2025 Clark County Fair! – Day 5

Long day, early morning tomorrow. So let’s jump in and write quickly!

Very fun Fair day! I didn’t take a lot of photos, as Rob and I just sort of wandered around, chatted with friends, ate, and did the 5-hour afternoon shift in the Gazebo. Although the day started off a little hectic, it unfolded slowly and was a lovely day. YAY!

We watched the jumping doggies practice!
Dogtown is one of my favorite places to
rest in the shade and watch something
Fairish!

We found this little guy at the bottom
of a recycling box in the Gazebo.
He's not a Beanie Baby but he became
a prize anyway. He was adopted within
minutes! Have a great life, little hedgehog!

By the time we left the house at about 10:30am, the Gazebo volunteer schedule had changed three times. Hence the pre-Fair hecticness. My brain is sort of fried, despite getting normally adequate sleep, so I also had a bizarrely challenging time doing some social media posts. Our drive to the Fairgrounds was punctuated by sighs of frustration. But all was good by the time we waved at the smiley parking lot people (SO much better than last year’s fiasco of a Parking Directing Company! YAY new Parking Directors!).

We chatted with our friend Smasher Stan and his crew, caught up with our friend Tosha in the Raclette booth, and had a commiserating Fair Exhaustion conversation with our neighbor who is learning the Superintendent ropes for the first time this year. And yes, I have noticed that a number of my Favorite Fair Friends are food vendors. 

Our Fair Exhaustion Convo was held at a table just outside the 4H Kitchen, where our neighbor was supervising but not judging. The mom of the 14-year-old who was preparing a meal for a judge in between her 4H Goat duties quickly joined in the tired commiseration. 

Seizing the Goat Person In the Know opportunity, Rob and I asked the Goat Mom to please explain all the goat departments on the Fairgrounds because they are rather confusing on our Passport to Fun spreadsheet. Meat goats, Boer goats, pygmy goats, dairy goats, open class vs 4H vs market. Sooo many goat categories! I’m not sure our spreadsheet is totally accurate yet, but we’re a lot closer now thanks to Goat Mom!

Round table goat convo in the 4H Kitchen arena.
Although not even a White Ribbon winner in the
Photography competition, I love how FAIR this
photo is! Fair map, Fair schedule, two Smashers, 
Clark PUD water cup, covered bowl of leftover
judged baking, and people gathered to share
their Fair experiences. Not a boring picture
if you look closely enough!

We haven't checked them out yet, but there
are some woodworkers next to the 4H Kitchen.
Yeah, we don't get it either. The 4Hers are doing
LOTS of dusting this year. ANYway...Karoline
baked the wood guys some bread. The little spinner
was a pre-bread gift to Karoline. The larger bottle
with a spinner top is a post-bread gift.
Welcome to the Karoline Fan Club, Wood Guys!

Our afternoon Gazebo shift was largely uneventful, except for the very annoyed grandma who thought the Fair’s Facebook page should have announced that the animal barns would be closing early today due to the half-way-through-the-Fair switch over (the pigs are coming, the pigs are coming!). We were all friends at the end, with apologies extended all around, and grandkids happy with their Union Jack Beanie Baby Bears. Eventual Fair Joy!

Bye-bye, 4H Llama! We loved watching
you from the Gazebo!

Hello, Open Class Llamas!! Can't wait
to pet your fluffy selves!

We also were SO excited when Curly the Camel’s Dad (officially named Jeff but I doubt anyone calls him that) dropped by the Gazebo to find out what the Passport to Fun program is. He keeps seeing the fans and kids keep asking him if he has a stamp. 

Curly's Dad totally wants to participate! Music to our ears! Rob and I had actually stopped ourselves by the Horse Arena earlier today as we were heading over to see if Curly wanted to be a part of the Passport program. Rob and I suddenly realized we didn’t really have that authority, so we planned to mention the idea to Marketing Assistant Jenny post-Fair for next year. When Jenny dropped by at the end of our shift, we filled her in about Curly's Dad’s interest and she was as excited as we were! So with any luck, Curly and his Dad might be stamping Passports tomorrow! Yay, Fair Joy!

Curly just turned 21! He's a local 
celebrity and a FANTASTIC addition
to the Fair! YAY, FAIR JOY!

After a late dinner, we caught Tyzen’s hypnosis show again and had a chance to chat with him afterwards. Super nice guy who is really enjoying our Fair and the nice mix of people who show up willing to participate in his show. We once again had some deep belly laughs to end the night. I miss Jerry, but I am digging Tyzen. Fair Joy!

