I Love the County Fair

Although I live in the suburbs of Washington, DC, the county I call home is the largest agricultural county in Maryland. With everything from organic farms to equine, cattle, turkey, and dairy, agriculture is incredibly important to the economic and social fabric of my town. In fact, the annual county fair is such a big deal that students are given a school holiday in order to experience the fair!

The Birthing Center at the fair is always a must-see for visitors. This year we saw little piglets who had just been born; in fact, we saw the poor Mommy pig in labor on Thursday and then we saw her babies after they were born on Friday. The girls noticed the umbilical cords on the piglets and asked questions about themselves when they were babies. It’s a real learning experience. We also loved the baby calves and goats.

The farm and garden exhibits showcase the best agricultural products from local farms and gardens. The watermelons are half of the size of the minnies! The displays were pretty and some were very unusual. Can you imagine how gorgeous this field of sunflowers must have been?

I’ve never seen my girly girls get so excited about farm equipment! Machinery Row displays farm and garden equipment serving a myriad of functions. Children (and their parents!) are encouraged to climb on the machines and one huge tractor has been converted into a playhouse and slide. You could overhear many children asking if they could “have one of these to ride around the neighborhood.”

Although the agricultural “classroom” is interesting and fun, no one can resist the allure of the fair midway. Every inch of the fairgrounds is filled with amusement rides for all ages and typical fair food treats. We paid one price to ride all the rides the girls could handle and they had a wonderful time. Meanwhile, I’ve learned that either I’m not as brave as I used to be...or vertigo is getting the worst of me!

The exciting day was topped off with some must have treats that I enjoy once a year. Don't judge, but we had pizza, home made dairy ice cream, and the classic funnel cake...with lots of powdered sugar.

Do you have a large county or state fair in your area?  What is your favorite fair food?

xoxo