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The Kitchen Table

Has Your State Fair Started?

17 years ago

The Indiana State Fair started yesterday here. I guess it is going to be going on for 17 days. The longest fair ever so they say. I always used to enjoy the fair when I was younger. I liked the animals the best.

Sue

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Comments (20)

monica_pa Grieves
17 years ago
I don't think PA has one...if it does, it's probably out west near Harrisburg, and I have no interest in going.
dotmom
17 years ago
Minnesota State Fair starts later this month. My Sis & I are trying to get my daughter to enter the dolls she makes in the (I think) handcraft section. She makes these beautiful dolls, designs and makes the outfits from the 1800"S From everyday typw dresses tp glorious ball gowns. She even made some, copying the traveling suits, called hobble skirts, from the movie, Titanic. I hope she enters, because I'm sure she will win some blue ribbons. Dottie
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marknmt; Boy I'll say the Liberty's are a machine!!! You need to change your signage to say "Please Pick The Fruit" or "Please Pick One Apple EVERY TIME You Walk By" (That way you can manage the "Thinning" they are doing). LOL I think both Earliblaze and State Fair are very good early apples for out of hand eating, but then I don't have anything else to compare. (Except the bland apples in the store) My Mac's, RD's, and Haralson's are a ways out yet. Seems like every year I look forward to my McIntosh being ready as much as anything though, because we freeze a lot for pies. And the tree is huge so we have plenty to give away too. Macs don't hold up under cooking and kinda mush, but the flavor is as good as it gets in my mind. eboone; This year my early apples turned out pretty good, mainly because for some reason there wasn't the pest pressure and even the birds didn't do as much damage as usual. Generally (and especially last year during the drought) the birds hit the early apples as they get to turning red and I'll usually have a lot of damaged apples. It wasn't too bad this year in that regard. We had a couple timely rains a bit in advance of the apples being ready and I think that helped to size them up some. Speaking of rain, my Mac has a tendency to drop apples when it's about time to harvest, and a couple years ago we'd had so much rain and they were so juicy, when they'd drop they'd just explode. No such thing as picking up any drops that year!
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John, you crack me up! Nice explanation, but as you said, there's politics and corruption aplenty out there. I know some of the plant entries got skipped and someone had to go back and rejudge! I can't go into all of what i know, b/c some of it's confidential, but leave it at it's not all a bowl of cherries. Like you, i believe Erv is actively working to make it a fairer, better show, but it's a lot of muck and years of so called tradition to cut through. I try to have fun and not get discouraged. So far every year has gotten better in some ways, so that's encouragement enough for me. Rome wasn't built in a day. Ralph, that plect was indeed 'gold coin' and it's erv's personal plant, so it won't be for sale. I asked if i could get some cuttings for you and he was more than willing. So if you can stick around til 10 when i'm allowed in, i'll get you set up! If not, i can take them and get them to you later. That day is just a wee bit hurly- burley though, so it may be best if you can be there. Besides, you'll want to get some other stuff than mums, right? :) Here's a call out to everyone- at 10am on monday, some of the gardeners will start selling at least some of their plants from their plots. Expect to pay fair price or a little less- most of us don't want to get less than we paid for a plant, tho bargains and cuttings can be had. The mum sale starts at 8 and runs til 10. The mums are cheap- $3 for up to 5 (i think) and $2 ea after that. They go fast so if you are particular, get there on the 8 am side. Adrianna, yes, the 2nd and 3rd show are less competition and you do stand a better chance to win. I normally do much better in those shows. If i'd remembered that this year i probably wouldn't have bothered entering much in the first show as my schedule was already so overloaded. I'm making a note for next year! :) Since i concentrate on arrangements, those are directly affected by how many entries there are. I do cuttings as well, but to me, they are second fiddle.
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Bed Of Nails also known as Solanum quitoense is a relative of eggplant native to the mountains of South America. The story I heard is that the original plant in the wild did not have "nails" or spines at all. Through cultivation some forms developed the nasty spines. Throughout the regions where they are grown in S.A. there are many varieties, some with smaller leaves, some with spines only on one side, some with tons of spines. Most countries grow them for their fruit which is called by many names, two of the most popular are Naranjilla (little orange in Spanish) or Lulo in Columbia. The one growing in the plot is from "that place in Sanford", because of the high heat and dry this summer the fruit on it have little flavor. In cooler times the fruit tastes like a kiwi and is a popular flavoring in drinks down south.
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Comments (14)
I live in Canada so we don't have State Fairs but next weekend is the 157th Harrow Agricultural Fair which I love going to. Lots of judging contests for fruit, baked goods, preserves, crafts, photography, hand stitched items, quilts - you make they judge it. Love it. I love going into all the barns to look at the animals - pigs, cows, goats, chickens, horses, turkeys, rabbits, etc. The young kids that belong to the 4H Club are so proud of the animals they have raised. I love walking through all the buildings and of course sampling the food offerings. Ribs as soon as you walk into the fair grounds are the best. We eat and drink our way through the grounds. We play corn bingo which is a lot of fun, we even bet on where the cows are going to plop. Just a lot of fun. We always stop for a piece of homemade pie right before we leave. Too many pies to choose from so you just close your eyes and point. LOL I always buy a pie to take home. Pies are auctioned off for a lot of money. I went to the Corn Fest last night but it wasn't very good this year. Most of the vendors and craft people had booths down at Art by the River which really wasn't good for the Corn Fest. Our Lady Peace played there last night so they brought in the crowds and the charity beer tents did good business. We were disappointed though and most likely won't go next year. Ruthven Apple Festival should be sometime in September. I live in a Essex County which is very agricultural so there is always some kind of fair or food festival going on which focus on the bounty from the County LOL We also have some award winning wineries so there is always some kind of Wine Festival. Anne
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linda_in_iowa
17 years ago
Iowa State Fair runs Aug. 13-23. It is supposed to be the best in the country. We are going the first day. I can't wait to see this year's butter cow, carved out of butter. They recycle the butter as many years as possible.
jackie643
17 years ago
Wisconsin State Fair is on now.
patti43
17 years ago
Florida's state fair is long past. It's in the Spring.
Granlan_TX
17 years ago
The Tri-State Fair is around the first of September and lasts for a week. I have no interest in going since I don't have kids around any longer.
Dee1
17 years ago
I haven't heard anything about a state fair this year. Years ago it was held in either Detroit or maybe Ionia. Anyway, our county fair starts the 17th and we will go at least once. When we were younger we used to go every day. I enjoy the animals, the garden entries, and the handcrafts, especially the art entries by the special needs people. They do an amazing job. I look forward to our fair every year. Oh yeah, we also enjoy the "food". Very bad for the health, but always tastes so good.
gadgets
17 years ago
I had to google to find out....Ohio's is going on right now. I've never been to it, but did have the chance to go to Michigan's ages ago.