Tomorrow morning will be an early one for Rob, as he is arriving before the Fair opens to help Marketing Assistant Jenny open the Gazebo. We realized that the latches on the window coverings are breaking off because it isn’t inherently clear to the volunteers how the coverings should be installed and removed. So, Rob will be helping out Thursday and Friday until Marketing Intern Trevor returns for the Final Fair Weekend. I will be arriving a little later tomorrow, once an overnight Amazon delivery arrives. Because we had a brainstorm and want to put it into action ASAP. Stay tuned!

The weather forecast for tomorrow is rain. More rain than we’ve seen all summer. I overheard (because of my mad eavesdropping skills) something about plans to install temporary gutters overnight on the various outdoor exhibits and vendors. Tomorrow night is Demolition Derby. I am really curious what that looks like in the mud! Should be FUN!

 

FAIR FOOD FEAST COLLAGE!

Top Row Left to Right:

Twisted Orange Strawberry Smasher! A new
combo for me. I liked it! It had a slight
orange creamsicle flavor. Very refreshing!

Chicken Smashed Potato from the Raclette
booth! I wanted to redeem the mushy chicken
from last night's Hawaiian thing and this did
the trick! Much better chunks of chicken, lightly
flavored, with veggies and lots of oozy cheese.
The Italian one is still my favorite, but I like
chicken again now!

Tiny bits of what remained of neighbor
Karoline's cinnamon bread entry for her
4H Kitchen cooking project. This young
woman is a rock star! The bread was 
moist and cinnamony and the cream cheese
frosting was homemade and delicious.
There were only bits left because judges from an
earlier competition were lurking around the 
4H Kitchen while Karoline was baking
so that they could eat her leftovers.
Karoline's Fan Club is growing! 

Bottom Row Left to Right:

Greek Salad from the Raclette booth.
They fed me today! Really tasty! Lots
of romaine, fresh veggies, feta cheese, a
tangy Greek dressing, and hummus!
I LOVED the hummus addition!
Super refreshing, filling, and healthy!
It occurred to me mid-salad that
black olives would be a great add, too.
And to the Italian Raclette. I'll have
to ask Tosha if they have any olives
hiding in their booth!

Raspberry Caramel milkshake!
A combo recommended by the
cashier at the milkshake barn and 
she was not wrong! SO good!
A great balance of sweet and tangy.
Would totally get this again...but
now I'm suddenly intrigued by adding
caramel to other flavors.

Hypnosis corn dog! A nice light
dinner while the 8:30pm hypnosis show 
was getting started. From the booth across from the 
Lions booth in the Food Court. Hit the spot!

2025 Clark County Fair! – Day 4

It was a GREAT Fair day today! Wow, sleep is a magical thing. I got a whole bunch of it last night, I didn’t have to rush this morning, and we arrived at the Fairgrounds ready to eat lunch and meander. YAY! As suspected, it took a few days but I am finally settling into my blissful Fair Routine. I absolutely adore (and need!) this annual 10-day escape from reality. FAIR!

Gazebo-wise, it was a largely uneventful day. One person was a no-show but the crowds were manageable without Jonathan. We needed a tote of Beanie Babies just as Marketing Intern Trevor was wondering if he could make a delivery. We - and especially Rob’s back - were so grateful for the timing!

I got to use my laminator again this morning to provide photos of the Grand Prize for the raffle. WHOO HOOO! My laminator is my third favorite organizational tool after spreadsheets and a label maker.

“A kid’s drivable electric truck from Toyota” is a bit of a mouthful. Marketing Assistant Jenny had the brilliant idea of taking a photo of the Grand Prize – tantalizingly housed in the Administration Office – and posting it in the Gazebo to stoke the dreams of any kid who could fit in the truck. I had more time (she is a woman on the move!) and easy access to a laminator, so behold the Passport to Fun Raffle Grand Prize!

Pretty snazzy, right?!
The red truck, too!

We ate lunch (mine was much better than Rob’s – note to future fairing self: avoid the DeMolay Food Booth. Icky chicken tenders and French fries), and then decided to stroll around gathering more info for my Passport to Fun Department Spreadsheet. I sort of feel like a judge or something as I wander around wearing a badge and carrying a clipboard. I'm trying not to let any illusions of power and importance go to my head. Hopefully my much-noted adorable cow earrings kept people from thinking I was anybody fancy. 

How cute are those cows??
Etsy for the earring win!

