state fair

Another year

Another September

Another trip to the Utah State Fair

We are creatures of habit, us Allred's. We go to the State Fair every year. We park in the same place and we follow the same route. We start at the horses and then we always enjoy a little snack while we watch the contest (is that what you call it, obviously I am not a cowboy) where 3 people on horses have to round up 3 calves that have a certain number on them that is randomly called out by the announcer. And although we always do the same thing, this years trip threw us a few curve balls. In other words, we saw a few things we haven't ever seen before at the fair. It started with an argument at the calf round up contest that got pretty heated between the announcer and one of the horse riders. We scurried out of the grandstand pretty fast after that.




This was not new. We always enjoy the little working farm for the kids. They get to put on aprons, milk cows, gather eggs, brush sheep, ride a tractor, pick apples, plant a seed, get paid for their work and then buy a treat. It is always a highlight.

This was something new. A strange man with very little teeth wearing overalls and a floppy hat was walking around doing some sort of ferret show. My kids were captivated. They even got to hold the ferret. Can you say hand sanitizer? I wish I got a picture of the ferret man himself, he was quite a sight. But I didn't, I think I was distracted (and horrified) by his toothless smile.

The vegetable room. Another must see. Nothing new this year, just the usual enormous pumpkins, brown eggs, shriveled zucchini, tiny grapes, giant sunflowers, garden anomalies, and a working bee hive.

We always make a stop by the giant sculpture made entirely of butter. This year it was cows posing as the Royal couple at the Royal wedding.

An unexpected but very pleasant new surprise was me running into my boyfriend Orlando. I had no idea he frequented the Utah State Fair, but I'm glad he does. It was good to see him.

For the first time we tried real candy apples. Kara thought she had died and gone to heaven, a party in her mouth. The others weren't so blown away by the candy apples.

We took our traditional zip down the big yellow slide, but not before we encountered a gaggle of geese wearing tiny clothes (new), watched a comedic magic show (new), and entered and survived an earthquake simulator (my kids favorite new thing this year)

Pumpkins, apples, ferrets, geese and so much more.

Where else can you see all that but at the Utah State Fair.