The Big Fresno Fair
Sunday afternoon we went to the BIG FRESNO FAIR. That's how they say it on the news. Even the city map says Big Fresno Fairgrounds.
Was it big? Yeah, kind of.
We tried to go there several times last week. On Thursday , I purposefully didn't eat much all day because what is the Fair without corndogs? And ice cream on a stick? And roasted corn?
Then something came up and we didn't get to go on Thursday. Same thing on Friday. so I was really, really hungry for junk food by the time we got there Sunday afternoon. It was all good, except the ice cream, which was not Fair Worthy. I took a few bites and threw the rest away. No sense wasting junk food points on something that isn't shamefully delicious. I did tell the roasted corn guy not to dip my cob in the huge vat of melted butter, (that sounds funny) not so much out of nutritional saintliness, but because it looked soggy. A little would have been nice, but not an oil slick's worth.
The Fair was also the toughest test of my resolve not to eat beef. I've done really well with that, and haven't had any in months. Despite the "no renunciation without aversion" clause, I didn't feel very averse. Big Bad Bob's BBQ smelled really, really good.
I didn't have any problem feeling averse to the fried chicken sandwich on a Krispy Kreme donought. It might actually taste good, but if it does, I don't want to know. It sounds awful and I think it's best if it continues to stay that way.
Fresno is in the Central Valley of California and it's a huge agricultural producing region. I read in today's Fresno Bee that 80% of the world's lettuce comes from here. This is also the home of Sun Maid raisins. So there was a pretty good produce display.
I've always loved the Home Arts and Ag parts of the Fair. Each year the Home Arts section gets smaller and smaller and the exhibits less and less skilled. I don't think very many people are learning to "put up" (can) fruits and vegetables any more.
We did get lucky enough to see a woman doing a demonstration spinning yarn. It never ceases to amaze me how people think these things up, whether it was the first person to think "hey, I know, I'll take the fur off this animal and make yarn out of it" or the first person who figured out how to make a microchip. How do they do it?
The best thing I had at the Fair was a fruit water I bought in the produce building. They had clear, plastic barrels with different kinds of fruit juice mixed with water. The choices were many; lime, pineapple, jimaica, watermelon, strawberry, and several others that were not familiar. I had the watermelon and it was wonderful. Very light, not too sweet, nothing added. And at $2.00 for a big glass, it was the best bargin there.
We looked at the animals, but most of them had gone home. The little pygmy goats were the cutest, and since the newborn baby lambs were very, very sweet, it was a close contest. Chris was disappointed no pigs put in an appearnance. They probably boycotted since Fair officials so crassly labled their area "Swine". How can you be your best when someone is calling you a swine?
It was fun, but very, very crowded. So after a couple of hours, (and a second corndog) we called it quits. Our car was several blocks away, and we were in an unfamiliar part of town that we hadn't seen on any of the Chamber of Commerce material.
Our walk was uneventful until we passed a fellow sitting on horse back on the lawn of the Fresno County Behavioral Health Dept. He was back under the trees, and the waning moon cast shadows across his face.
At first we thought he was police or a Fair official, on guard against badness. But in the , moonlight we could see his big Stetson, his multi-color, striped shirt the only color under the dark trees. He was sitting as still as a statue, staring straight ahead. He had a tiny smile on his face.
"Howdy", said Chris as we passed.
The horseman dipped his head in a little nod and continued to stare off in the far distance. He looked a little loopy .
Just another day of our new lives in our own personal Big Fresno Fair.
Was it big? Yeah, kind of.
We tried to go there several times last week. On Thursday , I purposefully didn't eat much all day because what is the Fair without corndogs? And ice cream on a stick? And roasted corn?
Then something came up and we didn't get to go on Thursday. Same thing on Friday. so I was really, really hungry for junk food by the time we got there Sunday afternoon. It was all good, except the ice cream, which was not Fair Worthy. I took a few bites and threw the rest away. No sense wasting junk food points on something that isn't shamefully delicious. I did tell the roasted corn guy not to dip my cob in the huge vat of melted butter, (that sounds funny) not so much out of nutritional saintliness, but because it looked soggy. A little would have been nice, but not an oil slick's worth.
The Fair was also the toughest test of my resolve not to eat beef. I've done really well with that, and haven't had any in months. Despite the "no renunciation without aversion" clause, I didn't feel very averse. Big Bad Bob's BBQ smelled really, really good.
I didn't have any problem feeling averse to the fried chicken sandwich on a Krispy Kreme donought. It might actually taste good, but if it does, I don't want to know. It sounds awful and I think it's best if it continues to stay that way.
Fresno is in the Central Valley of California and it's a huge agricultural producing region. I read in today's Fresno Bee that 80% of the world's lettuce comes from here. This is also the home of Sun Maid raisins. So there was a pretty good produce display.
I've always loved the Home Arts and Ag parts of the Fair. Each year the Home Arts section gets smaller and smaller and the exhibits less and less skilled. I don't think very many people are learning to "put up" (can) fruits and vegetables any more.
We did get lucky enough to see a woman doing a demonstration spinning yarn. It never ceases to amaze me how people think these things up, whether it was the first person to think "hey, I know, I'll take the fur off this animal and make yarn out of it" or the first person who figured out how to make a microchip. How do they do it?
The best thing I had at the Fair was a fruit water I bought in the produce building. They had clear, plastic barrels with different kinds of fruit juice mixed with water. The choices were many; lime, pineapple, jimaica, watermelon, strawberry, and several others that were not familiar. I had the watermelon and it was wonderful. Very light, not too sweet, nothing added. And at $2.00 for a big glass, it was the best bargin there.
We looked at the animals, but most of them had gone home. The little pygmy goats were the cutest, and since the newborn baby lambs were very, very sweet, it was a close contest. Chris was disappointed no pigs put in an appearnance. They probably boycotted since Fair officials so crassly labled their area "Swine". How can you be your best when someone is calling you a swine?
It was fun, but very, very crowded. So after a couple of hours, (and a second corndog) we called it quits. Our car was several blocks away, and we were in an unfamiliar part of town that we hadn't seen on any of the Chamber of Commerce material.
Our walk was uneventful until we passed a fellow sitting on horse back on the lawn of the Fresno County Behavioral Health Dept. He was back under the trees, and the waning moon cast shadows across his face.
At first we thought he was police or a Fair official, on guard against badness. But in the , moonlight we could see his big Stetson, his multi-color, striped shirt the only color under the dark trees. He was sitting as still as a statue, staring straight ahead. He had a tiny smile on his face.
"Howdy", said Chris as we passed.
The horseman dipped his head in a little nod and continued to stare off in the far distance. He looked a little loopy .
Just another day of our new lives in our own personal Big Fresno Fair.
posted by Karen | 1:08 PM
2 Comments:
Oh how jealous I am! I want to go to the state fair this year, but my fat fred flintstone ankles will not allow it. I love the Food and Fiber Pavillion. They have Elsie the Cow and her calf Belle there every year and you can pet them! And things carved out of butter! And local honey you can buy! And of course the food.
Oh well, next year. We will go with a stroller.
-donna
Things carved out of butter? That sounds great. Glad to know you love the Fair, too.
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