We chatted with Shooting Sports, Pigeons, Poultry, Antique Equipment, Bees, Horses, Rabbits, Spinners/Sheep, and Dogs. We’re pretty sure we’ve covered all the animals now, until the half-way switcheroo on Wednesday. Still have lots of non-animal departments to go!

It’s become very amusing how often we are told, “I have no idea who that person is!” when the current department folks review the info I have. It has also been heartening, but also a little concerning, how surprised people are to have someone come by to check in on their Passport to Funness. They are even more stunned when we return with any requested supplies.

I love spreading Fair Joy from the Gazebo. I had no idea that going around and making contact with the various Passport to Fun departments would be another way to do that! SO COOL!!  YAY FAIR!! YAY FAIR JOY!!

Don't I look official?

As we were chatting with the Horse Superintendent, she was interrupted by an update on her walkie-talkie. Another horse person appeared and it was clear Something Important was happening. We then noticed a collection of People We Know Are Important (and none wearing cow earrings) had gathered outside the Horse Arena, all looking rather expectant.

The anticipation and anxiety were
palpable. I was told there are a LOT
of logistics to host the imminent visitors.

I’m a pretty experienced eavesdropper, so it wasn’t long before we learned that the Budweiser Clydesdale Horses were arriving ANY MINUTE! OH MY GOSH!! THE BEER HORSES ARE COMING! THE BEER HORSES ARE COMING!

The convoy was then delayed because the very subtle, enormous, bright red semis carrying the iconic equestrian marketing team were keenly spotted by local law enforcement. The po-po kindly offered to escort the Super Exciting Visitors to the Fairgrounds…only to mistakenly escort them past the special Fair gate they were supposed to enter. I just LOVE that our local officers were as excited as I am that the beer horses are visiting!

I swear I almost heard the Budweiser music playing as the first of three large red trucks finally rounded the corner from the Purple Gate. It was so cool!

Click here for a fun compilation of oompa 
music and reminiscent commercials!

Rob and I stayed as long as we could but sadly did not see the horses offload. However, we DID get to see some of the enormous equines once they were snug in their stalls. Good Lord, those are some BIG ANIMALS! It was pretty exciting to stand so close to them.

The famous horsies will be making two public appearances later in the week, but I’m still pretty giddy that by sheer luck we got to see them arrive AND find out they are available to visit in the Horse Stables! FAIR!! FAIR!! FAIR!!!

For reference, I am about 5'4"
I came up to about the horse's chin.
Riders must use a ladder to get on!

We spent part of the afternoon watching Mutton Bustin’ – always a favorite event where small children hang onto woolly sheep for dear life as the sheep run around a dirt ring. It’s basically bull riding for kids. Rob and I are still trying to figure out how we can convince various siblings to allow our very young nieces and nephews to come visit Aunt Toni and Uncle Rob some August and just happen to find themselves riding a sheep.

Super cute and lots of stunned waving to the
crowd after being flung off the sheep!

Look how innocent we are!
Uncle Rob and Aunt Toni only
want you to have FUN and make
some Fair memories!

We also caught two of our favorite kids' shows (Professor Smart and Adam the Great) and were stoked that they both had some new material! We are groupies of both performers, so we are pretty familiar with their shows. We notice when new jokes slide in and when a kid makes a bit go a little sideways. Those moments are some of my favorites, as I get to watch pros be pros as they think fast on their feet with lots of eyes and ears paying attention.

Adam the Great has a new prop!
I loved his casual Fonzie reference
when he hit the jukebox to try to 
get it to play music! Gen X in the house!
Or at least Fair Tent.

Much to my surprise, Professor Smart called me up on stage with two kids and another adult to help with a demonstration about suction (sooo many puns left untyped). Just because it was easier, I was referred to as a “Parent” to one of the kids. It took me a few beats to catch on and respond accordingly, me only parenting cats and none were on stage. My “son” was a pretty cute kid, took direction well, and was a good hugger. I enjoyed my 3 minutes of being his mom. I hope he has a good life.

He even has my birthdate number
on his jersey! Dawwww!

Professor Smart also added one of the coolest science experiments I've ever seen in a kids' show. He brought up a gaggle of kids with loud, high-pitched voices (PLENTY to choose from). After allowing each kid to try individually without success, Professor Smart then put on protective earphones and told the group to scream as loud as they could to try to break a lightbulb (safely housed in a ziplock baggie).

To the shock and delight of all, the collective scream shattered the bulb! The kids were ECSTATIC!! One boy trotted off the stage to his parents gleefully reporting, "I BROKE A LIGHTBULB WITH MY VOICE!!!" 

