Pots, Pans and Ponderings: The Fair

I don’t know how old I was the first time I went to the State Fair but I know it was a loooooong time ago. Every year when sister and I were young, city grandparents would take us to the fair. It was such a treat. There was nothing like seeing the lights on the mid-way at night, riding the tilt-a-whirl and the scrambler (that’s about as brave as I would get with the rides) and that feel of cotton candy melting on your tongue (and your hands, and your cheek, and your pants and…..). Fast forward many years and I’m an adult and my dad becomes one of the directors of the North Alabama State Fair. Now the NASF is not your regular ole fair. I mean, it has a mid-way with rides and carnies hollering at you to play over priced games that you will never win but it is more than just that. The NASF also has exhibit halls where people win blue ribbons for their canned goods, their quilts, pies, pumpkins, cotton and all kinds of stuff. Booths also have vendors from the local 4H clubs, scouting troops, local politicians and your friendly Tupperware, Mary Kay and Beauty Control reps. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL FOLKS! There is also a place where people bring their livestock and win ribbons. Horses, cows, goats, just all kinds of animals. And to top it all off, a small arena that will host a beauty pageant, a demolition derby, a clown show and a greased pig catching contest. Yep, it’s a pretty cool fair.

Now as I said, my dad became one of the directors many years ago and because of that, every year sister and I have to go to the fair. More importantly, we have to take our kids. Our kids have been going to the fair since birth. Not going to the fair is not an option. To my parents, that would be the equivalent of not coming home for Christmas. Our kids use to get confused and tell people that their papaw owned the fair. If you have ever heard that from my children – well it is not true. Papaw doesn’t own the fair. Too bad.

Every year the routine is the same. We call papaw from the highway and tell him we are almost at the fairground entrance. We stop at the guard gate, papaw pulls up on his John Deere Gator (adorned with a flashing light, “Ken, Director” painted on the front and an obnoxious horn), the kids get out of my car and get in the gator and I follow behind as he weaves us through the parking lot and to the directors “retreat” (basically a building where they all meet and park their obnoxiously large motor homes). From there, everything is a free for all. Free rides, free food, free laughs. This year was no exception. Last Friday after school we headed to the Shoals for the fair. Just like the last 16 years, we called and papaw picked the kids up at the gate. They aren’t quite as eager to ride with the flashing light as they were when they were 4 and 6, but they wouldn’t dare disappoint papaw by asking him not to light it up (or blow the horn). Sister and I quit riding rides a few years ago. Seems every time we got off of one we felt dizzy, sick or frightened for our life. We decided it was time to stop riding and just stick to eating our way through the fair. OHHH, now we’re getting somewhere. The food. Fair food is the best. It’s disgusting. It always makes me sick later. And it always makes me swear to never eat fair food again. Until the next year.

This year it seemed the big attraction was the clown show. I’m not sure why cousin Angie and Abbie wanted to see it. We had our own family clown show going on right there in the motor home. Uncle John, Aunt Brenda, Aunt Judy, Nanny, Papaw, Cousin Ann and husband Paul, Aunt Rhonda, Uncle Robert, Cousin Rob, me, Mike, Abbie and Michael. There ain’t no motor home big enough for that clown show! I think after seeing the clown show in the arena they agreed that the Patterson clown show was even better.

So this year as in years past, the kids rode rides, we all shared corn dogs, fries, nachos, cotton candy, candied apples and the most loved of all – funnel cake. For the first time ever, Michael won a huge stuffed animal. Must have only cost us $1000 (we do have to pay to play games, well actually papaw pays). We laughed a lot this year. Family has a way of doing that to ya. They can make you laugh. I use to think they weren’t really that funny but I believe I was wrong. They are funny. As a matter of fact, I think it might just be the funniest clown show around and I don’t think I ever want to miss out on it. I wonder if city grandparents are looking down from heaven saying, “Lordy, just look at what we started.” Probably they are. I hope so.

For your viewing pleasure here are a few scenes from Friday night: