All right. We HAVE to make a plan for next summer so we can join you at this event. Or the dogs and sheep competition. Or maybe we'll stay through for both :). This fair sounds like so much fun. Fabio would love the gin part.
It sounds more my style than the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul which I attended a couple of times with Mateo. Its most outstanding feature is the most "inventive" food on a stick, including fried pickles, corn dogs, Oreos, Mac and Cheese, fried olives, Tater Tots, cheesecake, waffles, salad, and bacon. There are fifty-eight foods on a stick at that event. You can see that food is just not me.
I am serious about visiting next year so let's make a plan off line. I'll hear from Martha this week about the Donkey Sanctuary. We might have to add that to the itinerary as well.
Oh goodness, the Minnesota State Fair food does NOT sound like your taste. As it turns out there is so much to see on the Island, I am sure we will find plenty to do (and drink and eat) when you visit! Looking forward to it!
What a wonderful account Sabrina! This sounds like such a lovely and connecting experience and has all the best aspects (in my opinion!) of a Fair. Having been your recent visitor who was thrilled to visit the Donkey Sanctuary 😀, I absolutely would have loved seeing the Shetland Pony event along with all the other activities.
My experience with Fairs is primarily with our current home state of New York’s State Fair, which is a HUGE annual extravaganza lasting close to 10 days at the end of the summer. I didn’t grow up attending fairs in Northern California (in retrospect it must not have been something my parents had any interest in!) so the first time I attended the NY State Fair was a revelation! It’s a giant combination of all of the elements you described, plus the raucous midway, fried food extravaganza (Bloomin’ Onions anyone’s??) and large concerts. It’s an experience! But I am drawn each time we go to the Fair to the livestock, farm and locally grown bounty displays and events. One of the highlights? The Dairy Barn!! There is an annual butter sculpture with the most amazing dioramas carved out of butter (displayed in a large refrigerated case which you can walk around to see all sides) and delicious samples of ice cold milk (chocolate and regular) which is out of this world delicious.
And here it’s called Cotton Candy, but it’s not a treat I enjoy. Give me an ice cold chocolate milk on a hot, humid summer day any time!
Oh wow, what a fabulous sounding fair! I like the idea of concerts too, although I guess that is not in the spirit of the purely agricultural fair. I am SO happy you wanted to go to the Donkey Sanctuary! I'm not sure when we would have ever visited on our own, and now I know how close it is, we can go any 'ole time to just give those cuties who are willing a pat on the back! Hope you enjoy your visit to your fair later this summer!
When we lived in Cumberland, Maine, I loved being a part of the Cumberland County Fair that was just up the road from my farm. The fair was all about education: I would load up a few alpacas as well as many of the woven, knitted, and felted products I made with their fiber. My booth was set up next to the alpacas’ stall, which was next to the cows (always a great attraction, especially if a newborn calf was in residence!). All week long, I answered a bazillion questions, such as, “What’s the difference between alpacas and llamas?” and “Do they spit?” Parents would come over and say to their little one, “Look, at the llamas!” I could always tell which kids had attended the nursery school next door if they said, “Those aren’t llamas, those are ALPACAS!” My loom was set up so adults and kids could actually see and feel the up and down of warp and weft. Wonderful memories.
Your fair sounds more like Maine’s Organic Farmers and Growers Association Fair -- no midway. All local. Virtually all trash recycled. Fairs are an integral part of rural life and critical for introducing urban and suburban dwellers to the sources of their food and natural fiber clothing.
Thanks for your comments Pam. So glad to hear you enjoyed your time as a participant. The kids at least looked really proud of showing off their skills; most of the adults seem to be enjoying themselves as well. And as you said, it seemed to be all about educating us non-producers about their cherished stock and what's involved in raising healthy animals. It's great that the tradition of county fairs is alive and well!
Going to the faire! I’ve only done it a few times and have loved every moment. I would be the one at the Shetland pony races! I love all of the animal competitions and am also not a fan of the “carny” atmosphere. The IoW County fair sounds perfect.
I've never been to the county fairs near to Lafayette, but there must be some agricultural element to them. When I was a kid I remember going to the Sacramento State Fair and there was lots of agriculture there, but also all the arcades and rides and loudness. If you come visit then we will have to find some shetland ponies for you!
Our county show this year coincided with the resurfacing of the road that passed the site - an 'excellent' 🙄 example of joined-up thinking...!
I gather from my husband that there used to be a certain rivalry amongst his local press photographer colleagues tasked with snapping the show about who'd captured the best picture of - how can I put this? - the biggest bull in the ring.....
