Utah State Fair ~ out of the ordinary

"Out of the Ordinary" was the theme or tagline for the state fair this year. Unfortunately, it seemed ordinary to me. It didn't help that my only experiences with state fairs is BIG TEX, the state fair of Texas, and the two fairs didn't begin to compare.

In fairness, it had all that you'd expect from a fair:

• Animals: pigeons, rabbits, ponies, goats, etc.
• Rides: carousel, slingshot, pirateship, etc.
• Carnival Games: dart throwing, ring toss, basketball hoops, etc.
• Fun House
• Live Entertainment: local bands, ventriloquist, hypnotist, etc.
• Markets: sunglasses, purses, sweatshirts, fake Native American relics, weapons, collectable dolls, etc.
• and FOOD!!!!

I should be honest and tell you that I really go to the fair for good food and good company. We were lucky with both. Dave and Kristy joined Micah and I for the evening. We walked the whole fairground (probably twice) and went into every little shop. Kristy, Micah and I each made purchases and we all got the classic fairground food. Here's an idea of what we spent our money on:

• Burritos & Quesadillas from an authentic Mexican stand outside the front gate
• Fresh-squeezed lemonade & fresh-squeezed limeade
• DISAPPOINTING! The owners squeezed one lemon or one lime into a glass and filled the rest with club soda.
• Foot-long corndog
• That was all Kristy! I don't know what she was thinking.
• Dragon's Blood snowcone
• Again, all Kristy. It was surprisingly yummy. Pina Colada base with some berry flavors.
• Cotton Candy
• Funnel Cake w/ powdered sugar
• Leather purse
• Kristy needs it for riding her sweet bike.
• Leather belt
• Micah's belts are slowly dying so he decided to get an overpriced replacement.
• Day & Night glasses/goggles
• I need some protective eyewear for when I ride my sweet motorcycle, and these are the most comfortable I've found.

You get the idea. Basically, we all paid a $6.00 entry fee to spend more money on over-priced foods and other unnecessary items. Spending time with family (and more cotton candy than I could stomach) is the only thing that made it worthwhile.

{David, Kristy, Angela, & Micah at the Utah State Fair on September 19, 2009}