it’s an Iowa thing: you may not understand

and neither do I.  the Iowa State Fair is an event that has just never really gotten me all that excited or at least not as excited as it makes my friends and some of my family.  as a kid we simply never went so I suppose with that came some nostalgic appeal which makes going a ‘tradition’. 

regardless of what some might consider an unfortunate childhood (sarcasm implied) it definitely is a worthwhile midwestern summer attraction.  when it’s not a bazillion degrees out it’s actually pretty fun!  it offers everything a person could want: free concerts, fried food on sticks/all food on sticks actually, fresh squeezed lemonade, diverse attractions and shows, plump farm animals, shopping, dancing, impressive people watching, booze, carnival rides and so much more (like excuses to come to work late and a bit hung over on a Thursday and have it be completely acceptable). 

 

we go just once every year and it’s usually on the night of the truck and tractor pull.  my husband isn’t a big fair fan either but he likes going to pulls so this is a ‘fair’ compromise (see what I did there ;o)).  on this night we’ll usually meet some friends and make the most of our limited time.  would you believe we do enough stereotypical fair-going in one night to last us all year?!   shocking, I know!  those nights go a little something like this:

 park, walk 28 blocks to the fair in a sketch neighborhood, pay the overpriced admission for our short 5 hours, walk some more through the varied industries building, get a drink, try to guess which 4-H projects were made by parents,  get a drink, wait in line, eat a corn dog, watch the pull, listen to a band, get a drink, fight the crowd to stare at the butter cow, wait in line, eat again, gawk at overweight animals (reproductive parts on full display!), wait in line, eat dessert, get a drink, and then, when I have achieved the appropriate amount of hardly enviable blackened feet ,we’re ready to call it a successful visit and mosey on home. 

this year didn’t disappoint.  we did all of those things plus some and didn’t even lose our car (well I guess we kind of did) and still made it to work on time the next day.  honestly as a born and raised, cornfed Iowan it just seems like the right thing to do to visit the fair.  and every year I’m glad we went! 

seriously nothing compares!