This year will be my 19th year going to the South Carolina state fair with my family. It's a tradition that we may have taken a little too far, but we still enjoy ourselves (a little more than we should) every year. I mean between concerts, friends, family, good food, and roller coasters, what could be more fun?

The state fair holds concerts every year which are an additional cost on top of admission but, usually, they're so worth it! It's first-come-first-serve seating, which means that if you get there early enough you have the opportunity to be extremely close to the stage. As the concert girl I am, I invited my best friend to go see Dustin Lynch and we stood in line for four hours, but it was definitely worth the wait because we got a selfie with him.

The fair is also really good about picking artists from all different genres so there is a concert for everyone.

The food: one of the main reasons anyone attends the state fair. There's sweets, fried foods, and the two combined at every corner. I look forward to the fair's strawberry lemonade every year. While most of the food is to die for, there are also some crazier options like fried butter and donut burgers. Even if it will take you a whole year to burn off the calories, fair food is absolutely worth trying.

Roller coasters are another big part of the fair and they're even more fun when you're with a group of friends. My favorite ride is the polar express just because they play really good music. While there are extreme roller coaster rides, there are also calmer rides that allow you to get all of the "artsy" pictures of the fair. The Farris wheel is the most fun at night; you can see all of downtown and the entire fair lit up. The chairlift is also a good ride to get on to see Columbia and the whole fairgrounds.

On top of all of this, there are tons of buildings filled with things that people have crafted, knitted, painted, and more, just for the fair! The art is judged and given awards; they do this for agriculture entries too. There is also a farm/petting zoo area and you can watch people compete in a horse show, too. There is also a building full of companies that usually give away free stuff. Who doesn't love free stuff?

Basically what I'm trying to say is, the fair has something for everyone.

All of these aspects together make the fair such a fun place and a great way to start off fall, even if it is still 90 degrees outside. It's even better when you get to spend it with your friends and family.

To the South Carolina State Fair, thank you for continuing to give me something fun to do while spending time with the people I love.