I've always loved state fairs. When I was a kid, I considered the day my mom took off of work to take me to the fair a legitimate holiday. That love hasn't died as I've grown to adulthood. If anything, it's grown. So much so that since I missed the state fair in my childhood home, Chris and I drove from Chicago to Wisconsin to go to their state fair instead. On a related note - how lucky am I to have a boyfriend that loves state fairs as much as me loves me enough to drive across the state to go to a state fair?!
What is it that I love about state fairs (besides everything)? It's the little things. I love the colors. I love the smells and the tastes. I love the feelings. State fairs are a quintessential summer experience for me.
Sometimes I get overwhelmed, though, because I want to see and hear and taste everything there is to offer. Because I consider myself somewhat of a state fair visiting pro, I want to offer my tips for an awesome experience as well as share a bit of my experience from this year.
The food. Let's be real. Most of the reason why people go to state fairs is to eat. At that, most people go to eat ridiculously unhealthy food. I'm not here to tell you to eat healthy or provide healthy eating tips for a fair (which if that's important to you, all the power to ya). It just isn't important to me. I'm all about going to the fair to indulge in whatever strikes my fancy. And that's my tip. Eat whatever strikes your fancy! However, don't spend all your money in one place. Half of the fun is exploring different stands and getting a sampling taste from as many places as you want. Make sure that you try the local favorite at the festival that you're visiting. From the research (limited albeit) that I performed, I picked up that Wisconsin is known for their cream puffs and cheese curds. Fried veggies are a personal favorite of mine that are a "must" at every festival. I also like to get ice cream from the dairy barn as well as roasted corn on the cob.
The experience. Of course, there is more to a state fair than food (believe it or not). For a lot of people, that may just be people watching and strolling. Especially as I've gotten older, that's been a lot of the draw. Still, there are a few things that I believe are not to be missed. One is walking the ride midway. Marvel at the adorable baby rides, the thrilling big kid rides, or just how those things are legal being pieced together with zip ties and cinder blocks. Chris and I rode the flying bob sled ride, went through a fun house, and played the game where you choose a rubber ducky. Classics. I think that stopping in the agriculture, crafting, 4H, animal, and commercial pavilions are important, too! I make it a priority to see at least one pig and cow at each fair I visit. What can I say, I'm a city girl! It's fun to visit the agriculture building to learn a thing or too about farming and sustaining the environment. The commercial building is a great way to beat the heat in mid afternoon as well as see all of the late night informercial products live and in person (thrill of a lifetime, I know). Most of my snapshots from this fair are from the ride midway. The colors were just so appealing! PS: Ferris wheels, merry go rounds, and giant swings are some of my favorite things in life. Aren't the swings just beautiful? However, I was too scared to ride them this year. Those things are held up by only four, thin, metal chains!
Finally, I figured I should address what to wear. I'm a goof and was having too much fun to pose for pictures to get a snapshot of my outfit. By the time I got home, I was too sweaty and dusty to be photographed. The only thing on my mind was getting a shower - STAT. Can that be a tip? Shower the second you get home. Your tired and dirty legs will need it. Anyways, the picture below gives you a bit of an idea of what was on my body. Chris wore a light weight, woven shirt and comfortable blue walking shorts. He isn't one to wear tennis shoes with a woven shirt usually, but didn't want to get his casual loafers dirty or consider his flip flops good enough walking shoes. I went with a pair of Tevas for my feet (I've worn these things CONSTANTLY this summer. They are a great price point and SO comfortable. At first I thought they were ironically cute. Now that they've grown on me, I think they are pretty legitimately cute). I wore a comfortable shift dress. I think wearing a dress to a fair is fine, especially if you aren't climbing on and off any rides with kids or anything. Most of the day is spent walking around or sitting at a table or bench. I wore this terry dress from Vineyard Vines. Beware - it runs VERY big. Size down one or even two sizes.
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| Jelly Belly was sponsoring this day and giving away free jelly beans. I'm aware that this picture is ridiculous and makes us look like Katniss and Peeta about to eat the berries in the Hunger Games. |
Well, there it is! The conglomerate recap + tips for an awesome fair experience. Are there any experiences that are traditional, summer "musts" for you? Do you have any favorite state fair traditions? Let me know down below in the comments! If you want more constant updates of my summer adventures, follow me on Instagram at xoheatherotto. Thanks for reading, friends!
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