So here’s the thing: I LOVE My Fair and the thought of not writing SOMETHING about it each day is sort of killing me. So, here I am again writing when I said I wouldn’t. Thank you for riding the waves of indecision as I figure out this Fairing But Still Getting Sleep thing.
Two big focal points of Day 2 of the Clark County Fair 2022: Volunteering and Music!
We volunteered in the Passport to Fun Gazebo which is
typically staffed by American Red Cross volunteers. But everyone is short-staffed this year, so I
was thrilled when a Fine Fair Friend reached out and asked if I might be
interested in taking a few shifts in the Gazebo. Always super thrilled to be a part of my
Fair, I jumped at the chance to staff four 4-hour shifts over the course of the
Fair. And naturally roped Rob into
joining me. (It didn't take much to convince him...)
The general gist of the gazebo gig is that the Fair has this fun
scavenger-hunt game where kids take a paper fan (the Passport to Fun) all around
the Fairgrounds and get stamps on their fan as they learn about various animals
and 4-H activities. When they have all
their stamps, they come to the Gazebo to get a small prize and enter a raffle
for a much bigger prize (this year it’s a bicycle). So our job is to hand out
blank fans, celebrate completed fans, and hand out prizes. SUPER FUN!
Even better – the Gazebo doubles as an unofficial Information
Booth. WE LOVE THIS! Rob and I know the contents of the Fairgrounds
better than most of our closets. In past
years, we have actually intentionally stationed ourselves in shady, comfy spots
near maps of the Fairgrounds and excitedly offered assistance as people approached
the map. Yeah, we’re total Fair
Nerds. But helpful ones!
So today, as hoped, Rob and I also got to answer all sorts of questions not related to the Passport. WHOO HOO!! We directed people to bathrooms, the First Aid station, Lost & Found, the nearest water fountain, ticket booths for rides, where to warm a baby bottle. We commiserated over the disappearance of favorite food vendors and handed out maps and schedules and sunscreen. IT WAS A BLAST!! We get to volunteer 3 more shifts – I seriously can’t wait!
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| Don't I look helpful? |
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| I don't look too friendly here, but I'm sure this was while I was taking a break between huge smiles. |
The other big theme of the day was music. Some was amazing, some was filled with
anticipation, some was incredibly disappointing.
Amazing was a jazz/swing band made up of local folks who all looked like they also know Tyler Perry is on the cover of the latest AARP magazine. It was their first time at the Fair and I desperately hope they become a staple. They were FANTASTIC! All the horns you'd expect, plus a piano and drum and guitar. They played songs made famous by Glenn Miller, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, and Bob Seger. I knew every song and I bopped along happily in my shady, breezy seat. Rob and I might have been the youngest folks in attendance by choice, but we all had such a good time. Including the band. In fact, I loved watching one woman in particular. She was sitting next to the piano player and was in charge of turning the music pages. She had the biggest smile on her face the entire time, with her head and feet keeping time with the music. It is so true that when someone is thoroughly enjoying what they are doing, it is kinda hard not to have fun, too.
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| I just loved watching her joy! |
Anticipation was the feature concert by Cheap Trick. I thought I remembered them from the ‘80s. Something about a checkerboard logo. We arrived during the second song and after 50 minutes, they FINALLY played the one and only song I recognized (“I Want You to Want Me”). Rob was sort of horrified that I didn’t recognize their supposedly classic hits of the late ‘70s. I explained I was busy listening to the Bee Gees in 1978. That didn’t help. Rob mumbled something about needing to talk to my parents about their missteps in my musical education.
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| Not sure what's up with the Boho hats. |
Disappointing was the 4-H talent show. The young people who competed were impressive. I’m always in awe of kids who get up on stage
and dance or sing or play an instrument.
No, the disappointment was a huge brain fart that resulted in the keyboard
provided for the competition being too short for one of the competitors. Like, the music she had prepared and
practiced for months required more keys and octaves than what was available on
the keyboard sitting innocently yet inadequately on stage. There was some literal
running around by a dad, a neighbor, and a juggler to try to locate a complete
keyboard somewhere on the premises, but no luck. The 4-H girl kept her composure
and managed her disappointment well beyond her 14 years. But my heart broke for
her.
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| So impressed by how these young women carried themselves and supported each other in a pretty sucky situation. 4-H teaches so much more than music, animals, robotics, cooking, etc. |
As for food, I am making my way through the offerings. Oddly, that hollow leg that seems to appear
just in time for Fair has not presented itself yet. I am not inhaling All The Goodies like I typically do right out of
the Fair gate. I am enjoying what I am eating without guilt, which is so
very liberating, but I am hoping my ravenous appetite kicks in soon.
To catch us up, here is yesterday’s Fair Food Collage:
- Peach Pear Smasher (SO GOOD!)
- Classic corn dog from the Walla Walla stand (hit the spot)
- Roasted corn smothered in butter from the Roasted Corn booth. Oddly not a lot of corn vendors this year.
Bottom Row:
- Fresh squeezed orange juice from Smashers -- WOW! Like, it was only orange juice. Please ignore the fact it was healthy.
- Yakisoba noodles from Patrick's doused in sriracha sauce. I've been limiting my carbs for the past year, so this was an extra special treat. I sort of inhaled them which leads us to...
- A berry flavored Tums
And here is today’s:
Top Row:
- Scambled eggs from the breakfast stand next to the milkshake barn. A little rubbery and I was disappointed they didn't have Tabasco sauce (I used Cholula instead), but I was happy to have some food before our 10:00am Gazebo shift began.
- SUPER hungry at 2:00pm when our shift ended. We will be better prepared for our next shift. Tried the new Hawaiian food truck and was grateful they made me a poke bowl without the poke. Rice, pineapple chicken, cucumbers, edamame, and carrots. I loved the fresh veggies (clearly still not quite in the swing of crappy food yet...) but I wanted more flavor from the pineapple chicken. I might try a different meat before proclaiming all loyalty to Patrick's.
- Huckleberry lemonade from the Old Time Lemonade stand competing with Smashers. Before you accuse defection, Smashers had been slammed and was closed for a bit to regroup, recharge, and restock and I was super thirsty. The huckleberry was good but not as distinctive as I was hoping.
- Cilanto Jalapeno hummus with pita bread and carrots from a new vendor near Smashers. They apparently are quite popular at a local farmer's market and were invited to try out the Fair. I haven't seen much business at their booth which is a shame because the hummus was GREAT! Full of flavor but not overdone and just the right texture -- not too pastey and not too creamy. Even though this also could be accused of being healthy, I plan to try out other flavors (I think they have at least 6) and will take some tubs home at the end of the Fair.
- White Cheddar popcorn. I love White Cheddar popcorn...and this is the only time of year I allow myself to eat it. History suggests the bag will last me most of the Fair.
- Strawberry-Cookies 'n Cream milkshake. I typically don't get real excited about either of those two flavors, but blended -- OMG. Definitely recommended!
- Mango Smasher. I really wanted a special blended one but they were super busy and I didn't want to hold up the line. But still SO tasty and refreshing.
- Lemon-garlic pita chip from the hummus people. At first I thought they were sort of non-descript and forgettable and then I realized we had eaten the entire bag that I assumed would be coming home with us. So, apparently they are a bit addictive.
Tomorrow’s Fairing will be rather limited as one of us is in grad school and has homework. But we have to eat dinner, right? Stay tuned!
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