My Love Affair With the State Fair

 

 

One of my favorite family traditions is attending the Alaska State Fair.  Some of my earliest memories of Alaska (from when my family moved here in the late 70’s) are of the state fair.  Dressing up for an old time photo, betting on the “rat race,” and eating hand cut chocolate-dipped ice cream bars were some of our favorite fair activities.  And the fair food—oh the fair food!  There was nothing quite as greasy, fattening, delicious, or expensive as fair food.  It was an annual guilty pleasure to eat all we wanted of whatever we wanted and I loved it.

As a new bride, I remember attending the state fair with David and his parents, Jone and Steve.  My in-laws had driven their motorhome and after seeing the displays and perusing the booths, we went to their motorhome for a lunch of homemade spaghetti.  Blasphemy, I tell you—blasphemy!  I kept my new-daughter-in-law manners in check, but I could not understand why in the world anyone would go to the state fair and not eat the fair food.  That was the number one reason I went!  This was a case where my family traditions were (definitely) different than David’s family traditions.

This year (2013), I attended the fair three different times, each time with a different agenda.  Monday with mom was spent shopping and eating (our personal favorite activities).   Wednesday with my boys was spent looking at the displays, watching Daniel and Michael ride the carnival rides, and eating.  Friday with David was spent leisurely walking, taking photos, and eating.  Notice a theme?  Did I say I love fair food?  I consumed a buffalo burger, grilled corn on the cob, a pulled pork sandwich, potato salad, fudge, a Gyro, 13 mini doughnuts, a gallon of Pepsi, and two servings of peach pie alamode.  No--not on the same day, silly! Okay, that is a legitimate question.