This, friends, is what fairing is all about! That kid has a core memory and maybe even a burgeoning interest in science. And I have a really cool video and most of my hearing left. FAIR! FAIR! FAIR!

The joy was AWESOME!!!
Click here for the video. Be sure
to keep your eye on the white baggie
in Professor Smart's hand.

We are back in the Gazebo tomorrow afternoon, spreading our own brand of Fair Joy as best we can!

FAIR FOOD FEAST COLLAGE!

Clockwise from top left:

Bahn Mi Salad (kids portion) from the Bahn
Mi booth at the southeast corner of the Food
Court. SO good! Fresh romaine, carrots, cucumbers,
chicken, rice, cilantro, topped with a really 
flavorful cilantro-based sauce. Guilt-free
and delicious. Wish I could get this year round!

Strawberry Peach Pear Smasher! They don't
always have the Peach Pear so I jump on it
when I can. Mmmmm!

Cookies and Cream Dessert Nachos from the
lonely yellow food truck. I had a tiny sample of this
flavor a few days ago and loved it. Tonight's version,
though, just wasn't as good. It wasn't as cinnamony
and Rob and I both thought the chips tasted a little burnt.
Really odd and disappointing. We will give the truck one more
try, because we really want to love this. 

Spicy Chicken Bowl from the Hawaiian Islander
food truck outside of the Food Court. This sounded
delicious with rice, spiced chicken, avocado, cabbage, 
carrots, and Sriracha. And it looked so pretty! But I did
not like it. The chicken was very finely chopped so
the texture was soft and mushy. I couldn't figure
out what the flavor was - it wasn't Asian but it
wasn't what I've had in Hawaii either. Whatever it was,
I wasn't a fan and ended up eating all the plain rice I
could before tossing it. The stand has gotten great 
reviews for their poke (fish) so maybe that's where
they really shine. I won't find out since I don't
like that type of fish. Sigh. I had high hopes!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry milkshake!
Vanilla shake with fresh strawberries and 
Ghiradelli chocolate sauce mixed in. Super
tasty and thicker than the shake I had a few days
ago. Already thinking about tomorrow's shake!

Still working on the kettle corn!

2025 Clark County Fair! – Day 3

Goodness, I’m tired. And we are only 3 days in. I’ve been getting about 5 hours of sleep each night, but that’s apparently not enough for what I’m asking my brain and body to do during the day. So here is a quick recap of today so I can crawl into bed.

We arrived after church, hungry and on fumes. We stopped in the Gazebo where everything was humming right along so we made our way to one of my favorite food trucks to chat with owner Tosha while her hubby prepared my super delicious lunch (see Fair Food Feast Collage below for details). We commiserated on fair exhaustion. I suspect Tosha and I are both only a few days away from punchy.

Rob and I decided to see if the less-than-a-week-old piglets were out and about. We had dropped by their special pen yesterday, but they were all snuggled in a corner asleep. So cute! But not easily photographed. Today, they were hungry and feisty, tails a wigglin'! And very photogenic.

So many piggy tails!!

There were 11 piglets, and the runt was obvious. Poor little thing kept trying to nurse on a rubber ball, thus explaining his runtiness. The gathered crowd was rooting for him, telling him to find an open slot on his mom. "Go over there! Over there!!" It took a few minutes, but when it finally dawned on the little guy to join his siblings, the crowd cheered. When he finally latched on properly, there was yet more cheering and applause and much relief.  Mostly by women who seemed to be having nursing flashbacks. Confident we had saved the undernourished piglet in both body and spirit with our sage advice, guidance, and encouragement, the women high-fived each other and wandered off towards the cows.

Adorable but heartbreaking. Not the
sharpest pig in the pen (with apologies
to Charles Schulz).

While the other piglet rescuers admired the cows, Rob and I wandered over to the cat barn to check out the Cat Agility Competition. With adequately low expectations, we were nonetheless hoping for slightly more action than last year’s attempt at getting cats to frolic around an obstacle course on command. Cats. On command. Hahahahahaha!!!

Quite a large crowd was gathered…and then rather quickly dissipated as the spectators realized that the competition was much more entertaining in concept than in reality. Other than one fluffy white kitty who tentatively followed some treats around the course, we mostly watched cats slink around to safe corners, hide in a tunnel tube, and plot their escape.

All the cats seemed to have the same route in mind.
It was also in the direction of their comfy cages.

This young kitty actually went through
the course twice! Not on command, 
not because it was supposed to,
and not in order.
Duh.

