We spent an evening at the Virginia State Fair over this past weekend. Loved the little jugs of sweet tea, the smell of chicken poop, and witnessing baby chicks hatch. Didn't love the lack of down-home-ness. Don't get me wrong. It was good. It was fun. It was yummy (fair food, duh). It just seemed a bit commercial. In one of the animal tents, there were people gathered on a small grandstand watching.... a video of a cow giving birth. I kid you not. And are multiple Verizon Wireless kiosks needed at the fair? Am I really going to review mobile phone plans while nibbling on a funnel cake and swigging heartily from my jug of sweet tea. Probably not. And am I the only one that loathes the whole heckling thing in the "we are selling stuff" pavilion? I would have enjoyed more hand-crafted items (and was a bit put off that arts & crafts were housed in the same building as the "we are selling stuff" stuff, but that's a different story). If you are selling something you bought in bulk over the internet, you should not be allowed to peddle it at the fair. What happened to getting my name burned onto a piece of wood or a leather belt? Granted, there was a very talented guy crafting hand-woven baskets, but he was way off by himself in a poultry tent, and in my honest opinion, deserved a much better venue than someone selling hot tubs or furniture polish.
One thing the fair did do was take me back (the older I get, the more "taken back" situations I seem to find myself in). Flashback to middle school. Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma. Early 80s. "Tainted Love" blasted from the huge speakers at the Flying Bobs ride. Standing at the back of a crowd, tiptoeing to get a glimpse of Eddie Money singing 'Shakin'. Being able to roam the fairgrounds without a parent. Dr Pepper lipgloss and dusty Vans. Getting to fully experience heckling from the carnies (so much creepier without my mom around). Something about going to the fair at that age hinted at the fact that I was on the verge of a whole new world opening up to me. And I loved it. And no, I never won a cheap stuffed animal or half-dead goldfish in a plastic bag sealed with a rubber band. But it was still pretty magical...