Shirley
Nita__AZ
17 years ago
The Arizona State Fair runs from Oct 16 through Nov 8. We haven't been there in years so just might go this year. Dances and I went to the Florida State Fair last February and had a blast. Hopefully I will get to go to it again next year.
hayjud_mn
17 years ago
I'm in the same state as Dottie. Our State Fair runs for 10 days and ends on Labor Day, so it will be late this year. We haven't gone for several years. I love looking at all the home-done entries, with the quilts being my special treat.

Our county fair is on right now and we went on Thursday (I had the gut ache all evening to prove it! LOL) We had a great time watching the little pig races!
cynic
17 years ago
Minnesota's State Fair always runs 12 days starting the second Thursday before Labor Day and it runs through Labor Day. With Labor Day being later this year it'll be August 27th through September 7th. I actually would like to go, but no way I'll be able to handle it. Oh well, I can get deep fried food elsewhere.
susanjf_gw
17 years ago
2009
MICHIGAN STATE FAIR

Friday, August 28th
through
Labor Day, September 7th

The Best Entertainment Value In Michigan
Can Be Found At America's First State Fair
With Fun-Filled Fair Events Every Day

detroit mi...this might be the last unless they can find public funding...kind of sad since it's the oldest in the nation...
mariend
17 years ago
Just finished with the ND state fair in Minot ND, and even thought we didn't get to go, crowds were record breaking and cool weather all the time. Sell out crowds for the grandstand events, good food, and many featured local cooking and low calorie types. Each day featured something different--Co-op day, Senior Day, Pride of Dakota, Honor miltary (free admision) etc.
Cherryfizz
17 years ago
I am waiting for the Harrow Agricultural Fair to start soon. This will be its 155th year.

Anne
kathi_mdgd
17 years ago
Ours has come and gone,started towards the end of june,and ended july 5th.I havn't been the last couple years.Getting too old and can't take the heat,and all that walking.
Kathi
pekemom
17 years ago
Colorado State Fair will be nearer the end of the month. It's right here in town so we go almost every year.
maryanntx
17 years ago
The Texas State Fair is from Sept 25 to Oct 18. I haven't been since I was in High School. It's in Dallas which is about a 5 hour drive from where I live.
veta
17 years ago
I am a lifelong resident of Indiana, but have never been to our state fair. We are a few hours away from it, in the South Bend-Mishawaka area.
Veta
socks
17 years ago
I went to our county fair last weekend with my best girlfriend. They had the chocolate covered bacon, but I didn't try it. I had my old standby favorite: kettle corn. Had a lot of fun looking at the animals and shopping. Here's what I got.

Cute t-shirt

Tuberose bulb

Keepeez Have you seen these? Very handy lids which can stick on almost any conatiner.

Hand crank salsa maker
gramzeeinmd
17 years ago
Our State Fair Starts 8/28/2009 - 9/7/2009.
Haven't been in several years and I wanted to go this year on the 28th to See Boyz to
Men but with my surgery I just cannot do all that walking. Maybe next year.
Deb

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