Everybody loves the fair. Well, at least I do. So much so that I actually drove home for less than 24 hours to attend this wonderful event. Granted, my little sister is in FFA and showing a pig, but that has absolutely no effect on my looking forward to eating a greasy, county fair corn dog. Of course there are definitely those little things to look forward to every year that make attending the fair that much more exciting.
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Rides. I don't know about you, but the rides at my fair are "sketch-evator" city. But that's probably what makes them one of the best parts of fair anyways. Rides like The Zipper, that literally flip you over and over and over, but also leave you wondering how just a bar over your lap, and being locked in a metal crate, meets safety standards. That's the beauty of fair rides though, right? The sketchier the better.
Food. As with any college student, I am highly motivated by food. (Does anybody else attend events on campus, or anywhere else in town, if there's gonna be free food?) I'm pretty sure that fair food should be named its own food group: greasy, deep fried goodness. You name it, it's probably fried. Corn dogs, funnel cake, Oreos, even ice cream.
If you're from my area, and you attend the El Dorado County Fair, one of the best things to drink at the fair is from the Lemonade Stand. You can buy this huge tumbler for about $10 and then get unlimited refills the entire day. The best part? The lemonade is fresh squeezed and you fill it yourself from a spicket off the side of the tent. Added bonus: They have fresh iced tea, too. Homemade Arnold Palmers it is.
Animals. If you're anything like me, you are easily entranced by the wonderful world of animals. Personally, I'm biased to farm animals, but now that my sister raises pigs to show at the fair, it's even more intriguing to watch them be shown. Walking around the barn to see the steer, hearing pigs yelling in the arena; maybe you'll even see a turkey get a bath if you're lucky.
Dirt. It doesn't matter where you go, there's going to be dirt. Lots of it. Oh, and did I mention that it doesn't matter what you wear, that powdery red dust will find its way into every possible nook and cranny of your being? Because it will, guaranteed. You'll get that tan you always wanted, but this time it's washable!
Memories. From every county fair I've attended, there always are wonderful memories that come out of each trip. From riding a ride so many times that you almost throw up, to making fun of your friends as they fail at eating deep fried "everything," there are so many fun memories that it seems silly to think about it being over in just four days.
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The fair is just one of the many things that makes summer amazing each year. It doesn't matter how much sun, or dirt, gets all over you as you wander through the fairgrounds. The reality that the experience of the amazing smell of fair food combined with dirt and barns, and spending the day with people that make you smile, is something that can be a tradition to continue for years. It's in the little things and the big memories that help us make the most of this crazy life.
