Stuff You Get to See at State Fairs

Fall is coming and it is time for state fairs, regional fairs, and county fairs. No matter where you live, you can visit some fairs. Although all fairs have their own "special flare," all state fairs also have certain things in common.

So get ready for the excitement, the smells, and the adventure of the state fair in this hub! You can check out all of the amazing awesomeness that you will only see at fairs. Even if you don't have the time or money to visit a fair this summer or fall, you can pretend you did just by visiting this page.

Oh, there will be livestock. I don't care where you live, there will be animals. I live in Maryland, which is a state that has something for everyone - cities, suburbs, high crime areas, etc. Believe it or not, we have farms, too. Apparently, we have a lot more farms than I ever imagined, or at least that is what I have to believe based on all the livestock I see each year at the state fair.

A lot of people spend a great deal of time, money, and energy on their livestock, and they love to show off cows, pigs, goats, ducks, chickens, horses, and more. You really can't blame them since there are not too many opportunities in life to let the world see livestock, so make sure to check out some prize-winning animals because it means a lot to them. Just beware of the smell and be careful where you walk! If you are lucky, you might even get to pet some critters and watch some pig races at a state fair.

People will come out of the woodwork for state fairs, and this even includes celebrities... even if not major celebrities. You might just see a local celebrity on the Tilt-a-Whirl while you are riding it. Or maybe the celebrity is actually scheduled to appear at the fair and you can ask for an autograph. There is also the possibility that a "celebrity" such as Twinkie the Kid or the GEICO Gecko might show up. Sure, they are shamelessly promoting their brand, but who cares? It is fun to pose in a photo with them anyway.

You will see the most interesting people at the state fair, and I am not talking about the local celebrities either. I am talking about the folks that obviously do not get out much. They are amazed at the rides, no matter how unimpressive they are, and they are excited for the enormous variety of junk food. They might even try to eat something from every single food vendor at the fair!

At any state fair, you will see every kind of family you've ever imagined seeing. You can see the couple with the newborn baby that probably does not need to be out in the sun that much. You can also see the family with 11 children running about. Let's not forget the arguing family that apparently hates each other, but puts aside their differences for a few hours to attend the fair together. It is just a shame they can't get along once they hit that 3 hour mark. You can see it all at the fair!

I am not sure how or why this happened, but Americans are getting even more disgusting with an amazing variety of deep fried foods. You can find deep fried foods at boardwalks, festivals, amusement parks, and especially county and state fairs. I am not just talking about corn dogs either. Oh, no... it is getting out of hand.

If you have not yet experienced the deep fried food phenomena yet, let me give you some examples of deep fried food at the fair:

• Candy bars
• Marshmallows
• Pop Tarts
• Peanut butter and jelly
• Bubble gum
• Oreo cookies
• Grilled cheese
• Cream cheese
• Twinkies
• Cupcakes
• Cookie dough
• Pickles
• Beer
• Soda

While deep fried food can be delicious, I daresay as a nation we may be taking this too far. Basically, anything you can imagine is being deep fried now. I don't even know how you deep fry beer, but yet it is happening!

If you have not eaten a deep fried Twinkie or candy bar, let me tell you, it is both delicious and disgusting at the same time. My taste buds are OK with it, yet it is usually a little too gooey and weird. My stomach has a 50/50 shot of rejecting whatever deep fried item I am eating. I have decided to give up on eating those deep fried treats, but I recommend everyone give it a try at least once. You might simply opt not to go on any rides right after giving it a try.

Of course, probably the most important feature at the fair are the rides. Some can be fun and some can be scary, but all are super expensive. If you can get a coupon or some type of all-day ride pass, I highly recommend doing just that. Some rides cost $6 just for one person to ride once.

In my opinion, 6 dollars for one ride is a little too expensive. This is especially the case considering the ride was probably assembled overnight. Maybe I just worry too much, but I would rather take my chances at an amusement park with rides that are sitting in the same spot year after year.

What can I say about the games at fairs? Basically, I can say they are pretty much impossible to win. At some booths, you might find a really kind person that lets all the little kids win a simple prize, but other than that, it is practically impossible to win at these games.

Sometimes I wonder if really no one wins at the fair and they simply pay a few people to walk around with giant stuffed animals to give everyone the impression that they can win. At least, that is a theory I am working on. I must put further research into this hypothesis; I will let you know after my study is complete.

I hope you've enjoyed this fun-filled voyage into the world of the state fair. If you have not had a chance to go to a fair yet, by all means, you should. Fairs only last about a week or two, so don't miss out on your chance.

If you don't have the opportunity to go to a fair, I hope my hub allowed you to take a journey along with me. Just imagine the smells of livestock and fried foods, and it is as if you were there. Enjoy!

Copyright ©2013 Jeannieinabottle