We picked up Master 5 from school yesterday afternoon and drove straight to the Virginia State Fair, just north of the capital Richmond. We were curious about what it involved and how much of an agricultural emphasis it might have. As it turns out - not as much as we are used to. In Australia, the local 'show' or 'Ag show' was always a must-go-to event. At least for my and my husband's families - who were rural-based. Given that this was the *state* fair in a state of almost 8 million people, we were expecting something a little larger... our 'local' small-town shows were much bigger events.
We started our visit at the agricultural side, looking at producers stands, giant pumpkins and various livestock. Thankfully Master 5 didn't find a 1000+lb at the pumpkin patch (at 60¢ per pound!) The kids spent some time in the best sand-box alternative: a corn-box! Our Little Miss was entranced by the animals, particularly the baby animals at Young McDonald's Farm.
Intrigued by the unusual names for fair *food*, we decided to try a few items that we had heard about. As a family, we sampled flavored honey, fresh apples, BBQ pork and beef (with sides of coleslaw and beans), a funnel cake, elephant's ear, fried Oreos, toffee apples... So much sickly sweetness - I was very surprised that we walked away not feeling really ill!
After we ate, we visited the rides. What a hit. We had to drag the boys away before it was too too late. Going along on a 'school night', and a Tuesday night at that, was a great idea as the crowds were manageable and the boys didn't have wait times for rides. We will be back next year.
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