switchfoot. Unfortunately, I HATE outdoor free concerts with a passion, because its too darn crowded, and everybody drunk spilling beer on one another, so I never go. I guess I'll have to wait until Switchfoot comes back to town to play at a club or something....

How in the name of god do you DEEP FRY a candy bar or an Oreo? And even better question, why the hell would you want to? I must be missing something b/c I've never heard of this, someone please explain and tell me it's not as gross as it sounds...

:o :o :eek: :confused:

And we deep fry twinkies too. I never understood it. But every year there is something new.

For the record, I've never tried it. They always make a big deal out of it on one of the news stations here in Sacramento. Apparently people buy them, otherwise they wouldn't keep re-inventing themselves. But to each their own.

I'll stick to funnel cakes. Mmmmmmmm.

I always enjoy the "Miss Butterfat" pageant.

Actually, when I was a very young TV director, our station originated 5 1/2 hours of live programming daily and numerous specials from the Ohio State Fair.

It was grueling.

I've never liked state fairs since.

If I'm going to have state fair food, give me a corn dog and a funnel cake, thankyouverymuch. I may die from all of that fried food, but let me tell you, I'll die happy.

To go with the deep fried pickles! :p

My brother always talks about camping in West Virginia and everyone asking them if they were at the fire, and they kept asking, "Fire, what fire?" "The State Fire! Jest up the road a bit!"

Yep, the State Fair - complete with a barefoot 14-year-old Miss West Virginia State Fair, wearing a tiara & waving to everyone as she walked through the crowds!

I've never been to the PA State Fair, but at the Farm Arena (where they also play professional soccer), there are huge signs just inside of every rest room stating, "Please Do Not Bring Livestock Into The Restroom!!" For some sick reason, I find that so amusing...

I've never been to a state fair or county fair. Don't they always have cheesy bands and stuff about livestock? Livestock makes me sad because I'd want to rescue them all, so I figure it's best if I don't go. I know some of them have rodeos, too. *shudder*

I may try to make it to the KY state fair this year, too. I've never been before, but I hear it is a lot of fun.

It's traditionally hotter than Hades but it is a darned good fair. I'm planning to be there on the 18th for CT.

Never heard of state fairs till I moved to Illinois. Here I have friends who judge the livestock and enter pies in contests. It's a whole different world at some of these county fairs!

And ditto on the funnel cakes!:D

I've never been to a state fair but I think I'm going to try and convince someone to go to the Indiana State Fair with me this year. I think it would be quite the experience and I really enjoy "fair food" plus the big thing in Indiana is pork tenderloin which makes me happy.

It's only $6 to get in and I can eat all kinds of yummy food! I think it could be fun to laugh at all the mullets and rednecks too.

We used to love to go to the Barnstable County Fair to make fun of all the white trash that showed up.

Is that mean?

Slightly off topic, but one of the restaurants here (one of the better ones, if I remember correctly) serves fried twinkies as a dessert.

I LOOOOVE State Fairs! Sadly I have missed the WI state fair the last two years because I was out of town, and I'll be in Minnesota already this year - so I am cheating on it with the Minnesota fair. :D

Highlights of the Wisconsin fair include CREAM PUFFS, flavored milk from Herb Kohl (rootbeer is always fabulous), tons of fun random shopping (a big flea market, basically), and the GIANT SLIDE.

You're not missing out on that much. I used to like them when I was little. I still go for the yummy food, ditto on funnel cakes. I see too many pick-ups and kool-aide mustaches. The entertainment is even more "country" than the people. I went to one a few years ago where they launched an anvil 100 ft. into the air. Oh wow, that was one of the most entertaining and safe things I've ever witnessed in my life! :rolleyes: What's more funny was that more than 500 people huddled around the display like they were watching something amusing like fireworks.

Maybe things are different in other states, though....

I've been to the Indiana State Fair, and it is FUN!! Good friends had a daughter in a competition, so a bunch of us went to cheer her on.

It's as hot as hot can be, but the "mom" brought Wet Wipes, so it really was a great experience - and the food was wonderful!!! I'm so glad I dieted beforehand!! Do they still make that decadent funnel cake with a square of ice cream, cherry pie filling, and whipped cream? The "mom" and I shared one, but the guys were eating those like sliders!! :eek:

After reading this thread a second time I decided to be brave and try to find some pictures of these deep fried creations that everyone but me seems to know about :( . I don't know what is worse though, these pictures or the placenta picture Rudith posted.





http://accordionguy.blogware.com/Pho...ried_oreos.jpg
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/02/13/ph...-snickers4.jpg
http://www.xenophilia.com/pics/statefair/14.jpg


Why do I do these things to myself?! :eek: Just the idea of deep fried candy/cookies/whatever makes my chest hurt (I can feel my arteries clogging already! :eek: ) and now seeing pictures I feel even worse.


