Rob's State Fair Ramblings (In July)

Those who know me well were probably expecting a blog post from me concerning the recent cancelling of the 2020 Kansas State Fair. This post will not edge on the "It's medical/political!" controversy, rather, I'll share my feelings about the whole situation. My first reaction is "Heavy sigh.) :-(   To be honest, I saw this coming from quite a way out, and I had already prepared myself. A couple of weeks ago, the state fair board ruled that "The fair will go on as planned!" However, I knew deep down that things would probably change, so I didn't let my hopes get too high. The board said that things would be different, and that face masks would be required for indoor spaces. There would be fewer vendors.  Since that meeting, more vendors have pulled out, and it was going to be more expensive to have the fair. So, the 2020 Kansas State Fair is a no-go. This is the first time in its 107 year history that the fair has been cancelled.

I'm really sad about this. People know me as the "state fair guy." I go every day. I can tell you where the exhibits are, where the cheapest food/drink booths are, where to get your favorite foods, and I'm constantly stopped by people asking for info. You might call me the secret shopper, as I'll purchase a certain food item and give you an honest review of cost, quality, value, and courtesy of the staff. I can tell you what to look for in a booth where you might be considering a food item. I get excited in early September as I see rides pulling into town and things getting set up. I'll infiltrate the grounds and get pictures of the unassembled rides, and people try to guess what they are. I enjoy getting videos of the robots, Bandaloni, or any other of the interesting roving acts that travel the fairgrounds. And I'm almost sick with anticipation as I make my way onto the grounds that first night toward the Domestic Arts Building to see how my cookies fared in the judging. Best of all, I love seeing people! Every year, I always run into someone I haven't seen in years. I love to see my kiddos enjoying the atmosphere and laughing. I love to see people happy.

All this will be gone this year. Just so you don't get too concerned, I'm going to be OK. This isn't going to throw me into the depths of a deep depression, LOL. I got several texts and messages this morning asking me if I was OK with this terrible news. The fact that I was expecting it makes it a bit easier to digest. I will miss taking my folks out for the day, and meeting friends on other days. I will miss my work with the Kansas State Fair.

What's going to happen with Rob's State Fair Ramblings? The Ramblings will go on. No, I will not go out to take a picture of the empty grounds and report what I looked at, or what I didn't see. Not even close. This year, I'm going to reach back into the archives and re-post some of my most popular posts, videos, and pictures. I'll dig out some of the "best-of" of the past and bring it to you. It's the best I can do. As far as the food is concerned, I can make a lot of it myself. If you get a hankering for some funnel cakes, Pronto Pups, fried pickles, fried veggies, BBQ parfait, etc, I can hook you up! I'll do my best to make this a fun fair year, even if there is no fair happening. Would you be interested in me doing that for you? I won't put a whole lot of effort into it if I don't have the interest.  

This year, I'll be working during that 10-day stretch, and I'll put some of the money I'm saving into Christmas. I guess I can echo almost everyone when I say that I'm really angry with this virus, interfering in every aspect of our lives. Right now, the best thing we can do is pray, pray, and pray like we've never done before, and ask that God will eradicate this virus from the face of the earth. Until that happens, let's be on our knees, and look forward to a really awesome Kansas State Fair 2021!
Thanks for reading, and God bless you!

PS: Totally off the subject, but I promised that I'd post here first when you can get some free home-grown tomatoes! Well, they are here! PM me if you'd like some, and let me know how I can get some into your hands!