Stephanie, Vincent, and I (and three of our four parents) grew up going to the Ohio State Fair, one of the nation's very largest. Granny Love used to watch Vincent when he was a toddler at her then home across the street from the Ohio State Fairgrounds, not too far from the Ohio State campus. We've also dabbled at times at the Minnesota State Fair and the North Florida Fair. Although Louisville in NOT KY's state capital city, the KY state fairgrounds sits between the University of Louisville campus and the Louisville airport. We've stopped for just a few hours the last two years at Louisville's state fair. This fair is a tad unusual in that it's a summer state fair in a Southern state. It still takes place in mid-August, even though school - as in most Southern states - has now started long before the fair does. With the hot weather, a good part of the fair actually takes place in several cavernous indoor (and air-conditioned) halls. Last year we only went to the midway where Stephanie and mainly Vincent rode cheap rides before we went to a rock concert in the fairgrounds' Freedom Hall. That was on the fair's last night, when most of the farm animals were long gone.
This year we visited the fair four nights before the end (last Thursday evening), when there were still some farm animals around. As we arrived, we saw several cows outside in the parking lot.
Just inside, there were pigs in pens.
In an adjoining air-conditioned hall, we saw a few remaining chickens (which used to scare Vincent at the Ohio State Fair).
We left the farm animals for the midway and the outdoor food. Stephanie and I went back to the same outdoor booths, where I again got roasted corn and she fried green tomatoes.
Once we got back inside the main (air-conditioned halls), I'm afraid we went back to the food. At one of the South Hall's food courts, we found this interesting dish, which we tried: hot beef sundae.
This "sundae" included sliced roast beef, gravy, grated cheese, sour cream, and a piece of tomato on top. Amazingly, this dish did look like an ice cream sundae but actually tasted like a good meat dish.
We left the farm animals for the midway and the outdoor food. Stephanie and I went back to the same outdoor booths, where I again got roasted corn and she fried green tomatoes.
Once we got back inside the main (air-conditioned halls), I'm afraid we went back to the food. At one of the South Hall's food courts, we found this interesting dish, which we tried: hot beef sundae.
This "sundae" included sliced roast beef, gravy, grated cheese, sour cream, and a piece of tomato on top. Amazingly, this dish did look like an ice cream sundae but actually tasted like a good meat dish.
At the booth that featured the "sundae" was a slogan that as Weight Watchers we couldn't agree with (below) - although we weren't making Weight Watchers particularly proud - with our eating habits - on this night.
But our time at the fair wasn't spent exclusively with food to be (farm animals) and actual food. While Vincent walked around outside, Stephanie and I visited the KY Historical Society's area. A lot of it celebrated the life and work of President Lincoln. KY has been celebrating the 200th anniversary of President Lincoln's birth - in KY - this year. The state fair's historical society gift shop sold a bevy of Lincoln items, including this Lincoln top hat that Stephanie tried on.
We went to the southern end of the South Hall, where there was yet another food court. There we wanted to try dessert. Stephanie and I split hot apples (not all softened and sugared - so Weight Watchers would have been OK with this) - but also vanilla ice cream.
We went to the southern end of the South Hall, where there was yet another food court. There we wanted to try dessert. Stephanie and I split hot apples (not all softened and sugared - so Weight Watchers would have been OK with this) - but also vanilla ice cream.
To my dismay, Vincent - at 9:20 p.m. - combined sugar and caffeine - by getting a root beer float.
We were used to there being - on the eve of the fall election campaigns - political and public interest advocates and booths inside at the fair. We stopped and talked with a Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice leader and I picked up some materials from the KY Right to Life organization. On the way into the South Hall we passed some art contest art work, one of which was a portrait of Senator Barack Obama.
I stopped on the way to the second food court at Obama campaign, Democratic Party, and Republican Party booths. After dessert, I brought back Stephanie. Staffing the Obama booth were two women who turned out be Hoosiers - both, on Thursday night (on the eve of Senator Biden's selection) - lobbying for Senator Bayh (the former IN governor) as Obama's vice presidential running mate (saying that Obama would win IN with Bayh at this side).
Besides these two interesting women, another noteworthy part of this booth was an array of brand-new (just arrived) and beautiful color Obama T-shirts for sale.
Early on during our State Fair visit, we had peeked into a horse show (instead of a rock concert) at Freedom Hall. But we had little time and the horse show cost $13 per person. On our way out - using a different route - we actually got stopped and had to wait for four horses on their way from the stables to the hall floor. At least two of us were happy for this brief interlude during which we got to catch sight of this consummate KY and KY State Fair event - a horse event.
We'd spend more time and more money than we'd planned to at the fair. But we were happy to catch some good food, interesting animals, and interesting people this year. Perhaps next year we'll get there early enough to actually see one of the cow, pig, or sheep contests that is a staple of these fairs.
We were used to there being - on the eve of the fall election campaigns - political and public interest advocates and booths inside at the fair. We stopped and talked with a Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice leader and I picked up some materials from the KY Right to Life organization. On the way into the South Hall we passed some art contest art work, one of which was a portrait of Senator Barack Obama.
I stopped on the way to the second food court at Obama campaign, Democratic Party, and Republican Party booths. After dessert, I brought back Stephanie. Staffing the Obama booth were two women who turned out be Hoosiers - both, on Thursday night (on the eve of Senator Biden's selection) - lobbying for Senator Bayh (the former IN governor) as Obama's vice presidential running mate (saying that Obama would win IN with Bayh at this side).
Besides these two interesting women, another noteworthy part of this booth was an array of brand-new (just arrived) and beautiful color Obama T-shirts for sale.
Early on during our State Fair visit, we had peeked into a horse show (instead of a rock concert) at Freedom Hall. But we had little time and the horse show cost $13 per person. On our way out - using a different route - we actually got stopped and had to wait for four horses on their way from the stables to the hall floor. At least two of us were happy for this brief interlude during which we got to catch sight of this consummate KY and KY State Fair event - a horse event.
We'd spend more time and more money than we'd planned to at the fair. But we were happy to catch some good food, interesting animals, and interesting people this year. Perhaps next year we'll get there early enough to actually see one of the cow, pig, or sheep contests that is a staple of these fairs.
-- Perry
No comments:
Post a Comment