Crazy Busy Saturday!

Never in my at least 15 years of Fairing at the Clark County Fair have I ever seen it as crowded as it was today. It was NUTS!

I left Woodhaven to arrive at the Passport To Fun Gazebo with plenty of time to grab some food before kids and parents and questions started dropping by. But there was traffic to get into the parking lot, there was a line at the Green Gate to get in, and delivery trucks were having to slalom around strollers to get provisions stocked around the Fairgrounds. Mind you, this was all happening 15 minutes before the Fair officially opened.

I never did get breakfast (thank goodness for the bag of kettle corn I’m still toting around). The Midway in front of the Gazebo looked like 2:00pm instead of 10:00am. And it never let up.

I had planned to get a fancy hot dog for lunch after our shift was over, but the Food Court was jammed up. I pivoted to Plan B and got an old-timey pastrami sandwich and a little-too-healthy snack plate of hummus and pita bread. One great thing (for me) about the healthy hummus booth – there’s rarely a line! I will not be surprised if they don’t return next year.  I already have their business card so I can keep myself supplied with their delicious hummus year-round. Balancing my hummus plate, we then got the one drink flavor that Smashers has left – they ran out of pretty much everything else yesterday.

Smasher Stan!
Despite a ridiculously busy Fair and
having to nimbly navigate a new
challenge each day, he's still smiling!
It might be delirium.

The Grandstands were nearly at full capacity for the 2:00pm Tuff Trucks show.  I’ve never seen an afternoon show so full. It was the first time in years I wasn’t able to get a seat with a backrest – even at the tippy top.

After the show, Rob and I tried to wander around but there were people everywhere. Food lines were serpentining all over the place, with the FAQ being “which line is this for?” I had planned to get some corn on the cob, excited by what appeared to be a reasonable line. But it was the pick-up line, not the order line. I looked at Rob and whined, “I’m not enjoying this.”

Many years ago, on a hot summer day in Southern California at Universal Studios, I discovered I can get a bit wigged out in really large crowds, especially if I am going upstream. My vision narrows and the world gets a little spinny and my ears get a little ringy. It’s not a panic attack and it’s not vertigo, but it’s not pleasant. Rob knows that when he feels my fingers slip in his back beltloop, I am staring at his shoulder blades and relying on him to guide me to some breathing room.  

Today, for the first time ever, I almost reached for Rob’s beltloop at My Fair.

Sensing I was on the verge of wigginess, Rob scouted out an empty cement bench on the outskirts of the Midway. It was shady and quiet and terribly uncomfortable (did I mention the cement?), but it was exactly what I needed. We sat there for about 30 minutes while I collected my calm. We watched the Fair walk past us in the distance. It looked like a large high school hallway between classes. People were steadily streaming past each other, with few breaks to allow anyone to cross through or change direction. It was incredible.

Having already watched nearly 6 hours of Tuff Trucks – the last two of which were without a backrest – my body waved the white flag on more Grandstand entertainment. So instead of watching the 7:00pm show, we decided to have dinner and walk around with the assumption that the several thousand people in the Grandstands would make the Fairgrounds feel practically, blissfully, finally empty.

Nope.

Although infinitely better than earlier, there were still lines for food and still people to dodge and still crowded tables to stalk for seating. For the first time ever, I was not enjoying My Fair. At all.

It never occurred to me before today that My Fair could get so crowded and so busy and so overrun that I would actually rather not be there.

I have always loved being able to get the food I want without too long of a wait. I have always loved being able to walk around without having to dodge and do-si-do around people standing in lines or streaming at me from the other direction. I have always loved knowing where to go to find an empty comfy bench in the shade or breeze. I have always loved being able to chat a bit with cashiers while I wait for my food. I have always loved the focused but unrushed vibe of the many teenagers cleaning tables and picking up trash.

Today – and especially tonight – it felt like My Fair was a balloon that kept having puffs of air added to it and was on the verge of popping. It was no longer relaxing, no longer escapey, no longer a shared experience. It was frantic and hectic and hanging on by a thread. I told Rob I wanted to get an elephant ear on our way out and head home early.

We left our favorite Green Gate at about 8:30pm. I asked to get my hand stamped just to see what tonight’s re-entry animal was (rooster). Usually the hand stamper people are happy and friendly and excited that you plan to return to the Fair before the night is over. Tonight, the red-shirted gate guard was frustrated and exasperated and said she was on the verge of quitting – too many people were trying to enter the Fair through her exit gate and she had had it.

It seemed a strange problem to have, it being only 2.5 hours until closing. But then I looked beyond her stamp station and saw this:

The closest I've ever seen lines like this are on
Opening Day. You know, in the morning...

The photo doesn’t do it justice. There were at least four lines each of 50-100 people waiting to either buy tickets or simply enter the Fairgrounds...at the Green Gate alone. The Yellow Gate – typically our sneaky way of getting in on Opening Day since few people use it – had a line of at least 75 people. At 8:30pm!

I honestly do not know where the Fairgrounds put all those people tonight. It has never occurred to me that My Fair had a capacity limit. I’m guessing it never occurred to the Fair Management either…until tonight.

I am honestly a bit nervous about what tomorrow will be like, especially since it is the last day of the Fair. I have never seen My Fair like I saw it today.  Fingers crossed, I won’t ever again.

 

Fair Food Feast Collage

I had to redirect and change my mind several times on my snacks and meals today due to lines, shortages, and closures. Such a bizarre, 2020-like day. Here’s what ended up being available.

Top Row:

1. Breakfasting on the remains of last night's Kettle Corn dinner

2. Pastrami sandwich from the Church Ladies Pie Booth.  Always a favorite. It's simple, classic, and comes with a pickle and potato chips.  The spread involves mayonnaise and mustard and a frilly toothpick.

3. Potato chips!  I ate the entire bag in about 15 seconds. The only other time of year I allow myself such potato chip recklessness is Superbowl Sunday.

Bottom Row:

4. Black Bean Chipotle hummus with baby carrots and pita bread.  I am LOVING this hummus stand! This hummus flavor was much better than I expected -- and had more kick than the Cilantro Jalapeno. Super tasty. A tub will be coming home with me. Also learned that hummus on crinkle fries is not recommended.  For the locals, check out Amilkar Hummus at various farmers' markets. You're welcome.

5. Hawaiian Dog from Boppin' Bo's in the Food Court. Basic hot dog topped with chopped tomatoes, onions, pineapple chunks, and teriyaki sauce. I liked everything about it except the teriyaki sauce. Not sure if it was that particular sauce or teriyaki sauce in general. I think it would have enjoyed the dog better with mustard instead. Or maybe I should have gotten the Chicago Dog. Ok, yeah, I think I'm regretting this choice. 

6. Elephant Ear from the Chuck Wagon -- the place we had the Best Elephant Ear EVER a few nights ago.  Tonight's ear was good but not spectacular. It was smaller and a bit overcooked and not swimming in quite as much butter. I enjoyed it but was wistful for that Fried Dough Heaven from before. I looked around -- everyone's ear looked like mine, so I guess it was how tonight's fryer was frying.