County Fair

We went to the county fair Saturday night. I shared a few snapshots on Facebook and some of my friends up north commented that it was strange that the county fair is in the middle of winter. Well, who would want to go to the fair in the heat of a Florida summer?


My childhood was very suburban. My life is still very suburban. The first county fair I ever went to was in Clearfield, PA. I was in college. It was the first time I had ever seen a corn dog. Seriously.

I was 28 years old when I attended my first state fair... the Florida State Fair.

Most people think of mouse-world and beaches when Florida is mentioned. Did you know that Florida is a huge agricultural state? Not just citrus either. Where do you think all those strawberries come from in February just in time for Valentine's Day? Florida is also a cattle state.

There is something so fundamental about going to the county or state fair. It's essential to be reminded where our food really comes from and see the multi-generational farmers display the fruits of their labors.

Many rural high schools in Florida have agriculture programs. We live in the unincorporated part of the county so the school Mr. A attends has crop fields and livestock.

My favorite part of the fair? The food! If it can be deep fried, grilled, smoked, or served on a stick, you can find it at the fair. I love sausage & peppers and funnel cakes! I'm a purest and go for only powdered sugar on mine. The funnel cake we got Saturday must have been equivalent to a dozen doughnuts!

Oh, even though I have clearance from my surgeon to sky dive, I still stay away from the rides on the midway.

If anyone is interested, the Florida State Fair starts February 4th in Tampa. Y'all come!