My Day at the Fair

A beautiful morning, cool for a change, and a perfect day to go to the fair. It has been four years. I was in a festive mood.

Even the heavy equipment on machinery hill was in a festive mood:

At the fine arts exhibition, my entry was getting some attention (more about that Monday):

In the homemaking building it was good to see Larry still pitching, I last saw him in 2010, he must be over 80 by now:

Later, at the Hippodrome, I saw this artisan putting the final touches on a piece of art glass:

At the Ramberg senior center music cafe bingo parlor, the world’s biggest blue ribbon (Guinness certified!) welcomed fools and their money. I lost my festive mood seeing it in its current state:

Then things started to get really weird:

Orange you glad I went to the fair?

Evidently, the proper Pronto Pup experience is still a matter of some debate:

I only made it to mid-afternoon, the spirit was willing but after five hours of walking my feet were not. There wasn’t the usual abundance of good music; a John Denver tribute show was the best I saw, and I am not a fan. The trombone quartet at the NPR booth was looking for the one the whole time I watched. An septet of women in roaring 90s outfits sang pop tunes from the sixties.

I guess I am aging out of the demographic for music at the fair. In the last dozen years such acts as Chris Hillman, The Trashmen, The Family Stone, Jim Lauderdale, Peter Noone, Brandi Carlisle(!) and many others of note were at the free outdoor stages. Perhaps the artists I like are aging out as well. The above mentioned Ramberg center always had 20+ great performers in an intimate indoor setting; its conversion to a bingo hall was the biggest loss of all.