Rob's Pre-State Fair Ramblings

 We're officially 2 weeks out from the start of the Kansas State Fair! This post is to give you some general info about what to expect. By the way, if you have questions about the fair in general, shoot me a comment in the comments section and I'll answer it as best I can. At this time, I cannot tell you about locations of certain booths or prices of things. These are things I won't know about until the fair starts. Yes, there are concession booths on the grounds, but they are basically there on hold until they are placed in their assigned spots. I am guessing that prices will be higher this year for food, etc, because vendors are having to pay higher prices for product. Inflation, even at the fair. 

Be sure to check out the stage at Lake Talbott. This is a brand new stage, and it looks really good. I've enjoyed several good shows at the lake, and these acts are free. Also, the Expo Center has been completely remodeled. I have not been able to get in there with doors locked, so I'll be enjoying it on Day 1. The Expo Center in over on the strip where the cattle barns are. You will also be able to view construction progress on the new fire station, as well as the House of Capper. There is white sheet fencing around these sites, but you might be able to see over, especially if you are on the Sky Ride. The Bison Arena, over on the north side of the grounds, is the next project on the fair's agenda. It was closed in 2019 due to unsafe conditions, so plans are being formed as to what they will do with this building.

Be sure to visit the Lair White House, especially if you are a fan of State Fair history. The exhibits change every year, and it's always so interesting. The revolving exhibits have included info and history about rides, foods, past performers, and more. I'm looking forward to see what they will have this year. Another free act to see are the Flying Fools, featured in Gottschalk Park. This is a diving group that combines comical and serious acts, including a dive from an 80 foot platform into a 10 foot pool. Should be interesting. There is free entertainment at the People's Bank Arena and also at the Lake Talbott stage, that I mentioned before. Roaming the grounds will be a 9-foot robot named Max Power, who walks, talks, and dances. Also roving is Dangerous Feats of Comedy, who feature juggling, strength, balance, and more. 

Free admission after 9:00pm is now a thing of the past. It will now cost you $5 to get in after 9:00. However, here are some money-saving ideas for you: Monday is Dollar Day, where admission is $1, or free with your Dillons Plus Card. On Dollar Day, all Midway rides are only 1 ticket. This is the day my friend and I like to ride the big Ferris Wheel and I'll take my annual selfie from the big wheel. Not included in this deal is the Big Yellow Slide, Old Mill, boat rides, train, or Sky Ride.  Thursday is Young at Heart Day, where those 55 and older can get in for $2. Tuesday is Tasty Tuesday, where some of our food vendors will offer $2 portions of their product. You can get in for $4 after 4:00 on this day. 

This is just a small bit of info about what you might see and expect. If you have a question about something that wasn't included in this post, please comment. If you would like some info about a food item, I've had most of it, and I can give you a review of my experience. You might also see my out and about at the fair, so feel free to stop me if you need some info. That's why I'm there.

I'll be popping into the grounds this weekend to see what's there and to take some pics, to give you and idea of what's going on. Can the next 2 weeks go by any slower....? Can't stand the wait!  Thanks for reading, and God bless!

Yes, I am alive. This is my first post since December, and that's not good. Initially, my plan was to blog on a regular basis, with an emphasis on the Kansas State Fair, coming up in just 4 weeks! More about that later....

It's a bit of a bittersweet day. It's my final commitment-free day of the summer. No plans, nowhere to go, just a day to be lazy. I had planned on doing this for the full 2 weeks I had off, but I made the mistake of letting people know I had that time off, and I got "voluntold" for a lot of stuff. I feel that I was taken advantage of in some circumstances. My full days off are few and far between, and I tend to be selfish with them, so that I can use them to rest and recharge. I don't have any school stuff going on tomorrow, but I'm working at the Alley tomorrow evening, so it's not a full day off. In the meantime, I was able to do things I enjoy, like helping out with a kids day camp a few weeks ago, and having the opportunity to spend time with family and friends.  On that note, I'm looking toward Monday, when my school schedule begins again, with trainings on Monday and Tuesday, and then school starting on Wednesday. I have missed these kiddos, and it will be good to see them again. The only drawback is that I'm not a morning person, and I'm not looking forward to getting up at 5am again. 

This past summer has been brutally hot! My garden did not fare so well. I lost most of everything except for my tomatoes...yet. When it's too hot, tomatoes don't turn, so I haven't had much of anything so far. I'm hoping that when it begins to cool off, my tomatoes will start popping out and turning red. That's the prayer.  

Fair season is upon us! My question to you is this....would you like to see a daily blog this year? They tend to be wildly popular, but if there's not enough interest, I won't put the effort into it. I ask this question every year. It is a lot of work to blog daily, but I enjoy it. My other question to you is...would you like to see State Fair flashbacks, leading up to the Fair? If there's enough interest in that, I will put that into motion as well. I visited the fairgrounds this last week. The first thing I noticed was that the House Of Capper has been torn down. This building is very old, and its age was making it unsafe. The plan is to rebuild it in the same fashion as the previous one. Whether it will be done by the start of the fair remains to be seen. I have spent a lot of time in the shade of the House of Capper, resting from the sun and enjoying some fair food. I'm looking forward to seeing the new House of Capper built. I also noticed that there was a Fried Cookie Dough trailer parked out there, waiting for the fair. I'm going to visit more often as we get closer to the fair, and post updates as to what is there and what is happening. 

I am ambitious this year, and am entering 5 types of cookies into the Fair. Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, Snickerdoodle, Peanut Butter, and Monster. I'll be preparing them the Thursday evening before the fair, and entering them Friday morning, so they'll be extra fresh for the judging. I honestly am a basket case all day on that first Friday, wondering if my cookies will place. I guess I shouldn't get so worked up, but getting a State Fair ribbon is kind of like a pretty cool status symbol. There is a lot of stiff competition out there, and to win a ribbon makes a person feel that their work is recognized and appreciated. Throughout the years, I have received blues on my chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin, and reds on my snickerdoodles. I've also gotten whites on my chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin.  Wish me luck!

I have a few more things I want to get done tonight, so I need to jump off of here. In closing, I need to know if you want flashbacks and/or daily blogs. 

Thanks for reading, and God bless you!!