A Day at the State Fair

TCS_PenAndInk_Brush2 (Scrap Girls) All papers and embellishments from Shabby Princess' Festival and Olivia Collections

Well, we've lived in Utah for 14 years and have never gone to the Utah State Fair- until today! We went early and avoided most of the crowds. We were able to see parts of the hog show and the cow (cattle, beef?) show. We looked at all the pigeons and rabbits, too! Reed would have bought one of either on the spot if we had let him! The boys went on a ride called Moby Dick three times and laughed the whole time. We ate corn dogs and funnel cakes and drank freshly made lemonade- all the things you HAVE to have at the fair!

I think I had more fun than the rest of my family because going to the fair was very nostalgic for me. I grew up going to the Skowhegan State Fair (Maine) every summer. My mom and dad always volunteered at the Centenary United Methodist Church's Diner, which supplied a chunk of the church's budget for the year. The Diner is famous for yummy homecooked meals at a reasonable price. I remember how excited I was when I was finally old enough to be a dishwasher! I was a "busboy" for a couple of years, and then I was finally old enough to be a waitress. We got to keep our tips, so it was a very big deal to be a waitress. I loved working in the diner because everyone seemed to have so much fun.

When my shift was over, I was able to wander around the fairgrounds. I liked looking at the floral displays which were in a dark, cool area under the grandstand and the baby animals at the Children's Barnyard. I remember walking through the exhibition buildings and thinking how amazing all the products were that were being sold. I probably spent some of my hard earned cash on all sorts of crazy items, but they are long forgotten.

My children (and my husband) don't share my interest in wandering slowly through all the exhibition halls, but I did get to see most of them at a brisk walk! There were some interesting floral arrangements, but it was a paltry display compared to those I spent hours enjoying in my youth. I didn't see any tractor pulls going on and I don't think they do horse races here in Utah, but I had a good time anyway. I may have just realized today that I grew up in a very rural area where the fair was a major part of life. I'm glad I could share a little piece of my childhood with my boys today.