S/O Fair food - Last time you went to a county fair?

[Kittyblue]

The fair food thread made me realize a lot a people don't go to their local fair. I go to our county fair with the kids every year. I don't really care for the shows or concert options, but I love seeing the arts and crafts exhibits and the livestock. A couple of friends kids show animals and my kids love going to visit them. Our fair has an awesome petting zoo, too. The kids used to love the rides but they aren't that into them anymore.

So do you go to the fair? What do you like to do there?

 

[firefly_ris]

Last year. My kids enter 4H projects and perhaps one day will enter small animals. They were bummed that there was no fair this year.

 

[etoiles]

My fair had a food drive through this year so we still got the food. All the fried cheese, various versions of grilled corn, etc...

 

[low-key]

last one was The Summit County Fair, it was a long time ago, but it was fun, my only memory I have is a country star was there, she had not made it big yet but had a song I like {Im Alright" Ilike the song and she was so friendly

 

[disneychrista]

Like I said in the other thread about 8 years ago or so to see the Ugly Dog contest. Before that, a couple years earlier, to see Brett Michaels in concert. My closest friend was/is in love with Brett Michaels since she was a teenager. Neither of these were my local county fair. But the fairs in neighboring counties.

When my daughters were young they would ask me why we didn't go to the fair. I would tell them because we go to Disneyland instead.

 

[Kittyblue]

last one was The Summit County Fair, it was a long time ago, but it was fun, my only memory I have is a country star was there, she had not made it big yet but had a song I like {Im Alright" Ilike the song and she was so friendly

One of the country songs I actually know and like!

All the concerts at my county fair are free now, so it's a bunch of B rated singers/groups. When I was teen I saw Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine. That was probably the best fair concert I've ever been to. I would've seen the Fat Boys but they never showed, just left the audience in the stands

 

[Mysterian]

I don't go to fairs much anymore, but I have wanted to pass through the local arts fairs again sometime.
There is also the typical annual fair with rides and the usual fair food, but that's a traffic nightmare. If they had some sort of classic spooky dark ride, I'd absolutely go.

I would tell them because we go to Disneyland instead.

Now that sounds like a fun place.

 

[disneychrista]

All the concerts at my county fair are free now, so it's a bunch of B rated singers/groups. When I was teen I saw Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine.

The "biggest" act at our local county fair was Jane & Dean. This would have been the late 80's. So about 20 years after that had any hits.

 

[Kittyblue]

When my daughters were young they would ask me why we didn't go to the fair. I would tell them because we go to Disneyland instead.

Agreed, WAY better than any fair.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

When I was a kid I went to the state fair. Now our state fair here isn't even as good as my county fair. But I went last year. Did not go to any this year even though we had it. It was a stripped down version.


MMMMm. County fair food Krispy Kreme Burgers.




MMMMM. Deep Fried uncrustables from Chicken Charlie's.


Whoa. 3 gasps and a frown. Guess I better add a healthy option. Well here is one for you. Deep Fried Slim Fast bars!!!



And now the one and only awesome deep fried peanut butter pickles also from Chicken Charlie's. I think I've had everything there. Except the chicken.

 

[Moliphino]

I'm not even sure, it must've been at least 15 years at this point. It's not worth fighting the traffic to go to the Big E.

 

[CynBeth]

I have gone just about every year since I was a kid. Labor Day weekend did not feel the same without it.

 

[MamaLema]

I haven’t been in at least 10 years. I love it but ours has become so popular and so crowded with shoulder to shoulder people that it’s not enjoyable anymore.

 

[chickapin parterre]

I was very fortunate to have married a woman who loved the state fair and was willing to spend all 10 days at the fair. 30 days after were married she entered the choclate cake contest, the MC was famous Oregonian and he brought me up on stage...so began the tradition of 25 years....and like any visitor to Disneyland...what is it like to work a fair....I had shift duty of supervising, from a golf cart, fair clean up for 4 years until the company was under bid my another cleaning company....and yes, we lived 10 blocks from the Salem, Oregon fair and we knew how to enter for free each day and where all the free food events were happening....and even bought a ticket to hear John Denver....but I don't remember kissing her on the ferris wheel or a carnival prize plush animal...spoiled my son with unlimited rides and fair food
. 1985-2010.

