I just can't help myself. I love the county fair!! I don't remember ever going to one when I was a kid, but I haven't missed one for the past 4 years. Where else can you feel like a hick when you live in the 'burbs? I think I've got "a hillbilly bone down deep inside."
Tonight's event was Monster Trucks. There were five that showed up from around the area. One was eliminated after the qualifying round because an axle broke. That left four. They put on quite a show. It got me thinking about whether or not they had things like this in other countries or if it was something only we Americans did. It is funny when you think about some of the things that we enjoy...people driving around in trucks they need a ladder to climb into, that drive over large mounds of dirt and other cars so they can fly high in the air. I think we all secretly await the one that ends up on its side, without the driver getting hurt, of course. Kind of like this one...
Don't worry, though; he was all right. They got his truck flipped back over, and he was able to continue racing.
During the course of the evening, in between heats, they amused us with other diversions such as the car-eating dinosaur, Megasaurus, and the world's first jet-powered Smart Car.
Last night was a bit quieter. It rained all day, so the tractor pulls were canceled. Instead, the kids got to ride some of the fair rides, thanks to a generous friend. The rides are expensive enough that we never pay for the kids to ride, so this was an extra special treat for them. They also enjoyed the petting zoo where they each got to pet a real live baby zebra.
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| John and Jacob are upside down on this one. |
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| Paige is petting the zebra. |
Tomorrow night is the school bus demolition derby. Every year I say that there is just something wrong with vehicles that are supposed to safely transport children to school backing up into each other as fast as they can for the purpose of destroying each other, but IT IS SO MUCH FUN TO WATCH!!
Tammy, when I see contemporary county fairs, or state fairs, I hearken back to a study in high school (history class?). There was a time when a fair was a very important event in terms of sharing ideas and exchanging experiences. This was especially true in agriculture areas. It was the one time of the year when people of a region or area congregated for the purposes of enhancing themselves, and the lives of others.
ReplyDeleteThis is a long way from monster trucks and tractor pulls, and carnival rides. I'm sure you have encountered the history of the fair, and the importance of a fair. When and how did the initial ideas go astray?
This is not to step on the contemporary version. But, it is so far from the initial ideas. Oh yes, there are still the bringing together of farm animals, garden produce and agriculture crops. But, this represents a very small sliver of the present-day fair.
Do you, or any other readers, have insights into the history, and the path to monster trucks and school bus demolition derbies?