And on the actual topic of the thread, I know that Missouri has a state fair but I've never been. Nebraska, I don't know if they did, I'm guessing they did but my family really isn't in to state fairs and stuff so I obviously never went as a kid.

I remember during high school though, different areas of Omaha would have small fairs that they called "Millard Days" or "Papillion Days", etc. They have a couple of rides, some games, and similar stuff but nothing too exciting. I just remember that my friends and I referred to them as "Dirty Days" and we went once to check out mullets. :o :o

No worries, I have also never seen these uh... creations. I have heard of them however, but thanks for the pics... I think. :D

What on EARTH is that last one?!?

A deep fried Twinkie with strawberry sauce!!!! :barf:

No problem ;), that's what sisters are for, right? :D

It looks obscene...I'll pass on that!

Mmm...are those fried pickles?

I LOVE funnel cakes. I was a bit appalled yesterday, actually, when I saw a commercial on TV that says IHOP is now serving funnel cakes. That's just wrong.

Right, I mean...What would the world come to if you couldn't count on sisters to show you deep fried Candy Bars?

The sad thing is that the deep fried [insert name of something that shouldn't be deep fried] usually doubles or triples in calories after it's deep fried. AND THEY BRAG ABOUT IT!!!

I think a DF Twinkie has about as many calories as 2 Big Macs. And yet, people still eat this stuff.

I'm still sticking to my funnel cakes... (even those are deep fried though...)


And I don't know if it's just the state fair here, but I swear the roller coaster we went on was going to fall apart. The techs were on the platform tightening screws before the carts left. Kinda freaky.

There was another one that basically took people 50 feet in the air and twirled them in all sorts of crazy directions.

Can't go to a fair without seeing some crazy ride like that.

I recently attended the Missouri State Fair for the first time, I enjoyed it WAY more than the county fairs.

There was all kind of awesome food, not just the crazy fried foods, I'm talking about honey that comes in 25 different flavors and honey ice cream. All kinds of stuff that I never see in cities and the suburbs.

I can't help myself . . .
 

Our State Fair is a great state fair,
Don't miss it, don't even delay.
It's dollars to donuts that our state fair,
is the best state fair in our state!

:D

The Iowa State Fair runs from August 7-17 this year. We took the kiddo to it last Friday because daycare was closed. We had our traditional giant turkey drumstick, giant pork tenderloin, something on a stick (the husband had a sausage on a stick). The weather has been absolutely perfect the past week, so I'm sure the fair has been busy.

Walking around with a toddler in tow while you're 32+ weeks pg is not ideal, though. We couldn't/didn't do some of the things we normally do because I was just too tired. Hopefully next year.

The Montgomery County, MD Fair went trans-fat free this year. http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0808/541890.html

I was going to start a thread about this, but you beat me to it. We try to go to at least one a year. Wisconsin's State Fair is closest, but I never went there until I got married. My husband's aunt lives in West Allis where the fair is & his family always goes there every year. We went to the Illinois State Fair a few years ago. I found the horse show, and between visiting the horses and the show, I did not do much else.

This year, we went to Wisconsin's State Fair 2 weekends ago. Best part: the foot massagers shaped like barrels (after walking the whole day, I needed them). We are in Springfield now for the IL State Fair and I saw the horse show yesterday (my Arabians, the Morgans, Missouri Fox Trotters, and Paso Finos). I makes me want to start riding again- I loved the Arabian Native Costume class! Too much food, tho-has anyone tried the "ice-cream dots"? We are going back today again to do the other stuff- I have to go, the State Fair awaits!

I went to the Iowa State Fair on the first Sunday. I enjoy it so much...but I do the looking stuff. We hit the cultural building, the varied industries building (upstairs to see the needle arts/quilting exhibits), the ag building (gotta love a Shawn Johnson made out of butter!), the ag learning center (yup, nothing like watching a ewe lamb....seriously...). I avoid the midway (a fool and its money are too quickly parted there!) and the fried on a stick anything.

We always eat at the Cattlemen's restaurant. You can get a wonderful beef meal for $6.00. (Primerib, baker, cole slaw and soda).

Iowa State Fair is listed at one of the top 100 places to visit.

We went back to the Illinois State Fair in Springfield this Sunday (the very last day of the fair) and the Kappa Alpha Psi's were manning the gates the entire day. There were two on the way in and one on the way out - all wearing their letters on their shirts so they were instantly recognizable. I spoke to the one guy as we were leaving and he said that they did this for community involvement and recognition. Neat!