 

[bcla]

One of the country songs I actually know and like!

All the concerts at my county fair are free now, so it's a bunch of B rated singers/groups. When I was teen I saw Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine. That was probably the best fair concert I've ever been to. I would've seen the Fat Boys but they never showed, just left the audience in the stands

There are several county fairs around here. San Francisco actually has a county fair building, but technically no county fair.

I've been to the Alameda County Fair as well as the Marin County Fair. The latter is smaller, but I like it better. Rides are included with the ticket price, while Alameda charges per ride or for a daily wristband (maybe $30 on top of the admission). The last time I went to the Alameda County Fair was when I got free tickets at our local Six Flags water park. A local radio station had a spinning wheel with several giveaways.

As far as music goes, I've seen a variety although I wouldn't normally stay around. Our first visit to the Alameda County Fair was when Tesla was there although we didn't stay that late. There were Tesla fans at the fair. Marin has been interesting. One time was "The Wailers Band" with one of Bob Marley's original band members. Another I think the "Happy Together Tour". I think the main act that year was Ron Dante, who was the lead singer of The Archies. He talked a lot in between, especially mentioning Andy Kim.

Not a huge fan of fair food. I had to try alligator once. My kid will usually want a sno-cone. However we'll bring our own food in, which is usually allowed. Once we even walked to the Jack in the Box across the street from the fairground parking lot and then walked back.

And the Marin County Fair had a drive-up fair food festival this year. Maybe not no contact, but minimal contact.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

The fair food thread made me realize a lot a people don't go to their local fair. I go to our county fair with the kids every year. I don't really care for the shows or concert options, but I love seeing the arts and crafts exhibits and the livestock. A couple of friends kids show animals and my kids love going to visit them. Our fair has an awesome petting zoo, too. The kids used to love the rides but they aren't that into them anymore.

So do you go to the fair? What do you like to do there?

Jeez...I haven't been since DD#2 was about 9...so, 17ish years? I took her, we ended up with 2 giant bags of stuffed animals, lol.

DS went to our county fair about 5 years ago with a friend's family.

We went to a Greek festival about 13 years ago, and a shrimp festival about 12 years...

 

[superme80]

I haven't been since I was a teenager. I have never been a big fair person. I only went a handful of times as a kid. My husband isn't a big fair person, so it works out.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

The last time we went to a fair was when DS was in elementary school 20 years ago & wanted to meet up with some of his friends. We don't have anything against fairs, but we lived in Tampa & had better places to go for rides & food. It's hard for county & state fairs to compete with WDW, UO & BG. We now live in South Florida. DS is grown, so fairs aren't on our radar. That may change, if we ever have grandkids. When I was growing up in the mountains of NC, we never missed a county fair, but we didn't have the fun food options that are now available at many county & state fairs.

 

[elphaba91]

I last went to the Australian equivalent of a county fair (the Royal Melbourne Show) 2 years ago. I don't think it's worth the price of admission, but every year the local news station does ticket giveaways and it seems that every time I enter I win tickets (I think I've won 3 times now). Actually, even as a kid I only ever went for free; a boy in my year level's father owned the cleaning company that had the contract for the Show (in hindsight they must have been extremely rich!) and if you were in his class then your whole class got to go for free; I went twice.

I don't do the rides there (because of the price but also because I'm terrified of a ride that can be assembled and packed up in just a few hours!) but enjoy seeing the animals, the crafts and trying samples of food (one time we even got to do a free wine and cheese tasting class!). We usually end up buying showbags (are they a thing at US fairs?) and lots of interesting produce - jam, honey, cheese, wine, etc. I remember last time I went we picked our day intentionally because one of the concerts and it ended up being cancelled without any notice whatsoever (and when I looked at the singer's instagram he was on vacation in another state!).

 

[disney212]

To actually enjoy the fair was 1983 when I was a kid. We went once around 2008 to see my nephew drive in the demolition derby but went straight from the car to the derby and then straight back to the car.