My sister-in-law is from the US, and she's told me all sorts of things about their State Fair. 'Fried butter' is something I'd never heard of!
Ha ha, that situation with the road is so typical of what happens here on the Island too. Luckily for us, not this year! And as to the rivalry among the photographers, that doesn't surprise me. But I'll not comment any further 🤦🏽♀️...I haven't heard of the fried butter, but I suppose every place has its specialty/specialism! It's what makes this world do interesting, right? xx
Communication between the roads people and those who run local amenities and events is - let's be polite here - not even lacking, but absent! 🤣
Those pictures were something else, honestly. THOSE were the shots that didn't tend to make it INTO the newspapers - the pictures that did were generally of the front end. 😳
Maybe fried butter is only an Oklahoma thing? I'll ask!
Love country shows and perhaps because Australia is a former British colony, our shows are the same as the Royal Isle of Wight's show. The country shows tend not to have what we call Sideshow Alley which is normally raucous and unattractive. The shows celebrate the best of horticulture and agriculture and usually have canine and equestrian competition as part of it as well as a homecrafts pavilion which contains flowers, kitchen and handcraft comps.
And then, because the shows have to survive on sponsorship, there's the inevitable dealer exhibits which are fun because almost everyone knows everyone. And that's perhaps the most important thing of all - the annual show is a way for all farmers/producers to meet and greet on a happy, social level.
My husband's farming family have been a part of the local district show since its inception in the 1800's and my husband was the arena commentator until we moved interstate. My kids grew up adoring shows and really, it's part of our best memories. Sadly, many shows have ceased because of insurance and OH & S costs.
Oh Prue, thanks so much for filling in more of the story! These shows really are part of our various countries agrarian roots and it's lovely to hear of your family connections tied to the land. I hope you've been able to find similar shows in your relocated place, and that it helps you connect there. Maybe instead it is the sea? 😉 ⛵️Thanks for taking the time to comment and share your stories!
There was an article in the UK Guardian Newspaper today about the resurgence of County Shows in the UK. They mention a lot of the same reasons that people have started coming back to the shows that I write about and that you all describe wonderfully in your comments here. Here's a link if you want to read the article:
All right. We HAVE to make a plan for next summer so we can join you at this event. Or the dogs and sheep competition. Or maybe we'll stay through for both :). This fair sounds like so much fun. Fabio would love the gin part.
It sounds more my style than the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul which I attended a couple of times with Mateo. Its most outstanding feature is the most "inventive" food on a stick, including fried pickles, corn dogs, Oreos, Mac and Cheese, fried olives, Tater Tots, cheesecake, waffles, salad, and bacon. There are fifty-eight foods on a stick at that event. You can see that food is just not me.
I am serious about visiting next year so let's make a plan off line. I'll hear from Martha this week about the Donkey Sanctuary. We might have to add that to the itinerary as well.
Oh goodness, the Minnesota State Fair food does NOT sound like your taste. As it turns out there is so much to see on the Island, I am sure we will find plenty to do (and drink and eat) when you visit! Looking forward to it!
What a wonderful account Sabrina! This sounds like such a lovely and connecting experience and has all the best aspects (in my opinion!) of a Fair. Having been your recent visitor who was thrilled to visit the Donkey Sanctuary 😀, I absolutely would have loved seeing the Shetland Pony event along with all the other activities.
My experience with Fairs is primarily with our current home state of New York’s State Fair, which is a HUGE annual extravaganza lasting close to 10 days at the end of the summer. I didn’t grow up attending fairs in Northern California (in retrospect it must not have been something my parents had any interest in!) so the first time I attended the NY State Fair was a revelation! It’s a giant combination of all of the elements you described, plus the raucous midway, fried food extravaganza (Bloomin’ Onions anyone’s??) and large concerts. It’s an experience! But I am drawn each time we go to the Fair to the livestock, farm and locally grown bounty displays and events. One of the highlights? The Dairy Barn!! There is an annual butter sculpture with the most amazing dioramas carved out of butter (displayed in a large refrigerated case which you can walk around to see all sides) and delicious samples of ice cold milk (chocolate and regular) which is out of this world delicious.
And here it’s called Cotton Candy, but it’s not a treat I enjoy. Give me an ice cold chocolate milk on a hot, humid summer day any time!
Oh wow, what a fabulous sounding fair! I like the idea of concerts too, although I guess that is not in the spirit of the purely agricultural fair. I am SO happy you wanted to go to the Donkey Sanctuary! I'm not sure when we would have ever visited on our own, and now I know how close it is, we can go any 'ole time to just give those cuties who are willing a pat on the back! Hope you enjoy your visit to your fair later this summer!
