Friday, August 21, 2009

The State Fair

Going to the State Fair is one of the biggest highlights for the children in our year. This year we actually got to go twice!!!

We discovered "Little Hands on the Farm" -- an interactive area where kids do farming chores and get "paid" at the end.

Everyone loved "planting", "feeding animals," "riding tractors," and "picking apples":

This sign at the end, where the children turn in their "money" for something tangible, just didn't seem to compute:

Tractor riding was fun!

Milking the cow was very realistic:

One afternoon we watched the Stars of Peking Acrobats -- amazing!!!

I think I love the fair so much because it emobodies so much of what I love as a homemaker: the country, cooking, livestock, food, handwork, tractors, history, etc.:

The kids love trying out all the tractors:

This little guy's grown a lot since his first visit to the State Fair at 3 weeks of age:

I think Rach could make it as a farmer's daughter:

It's the year of the Red Gold Tomatoes at the State Fair and tomato plants are EVERYWHERE -- including the hanging baskets:

Auntie C, nearly ready to deliver, decided the trolley was a nice option:

And we all enjoyed the sheep barn (especially since there was wool to purchase):

So cute:
Our fair trip had to end with a few rides for the kids:

And the mom got to tag along on some of them too:


On our next visit we stopped by to see Grandma's artwork in the Arts and Crafts building:

The kids tried their hands at leather work:

And we all learned some more about beekeeping:

The prize-winning pumpkins were incredible! The biggest weighed in at 1,146 pounds!!!

Check out these dahlias -- as big as James' sweet face!

We also got to enjoy some fair food since this year we went on "Taste of the Fair" day where everything was reduced in price! Corndogs, gyros, and ice-cream made for a nice lunch. :)

4 comments:

Margaret said...

Looks like so much fun! I have lots of fond memories going to the fair multiple times a year. Unfortunately, I haven't been in two years. Oh well, maybe next year...

Unknown said...

Loved your pictures, Heather, but we question that that HUGE thing is really a tomato! I did a Google search trying to find out more about it and the largest tomato Google could find was about 3 pounds.

Heather L. said...

ooppsss...that was meant to read "pumpkins" not "tomatoes" :)

Ruth MacC said...

Oh my, the veg and flowers are enormous!!! Looks like you all had a great day. I am glad you take so many photos of your life and share them. It gives me a good idea what life is like in your end of the world.