After we checked on the afternoon shift at the Gazebo, I decided it was a good time to start my somewhat self-assigned task of going around to all the departments participating in the Passport to Fun program. I had hoped to do that on the first day, but well, bonkers. My goal is to make sure they have all the supplies they need, and to update a woefully old spreadsheet of contact info. YAY MORE SPREADSHEETS!!

There are 41 departments on the old spreadsheet, so this is a multi-day task. 

Today I chatted with the Grange, FFA, Robotics, Open Class Beef, 4H Goats, 4H Llamas, 4H Cats, and the Cheese folks. Cheese folks?!? We honestly thought that was a typo. We have never ever seen a Cheese Department in our almost 20 years of Fairing at the Clark County Fair. Even some of the other departments we talked to laughed with us, wondering how in the world “Cheese” got on the old spreadsheet.

Guess what Rob found in the 4H Goat barn while I was trying to track down the Goat Superintendent?

CHEESE!

Apparently they have been there for years, but everyone is always distracted by the goats and unknowingly waltzes right past their beautiful display of fromagery. Guilty! 

We chatted for just a few minutes, because spreadsheet. But I promised we would be back before the Fair's end to take a nice long read of all the Fun Cheese Facts lovingly posted in their display.

We have a Cheese Department!! Who knew!?! Man, I love discovering new things about my beloved Fair!!

Her name is Candy and she is so nice!
Go see her and say hi! East end of the 
4H Goat Barn!

We capped off Day 3 in the Grandstands, listening to the band Kansas. It was quite loud. Loud enough that I was not able to carry on a phone conversation and had to ask the volunteers in the Gazebo to please text me their concerns. Turns out a latch broke on a window cover. I’m so intrigued by what constitutes Gazebo Emergencies! 

Latch down on Window 1 in the Gazebo! Stat!

Although I only knew 3 songs in the Kansas set (Dust in the Wind, Hold On, and Carry On, Wayward Son), I really enjoyed the concert. Primarily because the band prominently features a violinist. News to me! 

The violin is my favorite instrument. Hearing it played in a rock band is pretty spectacular (and rare. Hi, ELO!). I was totally mesmerized by the violinist’s talent and speed. Not enough to go buy a Best of Kansas CD, but enough to happily sit through a full set of rock songs I had never heard (much to Rob’s exasperation).

We were told his violin is called 
The Viper and it goes about 200mph.
It was incredible to watch and listen
to this guy fiddle so fast!

Today felt a little more Fair-ish, but I was still “working.” Rob toted more Beanie Babies down the midway, I responded to texts and phone calls, we checked in with 8 departments, and we tracked down some signs for a few departments that never received them. We’re hoping to make a bigger dent in the spreadsheet tomorrow. It is fun chatting with folks, but goodness it is tiring. Faking extroversion is hard! Amazing what I will do for the promise of playing with a spreadsheet!

Make way for the Beanie Babies!

FAIR FOOD FEAST COLLAGE!

Top Row:
Italian Smashed Potato from the Raclette Cheese
Sandwich booth across the walkway from the
church ladies pie stand. OMG! SO GOOD!
It was a boat of cheesy goodness. High
quality ingredients, pretty healthy (especially
if you are doing keto - just ignore the potato), and so
satisfying. It was salami, ham, bell peppers, onions,
some smashed potatoes, all grilled together
with oozy cheese. I shall be having this again.

Paired my Smashed Potato with a cup of Lemon-
Basil-Cucumber water. It looks super boring but it
was so refreshing and much more interesting than
water fountain water. Thanks, Tosha!

Done with being healthy, I moved on to
a Hawaiian Shave ice. Lime and boysenberry.
The boysenberry was surprisingly good! A little
less sweet than other berry options, almost
sort of black cherryish. From the only stand 
selling Hawaiian Shave Ice (just west of the 
Food Court near the Columbia Stage)

Middle Row:
Cherry Cheesecake Dessert Nachos from the
new food truck next to the Raclette booth.
Really good! And sadly, so lonely. Honestly,
the truck looks closed so even though it is in a 
prime spot, I rarely see people order anything.
Which is a shame, because these fried wonton
dough chips doused in cinnamon and sugar and then
topped with cream cheese frosting and cherry sauce
was super tasty! It was almost sort of mini
elephant ear-ish. I will be trying other versions (the
Red Velvet and the Cookies & Cream both look 
really tempting). 

