FAIR DAY 1 ~ We are Fairing!!

I’ve only got about 30 minutes so read fast!

The Fair is underway!! Rob and I spent about 10 hours at the Fairgrounds yesterday and got about 8 hours of sleep. I am still amazed. At both!

Our Fairing pace was slow and measured, mostly because we are out of practice and because it was sort of humid (non-West Coast friends, I’ll pause here so you can stop smirking at what we call “humidity” out here). I tried to ease into All Things Gluttony and held off on trying the new BBQ joint just yet. I capped off the night with only 2 Tums – and thankfully realized before it was too late that my travel Tums container needed restocking from last year. My back only spasmed a couple of times and my knee feels like it is on a low simmer, so all in all I’m claiming my body victorious for Day 1!

Arrived in time for lunch!
Sporting my favorite Cow Earrings!

We had a great time bumping into friends, chatting and catching up. I was super duper excited and honored when one of the performers (Adam the Great) recognized me from Instagram (we follow each other) and he said, “You’re ‘It’s the Fair’ right??”  I felt like a celebrity! With a stage name! Thank you, thank you, Mr. The Great!

Yesterday was the first Opening Day in over 30 that did not feature a free pancake breakfast sponsored by a local grocery store chain. Instead of feeding thousands of people at the Fair, Fred Meyer decided to feed thousands of people in the community by donating $10,000 to a local food bank. Honestly, it makes me like them even more. But we weren’t sure what impact the lack of free flapjacks would have on First Day Fair attendance. From what I could tell – especially since you could still get into the Fair for free until 1:00pm courtesy of Freddy – attendance was about the same but arrived a couple hours later. So I hope Fred keeps this new tradition going. It probably helped out the food vendors, too.

I’ve only just begun to eat, but I did take note of the food prices this year. Predictably, everything is more expensive. My sense is everything went up $2 - $5. I also spotted some “shrinkflation” – when you pay the same price for less – or lower quality – product. For instance, several people noted that a Philly cheesesteak was a lot more bread, less meat, and the meat wasn’t as good compared to prior years. Not that the inflated prices are going to hold me back from breaking all my food rules. But it might mean Rob and I share a few more indulgences than typical.

This year's prices for Dairy Women
Milkshakes. They can just take my money.
Mmmmm!

We spent the last 4 hours of the Fair tucked in a corner of the Big Air Conditioned Building volunteering in the “Crafts & Hobbies” exhibit. Our friend Linda is the Superintendent for the area featuring Legos, ceramics, belt buckles, upcycled artistic creations, and pretty much anything that couldn’t find a home in any other exhibit categories. We were thrilled to finally get a couple of shifts on Linda’s Volunteers schedule this year!

We weren’t sure what all we would be doing. Turns out we spent about 45 minutes talking to kids, 45 minutes talking to Dave and another Linda, and the rest of the time staring at quilts, watching people, riffling through the “Crafts & Hobbies” supplies for treasures (I found a stack of award ribbons and talked myself out of awarding Rob and me iridescent “Participation” ribbons for our 4 solid hours behind the counter), and directing people to the nearby restroom and water fountain. Honestly, after a full first day of getting my Fair Legs going, it was a much-welcomed break. Even if the chair was plastic.

I stared at this guy for a long time,
with mounting appreciation. His wife 
was in the restroom so he was "holding" her
pink feathery cowgirl hat and coordinating
purse. I bet he goes to the drugstore for 
monthly items and patiently browses
in craftstores, too. I should have 
given him a Blue Ribbon from the stash.
Dang it!

We are heading back to the Fairgrounds shortly, for the first shift of volunteering in the Passport to Fun Gazebo! It’s officially the last stop for a kids treasure hunt of sort, but it also doubles as an unofficial Information Booth. We have unofficially been helping out fairgoers for years, since we are well attuned to the “lost and confused at the Fair” look. So we had a BLAST AND A HALF last year volunteering in the Gazebo and can’t wait to do it again today!

Off we go!

FAIR FOOD FEAST PARADE:

TOP ROW:
Yakisoba Noodles from the red sign place in
the middle of the Food Court. I hadn’t gone
there in years since I had my beloved
Patrick’s Hawaiian Cafe. But with Patrick’s 
well earned retirement, I gave this booth a
try. Not bad! Not great, but the noodles weren’t
thin and crunchy, which was a relief. I needed two Tums afterwards, though.

Strawberry Mango Smasher! My favorite blend!
Stan also kept his prices reasonable ($7 compared 
to $9 for boring lemonade nearby). He will
see me daily.

MIDDLE ROW:
Roasted corn on the cob. I learned last year
not to pay extra for the Mexican version
and instead just take advantage of their free
condiments. From the corn vendor
south of the Food Court

Corn dog from the Lions booth. Tasty! Good batter,
good dog, not enormous, well-cooked
(especially for Day 1)

BOTTOM ROW:
Ice cream swirl from the Church Ladies 
Pie Booth, with a cone! Because it’s FAIR (in real
life, I always get a cup)! Historically, the Church Ladies
have the best value for ice cream - cheaper and they
give you more than the Dairy Women. Day 1, though,
not so much. Prices were the same and the middle-schooler 
running the dispenser was still learning
how to overfill the cone.

Kettle Corn from the Old Fashioned stand!
I used to get White Cheddar until they
ran out one year and I had to get traditional. OMG! 
Sweet AND salty! I will be munching on
this for the next 10 days. I also just discovered it makes
a delightful air freshener for our car!