Festive family outing
A brief synopsis of Baby's First State Fair:
• Hour-long slog through heavy traffic to get there; child whining constantly from backseat
• Bataan Death March from outer ring of Saturn parking
• Terrifying plunge into sweaty throngs of humanity, shins cracked by several hundred strollers
• Leering carnies and giant mutant neon-colored stuffed animals
• Screechingly loud 80's hair-rock music
• Several thousand layers of people blocking child's ability to see animals
• Horse barn inexplicably CLOSED
• Total absence of deep-fried Twinkies, despite lurid newspaper reports
• Much-anticipated wallaby actually v. depressing, since was housed in Hannibal Lecter-style cage
• Restrooms few, far between, frightening
• No rides, as boy is not 36" in length
• Hour-long slog through heavy traffic to get home; child whining constantly from backseat
WHEE! Sign me up for next year.
(Okay, it wasn't completely bad; there were piglets, after all. And chickens. But next time I'm going mid-week, dammit.)
Am I firstest? Supercool!!! We had that experience with The Aidan too!! It SUCKS when they aren't tall enough to ride anything good,just some little boring kid ride that even they know is lame as hell!!! Better luck next time! Oh yeah,I did not notice any mention of people in front of you who may have neglected to bathe,possibly ever? You should be VERY,VERY GLAD as we live in the south and I am sure you get the idea!!
Posted by: Jenny | 09/24/2006 at 09:44 PM
Ugh, I wrote about my state fair experience a couple weeks ago. They just don't seem quite as fun as they did when we were kids...
Posted by: stayathomemotherdom | 09/24/2006 at 10:36 PM
oh dear lord. And seriously-- what's with the false advertising on the deep-fried Twinkies?!
Posted by: HollowSquirrel | 09/25/2006 at 07:37 AM
Every year they want to go to the fair and every year I'm wondering why. It's got to be the lure of piglets and chickens and stuff for my poor under-educated city kids.
Posted by: Michelle | 09/25/2006 at 10:04 AM
The fried twinkies and candy were outside the fairgrounds, and the bathrooms are plentiful, just not marked very well. The fair is um, well, shall we say, icky. my advice do a mid week trip next year and not on a 'school/bracelet' day.
the disgustingly unhealthy food and the cute animals always bring me back and this was the first year we let our son walk around the fair with his friends, so spying was a great new adventure we got to add to the caramel apples.
Posted by: kristina | 09/25/2006 at 10:35 AM
A few years ago at a laudromat (in Austin, TX) I saw a girl open up her backpack and take out a wallaby--I thought I was hallucinating, but no, it was real. And very cute!
Posted by: Mandy | 09/25/2006 at 02:05 PM
You know I have never been to a state fair. Been to a couple of local ones though (the county I graduated high school in still closes for Fair Day) but I must say that for me its all about the food. This year I discovered pork wings and they were FABULOUS. Never had a deep fried twinkie though. Will have to hunt one down.
If you want animals find a pumpkin patch to go to. They usually have small "petting farm" areas set up. At least here they do. Much less crowded because people don't have to squeeze it into one week, plus there's usually at least a "hay ride" that Riley will be big enough to go on :-)
Posted by: Vycki | 09/25/2006 at 04:12 PM
I was at the fair on saturday, too! Good thing I didn't see you as you would have had to add "internet fan threw herself at my feet, unpleasant" to your list.
Posted by: Jenny J. | 09/25/2006 at 05:47 PM
We went Monday morning, 10 a.m. No lines, no crowds . . . sure, it was drizzly for half an hour, but then it was perfect. I highly recommend Monday mornings!
Posted by: Shrinkingmom | 09/26/2006 at 09:30 PM