State Fair of Texas

On my way to East Texas last Thursday I got caught in the State Fair traffic so I just decided to take ME to the fair.  I had not been in years and I really wanted to see the arts and crafts on display.

My first stop was to visit Big Tex.  He hasn't changed a bit in all the years I've visited him.  I heard on the radio that a dry cleaner in Dallas devotes an entire day to cleaning his outfit.  They take it out to the parking lot to fold it and then it's loaded up on a truck to take back to dress him.

 
Just behind me was the Fletcher Corny Dog stand.  No visit to the fair is complete without tasting one of these!  YUM!  I ended up getting mustard all over my camera strap, and the next couple of photos were taken one-handed.

 
 

I've never liked taffy, but I love to watch it being made.  I stood here for about 10 minutes watching it come off the assembly line.

 

The cotton candy stand...

 

I loved seeing all the crafts on display.  There were so many interesting items and lots of ribbons awarded.  Here's a sampling of some of the entries.  I especially loved the wall of photos.  If I figure out how to use all the bells and whistles on my camera, I just might submit my own sometime.

 
 

I have another patio table in the works right now, but it doesn't quite look like this  blue ribbon winner.  I'll post mine when it's finished.  It's a hoot. 

 

I'm inspired to try to make something like this....Not sure where I'd wear it, but maybe to a dinner,,, with VERY close friends,,,,at their home,,,,,for a special occasion.

 
 

I made a quick dash through the auto building.  I remember the days when there were beautiful girls in sparkly formals and tiaras showing off the cars.  I was a bit disappointed that they don't do this anymore.  I snapped a couple of shots of these cars, simply because I loved the colors.

 
 

Next I walked through the Arboretum.  Lots of beautiful native Texas plants. 

 

Look at the detail of the pumpkin carvings.  I can't imagine how much time it took to create these.

 
 

Look how creative someone got with these flower pots.  I might have to try this sometime.

 

This one-man-band was performing while I was testing out a very expensive massage chair in one of the buildings.  He was quite entertaining, but the chair was my favorite.  Unfortunately, the awesome massage chair had a price tag of over $5000. 

 

I love the carousel and the Ferris Wheel.  Have you read 'Devil In a White City' yet?  Lots of interesting history, including the Ferris Wheel and how it came about.  Read it.

 
 

A beautiful day at the fair turned a little downward when I got to the parking lot and discovered I had a flat tire. 

Thankfully, several young men worked on getting the tire aired up enough for me to get my car to a service center a couple of blocks away. 

 
 

None-the-less, I had a great time and the weather was absolutely perfect.  I hope you get a chance to go.  If you go on a weekday, it's not crowded at all.