Teriyaki Burger from Boppin' Bo's in the Food Court.
I am SUPER SAD the Burger Buggy folks retired. I 
adored their burgers with ham slices. Mopey, I decided 
to try a Boppin' Bo Burger on the recommendation of
several people I trust. While the Teriyaki version was
good -- I liked the slice of pineapple and the tang of 
teriyaki sauce -- it just wasn't the same as a Ms. Burger.
It wasn't special enough for me to have again, since I 
can get a burger a lot of places outside of the Fair.
Glad I tried it. No complaints. Just not special enough
for Fairing.

I remembered to carry around my bag of kettle 
corn today! YAY! Good concert snack.

Last Row:
Frozen banana dipped in chocolate and sprinkles.
I was super excited to find a frozen banana! They
are only occasionally offered at the Clark County Fair.
I was a little surprised the chocolate was added upon 
request and was not the type that hardens. So it was
basically a frozen banana with chocolate syrup.
Really messy and not quite what I had in mind, but
still very good and was just the snack I was looking for
post-concert. Plus, fiber! Found at the Sweet Spot inside
the Food Court on the east side in the middle.

2025 Clark County Fair - Day 2!

What a difference a day makes! Today was MUCH better than yesterday! Much less chaotic, with many fewer Gazebo Emergency texts, and only one escorted trip to the members-only upstairs storage area for another tote of the extremely popular misfit Beanie Babies. Today felt much more Fair like. YAY!

A tote of dreams and indecision.

We got to the Fairgrounds about a half-hour after the Fair opened and checked on the morning shift in the Gazebo. They were slightly overstaffed due to an eager mom, but everyone was happy to be there and they didn’t need much help from us. YAY!

After eating some real food, we made our way to the Kid’s Park for our next adventure. With zero experience and the only real qualification being we said yes when Marketing Assistant Jenny somewhat desperately asked us yesterday, Rob and I joined the panel of esteemed judges for the Pretty Baby Contest.

I know, right?!?

Registration prep with Professor Smart, the emcee

The contest has been held about eight times and apparently each time the rules, flow, point assessing, etc. have been a little different. So there was MUCH discussion about how best to organize the 2025 edition. Rob and I had nothing to add to add to the conversation, but we nonetheless listened intently. We were relieved that all we really had to do was anonymously (THANK GOD!) assign each child a score between 1 and 10. The scores from the panel of 8 judges would be tallied and averaged and math would determine the winners. Easy peasy!

Highly confidential confab of judges
and organizers to plan how this 
thing would roll out

When the panel was invited to assemble at the judging tables between the stage and the audience, Rob and I brought up the rear. I immediately started humming to myself that Sesame Street song “One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn’t belong.”

Click here for a groovy blast from the past!
And a delightful earworm.

The first six judges were foofed and coiffed and sparkly in royalty crowns and sashes. They were decked out in pretty outfits and polished nails and glided across the grass with youthful, barely 20-something poise. They were a parade of loveliness

I followed behind in my Kohls shorts and Fair-themed t-shirt from Zazzle, shower-damp hair smushed under a baseball hat, sneakers still dusty from yesterday’s fairing, and my Passport to Fun badge swinging from a vaguely sash-like lanyard around my neck. Rob completed the conga line wearing a Hawaiian shirt, toting his token testosterone. So in truth, TWO of these things just didn’t belong.  

I'm pretty sure not a single one of us has ever
birthed a baby. And only one of us has
ever had a hot flash.

The contest had four age groups ranging from 3 weeks old (that mom was impressive! Or nuts! Definitely sleep deprived…) to 18 months. It took about 90 minutes to winnow the 39 variously fidgety contestants down to 4 winners. Baby Margo was eventually declared the Grand Champion Prettiest Baby of 2025. YAY MARGO!

Margo was indeed undeniably stunning

I took lots of notes, though I’m not sure why. My scores ranged from a 3 (poor thing…) to several 10s. I noted things like red mohawk, wrinkly, beautiful eyes, sleepy eyes, squishy face, a clapper, chubby cheeks, eats pine cones, poses for camera, so smiley, gassy face, wide head, and total flirt.

I was enthralled by the names these littles carry. Parents of the mid-2020s are so creative! Names like Huxton, Lulu, Thatcher, Rainier, Genevieve, June, Loe, Callem, Kinsley, Haven, Blakely, and Rhett. And I'm only guessing at the spellings. These days, a spellcheck-friendly name like John or Rob or Mary is pretty exotic!

June sneaking onto the stage and into
my heart! She was my favorite!