When we lived in Cumberland, Maine, I loved being a part of the Cumberland County Fair that was just up the road from my farm. The fair was all about education: I would load up a few alpacas as well as many of the woven, knitted, and felted products I made with their fiber. My booth was set up next to the alpacas’ stall, which was next to the cows (always a great attraction, especially if a newborn calf was in residence!). All week long, I answered a bazillion questions, such as, “What’s the difference between alpacas and llamas?” and “Do they spit?” Parents would come over and say to their little one, “Look, at the llamas!” I could always tell which kids had attended the nursery school next door if they said, “Those aren’t llamas, those are ALPACAS!” My loom was set up so adults and kids could actually see and feel the up and down of warp and weft. Wonderful memories.
Your fair sounds more like Maine’s Organic Farmers and Growers Association Fair -- no midway. All local. Virtually all trash recycled. Fairs are an integral part of rural life and critical for introducing urban and suburban dwellers to the sources of their food and natural fiber clothing.
Thanks for your comments Pam. So glad to hear you enjoyed your time as a participant. The kids at least looked really proud of showing off their skills; most of the adults seem to be enjoying themselves as well. And as you said, it seemed to be all about educating us non-producers about their cherished stock and what's involved in raising healthy animals. It's great that the tradition of county fairs is alive and well!
Going to the faire! I’ve only done it a few times and have loved every moment. I would be the one at the Shetland pony races! I love all of the animal competitions and am also not a fan of the “carny” atmosphere. The IoW County fair sounds perfect.
I've never been to the county fairs near to Lafayette, but there must be some agricultural element to them. When I was a kid I remember going to the Sacramento State Fair and there was lots of agriculture there, but also all the arcades and rides and loudness. If you come visit then we will have to find some shetland ponies for you!
Love this, Sabrina!
Our county show this year coincided with the resurfacing of the road that passed the site - an 'excellent' 🙄 example of joined-up thinking...!
I gather from my husband that there used to be a certain rivalry amongst his local press photographer colleagues tasked with snapping the show about who'd captured the best picture of - how can I put this? - the biggest bull in the ring.....
My sister-in-law is from the US, and she's told me all sorts of things about their State Fair. 'Fried butter' is something I'd never heard of!
Ha ha, that situation with the road is so typical of what happens here on the Island too. Luckily for us, not this year! And as to the rivalry among the photographers, that doesn't surprise me. But I'll not comment any further 🤦🏽♀️...I haven't heard of the fried butter, but I suppose every place has its specialty/specialism! It's what makes this world do interesting, right? xx
Communication between the roads people and those who run local amenities and events is - let's be polite here - not even lacking, but absent! 🤣
Those pictures were something else, honestly. THOSE were the shots that didn't tend to make it INTO the newspapers - the pictures that did were generally of the front end. 😳
Maybe fried butter is only an Oklahoma thing? I'll ask!
Love country shows and perhaps because Australia is a former British colony, our shows are the same as the Royal Isle of Wight's show. The country shows tend not to have what we call Sideshow Alley which is normally raucous and unattractive. The shows celebrate the best of horticulture and agriculture and usually have canine and equestrian competition as part of it as well as a homecrafts pavilion which contains flowers, kitchen and handcraft comps.
And then, because the shows have to survive on sponsorship, there's the inevitable dealer exhibits which are fun because almost everyone knows everyone. And that's perhaps the most important thing of all - the annual show is a way for all farmers/producers to meet and greet on a happy, social level.
My husband's farming family have been a part of the local district show since its inception in the 1800's and my husband was the arena commentator until we moved interstate. My kids grew up adoring shows and really, it's part of our best memories. Sadly, many shows have ceased because of insurance and OH & S costs.
Oh Prue, thanks so much for filling in more of the story! These shows really are part of our various countries agrarian roots and it's lovely to hear of your family connections tied to the land. I hope you've been able to find similar shows in your relocated place, and that it helps you connect there. Maybe instead it is the sea? 😉 ⛵️Thanks for taking the time to comment and share your stories!
There was an article in the UK Guardian Newspaper today about the resurgence of County Shows in the UK. They mention a lot of the same reasons that people have started coming back to the shows that I write about and that you all describe wonderfully in your comments here. Here's a link if you want to read the article:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/16/agricultural-shows-boom-across-the-uk-as-record-crowds-flock-to-the-fields