During my formative years growing up, I always looked forward to the Fairfield County Fair. The smell of the place is what I fondly remember most. Not that I would ask anyone to enjoy the odor of a barnyard mixed with the smell of greasy food.

I absolutely love fair season. . . unfortunately, the fairs around here are ALWAYS during school season, and I haven't been able to go for years. I miss them so very much.

Our local fair starts up in several weeks. My annual tradition is to get an elephant ear and split it with a friend - after going on the rides. Going on rides on a stomach of fatty, greasy fair food is an experience I never wish to repeat.

I also enjoy seeing the different kinds of animals. I've never entered any of my pets, though - mainly because I would feel bad keeping them in a cage in the heat.

This year I won't be entering any artwork, either. I entered a knitted sweater and a drawing a few years back, but this year I was gone too much to arrange getting anything in.

I absolutely love fair season. . . unfortunately, the fairs around here are ALWAYS during school season, and I haven't been able to go for years. I miss them so very much.

You need to drive up to Michigan and come to ours! (It's a small-town one, not the most interesting, but spending several hours there with friends is quite fun. )

I grew up in a small town in southern Minnesota, and its county fair is usually the first week in August. We had some fun times going there each year.

Now I live fairly close to the site of the Minnesota State Fair and have attended that fair at least once a year for a long time - usually with friends. The last 5 years or so I've attended with friends who've adopted little girls. It's so much fun seeing the old familiar fair through their fresh eyes; they get so excited about everything, especially the animals (rabbits and baby farm animals), not to mention the food.

I will be dropping off my box for judging on tuesday. I hope the booth for cheese curds is open. The Mrs asked me to save her some, but I must be honest, and tell her I cannot as they would be cold by the time I get home with them.
Has anyone a particular stage, and or talent show they remember?

off to the local Fair with the Mrs. again tomorrow. I think I shall renew my quest for the perfect bratwuerst. Cooked through, with just a touch of scorched crispyness, but not dry on the inside.
That, and a funnel cake, properly drained of course. Nothing worse than a funnel cake still soggy with grease
Tried some asian food last time. Unfortunatly I have had better. Granted, the chicken was good, as was the rice. But there was far too much onion mixed in.
Does anyone else have their favorit fair food?

Today is the final day to register entries into the Kansas State Fair for free. I was thinking about skipping this year, but my husband won't let me. Here's the list he wrote down for me last night.

Peppers, Banana (6 specimens)
Peppers, Any Other Hot (6 specimens) [Thai Hot]
Long Striped Watermelon (1 specimen)
Largest Watermelon (determined by weight) (1 specimen)
Tomatoes, Cherry or Ornamental (12 specimens)
Tomatoes Roma (6 specimens)
Extracted Honey; Light
Extracted Honey; Dark
Canned Fruits, Tomatoes
Fresh Salsa MILD
Fresh Salsa MEDIUM

I was like "ARE YOU KIDDING ME????" For the record, I probably won't enter in ALL of these categories. The honey in particular I don't feel right about because we haven't done much work on it, my brother and sister-in-law have. But you can always sign up and then if you can't bring the produce in for whatever reason, no big deal.
But I'll show him, I'll just enter him into the Cookie categories because he took third place in Chocolate Chip Cookies last year, so there.

Any food items you are looking at eating? Turkey leg perhaps? Or a favorit ride?

I love fair food as horrible as it is, it's pretty tasty. My two favorite things are Pronto Pups (glorified corn dogs) and Roasted Corn. A few years ago I also discovered the awesomeness of Deep Fried Oreos. So those are usually the stands I flock to at the fair.
Rides I kind of lost my interest in a few years ago. I don't know what happened cause I used to love them. Maybe I'm just getting old and boring, I dunno But now with a kiddo on the way, I may get suckered back into rides again in a few years.

Now I'm hungry for fair food. Just a little more than a week till our State Fair trip. Hope the weather cooperates.

Rides I kind of lost my interest in a few years ago....But now with a kiddo on the way, I may get suckered back into rides again in a few years.

Sounds familiar! I'd not been on rides for sometime until I started going with kids a few years ago. Now they practically drag us all over to them.

One on the way? Congratulations to our resident feline Starting the youngster on good fair food, with sights, and sounds, what can be more responcible parenting than that?
stargazer. The Mrs. and I will be wandering the Minnesota State Fair by ourselves this year. The offspring is even now prepairing to wander from the wig-wam into the Lands-of-Higher-Learning, and shall not be joining us this year.
We shall never-the-less continue on with our tradition, and seek out the best fare the fair can offer.

How did your shooting box do, Puddleglum?

(I entered an a baby blanket in the needle arts division at our county fair. They very kindly gave me a "Thanks for participating" ribbon and displayed the blanket inside out. )

And on the food side of things, I discovered that the roasted corn booth sells THE BEST garlic mashed potatoes EVER. I also had a pronto pup.

Thank you for asking Meltintalle.
It actually won a blue ribbon. Much to my suprise, as it was my first attempt at dovetails. there was one someone made for gaming, cards, and such, that I thought was much better. I suppose it has more to do with classification of the item. I must admit to still learning these things.
Too bad about your blanket. Considering that most of these folks running these events are unpaid I made an effort to explain the item to them.
My brother did quite well with his walking sticks, and a fancy knife, and scabbard he had inlayed with a brass cross. Very medievel looking.

Today's the day! We're taking all of our entries in to the fair (except Salsa, that's on Monday). Sadly we could not enter the honey category because even though we had honey in great quantity, we did not have the correct jars. Next year!

What I definitely have to enter and ready to go are my banana peppers, my hot thai peppers, and my canned tomatoes. My husband has some VERY successful chocolate chip cookies too.

I also have to swing by the farm and grab my fresh tomatoes and watermelons.

The Kansas State Fair opens on Friday so I can't wait to see how I do.

Good luck on your entries. To your husband too. Chocolate chip cookies, a pity I am not there to sample some.
The Mrs. and I were in South Dakota during their state fair, but unfortunatly we were too pressed for time to attend. It would be interesting to see how things may be run differently. Pehaps someone can verify something for me. I have been told by a Minnesotan recently returning from Texas that their state fair is not much to boast about. That it ranks about the same as a county fair up here.

Good luck, Fantasia! I ditto Puddleglum - I wish that I could be a sampler!

I've been a city-dweller in a mainly urban area for most of my life, so I've never been to a County Fair .I've been to a fair and all, but no county far. I believe that Charlotte's Web was my introduction to them. I would love to go to one, for sure. The fritter cakes and fair food, especially, pique my interest.
I'm enjoying reading this thread!