Anastasia working the crowd

Nicholas was a heartbreaker, and
knew how to rock a leisure suit

Although we had no idea what we were doing, Rob and I had quite a bit of fun smiling at a bunch of babies, trying to make them laugh, and watching a swarm of adults try to keep their toddlers mostly wrangled on a stage in front of a live audience. Honestly, that in itself should be a contest!

We had the afternoon shift in the Gazebo, but it was manageable enough that I was able to sneak away for about 20 minutes to watch our teenage neighbor Karoline completely dominate the 4H Performing Arts competition. 

An extremely talented pianist whom we have watched grow in her musicianship since she was 8 years old, Karoline literally brought me to tears with her performance today. She played a duet of Pachelbel's Canon with a recording of her 12-year-old self playing the same piece. It was touching, emotional, creative, and exquisite. 

As Karoline played her last notes, tears welled in my eyes. I leaned into her dad and said, “She’s not mine, but I am SO PROUD of her!” Mom walked over from where she had been recording the performance, wiping tears from her eyes. As Karoline exited the stage, she tried to understand why two middle aged women were crying after hearing her play the piano.   

“It’s just menopause, nothing to see here!” I told her as I gave her a hug, told her how proud I was of her, and trotted back to the Gazebo hoping mascara wasn’t streaming down my face.

Copyright doesn't allow me to post the full
recording, but click here for 60 tear-jerking seconds
of Karoline's performance.

I cried again several hours later, this time from laughter.

Last year our favorite hypnotist was not invited back to the Fair. BOOOO! Why he is hypnotist non grata remains a mystery. The guy the Fine Fair Folks found as a replacement last year was not…experienced. We saw one show and quickly made other evening plans the remainder of the Fair. The guy this year is yet another new name. My expectations were pretty low. I fully expected to be disappointed and continue whining about my favorite Jerry being gone.

Well, I’m here to say I was wrong! Fine Fair Folks, you found a winner in this Tyzen guy from Las Vegas! 

Ok, he probably doesn’t need to do the magic tricks or quite so many poop jokes, but once he got the hypnosis part going, Tyzen was absolutely hysterical! Naturally, the quality of a hypnosis show depends heavily on the quality of the participants. But they still need to be given creative, fun prompts. 

Tyzen’s show tonight was SO entertaining! I laughed so hard I was crying! We will absolutely check out many more of Tyzen's nightly shows over the next week. Don’t get me wrong – I still miss Jerry and I still deeply appreciate how he uses his show to educate people about hypnosis. Jerry is why I had the courage to try hypnosis to help me manage my chronic back pain (best therapy I have found in over 25 years of pain). But from a truly laugh-riot, belly-laughing, tear-wiping standpoint, this Tyzen guy is a fantastic entertainer and I heartily welcome him to my most favorite Fair. Hiiiiiii, Tyzen!!

These guys both thought they were 
sitting next to Sasquatch and were
consoling him because he had lost
his one-legged duck friend.

Tomorrow we do not have any shifts in the Gazebo AND we plan to attend the evening concert. Stay tuned!

 

FAIR FOOD FEAST COLLAGE - DAY 2!

Clockwise from top left:

Pastrami sandwich from the Church Ladies
Pie Booth. Their sandwiches are always
a mom-made favorite. Chewy sourdough
bread, crunchy veggies, a mayo-mustard
spread -- just simple, down-home goodness.
Plus a pickle spear and a bag of chips!

Chocolate Cherry milkshake from the
Dairy Women's Milkshake Barn! I love
combining flavors ($1 extra). I was
excited to see Cherry listed on their
permanent menu. Usually it's a special
flavor a few times each year.

Yakisoba noodles with chicken from the 
newly branded Noodle House in the Food
Court. I liked the noodles there in the 
past but I was a not a fan of the booth's
owner so I took my appetite elsewhere.
But there are new owners this year!
They kept the same chef and recipes,
tweaked a few things, spruced things up,
and now I can very happily enjoy the
carby goodness of yakisoba noodles
doused in Sriracha sauce! The added
chicken was pretty good, too! Lightly 
sweet, pretty moist, good flavor.
YAY for new owners!

Strawberry Peach Pear
Smasher! I decided this combo is
my favorite this year. Super refreshing.
I was so thirsty, I finished it before we
made it back to the Gazebo. The large cup
fed me water the rest of the day.

Not Pictured: Me munching on my bag of kettle corn
because I stupidly forgot it in the car. In other news,
my car smells delicious!

2025 Clark County Fair! – Day 1

YOWZA! Being responsible for things at the Fair is a whole ‘nother world than just showing up, moseying about, assessing food offerings, and helping out here and there.

Around 5:00pm this evening, when Rob announced as I wilted in a chair in the Gazebo, that we only had 3 more hours to go until our shift was over, I laughed because I was certain he was joking. At that moment, on what felt like Day 4 of the Fair and not merely Hour 7, I questioned if perhaps my fairing days were coming to an abrupt halt. It turns out I was just hungry. PHEW!

Before we arrived at the Fairgrounds this morning 20 minutes before it opened, I had already pulled together and printed 40 copies of a departments cheat sheet that I never had a chance to hand out, updated and distributed the schedule spreadsheet to reflect overnight changes, designed and printed signs announcing a brief closure of the Gazebo for the Opening Day Parade, and volunteered to open up the Gazebo due to the current state of the Midway being described by Marketing Assistant Jenny as “bonkers!” She wasn’t wrong.

First time I have ever faired with a 
clipboard!

Rob and I spent about 4 hours before our afternoon shift in the Gazebo trying to do a lap around the Fairgrounds to see what was new. We never made it.

Instead, we entered the inner sanctum of the Prizes & Awards offices to get yet more Passport fans, scoured the Fairgrounds for 3 chairs we could commandeer for the Gazebo volunteers, toted a large tub of Beanie Babies down the Midway because Fair, and then disappointed the masses when we closed up the Gazebo (as two signs warned for hours) for the parade. When we reopened 45 minutes later, the pent-up demand for plastic dinosaurs and Beanie Baby bears was intense. A line stretched almost to the milkshake barn. It took nearly 30 minutes to get it cleared.

It was, in a word, bonkers.

We found these in a lonely corner of the
Big Air Conditioned Building. We DID
get permission to "repurpose" them.

Photo I sent to Jenny asking
permission to relocate 3 of these chairs.
It's now already a favorite photo of my
Fair Buddy.

Favorite Parade Photo.

Out of camera range: about this many more people
standing in line to the right. This was pre-parade.
I had absolutely zero capacity to take a photo
after the parade.

Perk of responsibility: rides in
Fair Golf Carts!  Weeeee!

I talked so much, at one point my voice started cracking like Peter Brady’s in that one episode. But in each interaction, I tried to be present, enthusiastic, encouraging, and helpful. FAIR!!!! I was indeed having a blast sharing my Fair with so many people – but it was a shock to the system. The system that had been lazing about most of the summer, just waiting to kick into Fair action. I hadn’t realized how different it is to work at the Fair instead of just attending it. Yes, big DUH. I just didn’t expect to feel it quite so quickly or acutely. I am sure by the end of the weekend, I will be adjusted. Or maybe even by tomorrow with a good night’s sleep…

I took a break in the 6:00pm hour to watch our insanely talented 17-year-old neighbor add more fancy ribbons to her collection. The 4H Fashion Revue is always one of my favorite events, as kids either sew their outfits or go shopping and thriftily assemble one. There are fewer participants as the years go on, but the event still never disappoints.

Karoline said the piped edges on the
straps were the hardest part of
sewing this dress. My mind
continues to be blown by her talent!

This gal purchased her dress from 
Forever 21 and looked much closer
to that age than I'm sure her parents appreciate.

She made that skirt! And was a PRO
at posing and twirling. 

After going through 2.5 days' worth of prizes, we finally closed down the Gazebo at around 8:30pm and got dinner. We realized that we really hadn’t had much opportunity to eat all day. BOO! That is NOT good fairing!! This will be rectified. ASAP.

We have the afternoon shift in the Gazebo tomorrow. We plan to arrive before lunch and eat a real meal instead of the snacking approach we unwisely followed today. Maybe I will even get to hand out my 40 cheat sheets I insisted were critical to print out this morning. Stay tuned!

 

Fair Food Feast Collage!

Clockwise from top left:

Strawberry Mango Smasher! My first of many! So happy to see 
my Smashers friends, too. I've missed them.

Good ol' fashioned Corn on the Cob. There's only one booth
selling regular corn. I doused this with butter, salt, and pepper
and squirted anyone within 5 feet of me. Also grateful my
Fair Bag includes dental floss.

Chicken Tender from the Lion's Booth. This was dinner and I
inexplicably only finished 1.5 of the two tenders. I snagged some
Sriracha from the Noodles booth to add to my Ranch dipping sauce.
Very tasty! Even if I'm still sort of burping...

Kettle Corn! This bag will likely last most of the Fair.
I needed a snack while Gazeboing. I wanted a milkshake, but
the Kettle Corn line was shorter. So good!