Big Times Are Back! The Big Fresno Fair!

Hello October! 
 
Do you think October will bring cooler temperatures? Even if it doesn’t, I’ll tell you what it will bring…My kids’ birthdays, Halloween and The Big Fresno Fair!!
 
We love the fair in our house. I know some people have lived in Fresno all their lives, yet have never been to the fair. (It’s kind of like me and Yosemite…I’ve never been!) However, in our house, we like to make it a yearly tradition. The fair usually coincides with my daughter’s birthday, so she often uses birthday money to ride the rides. When I say ride the rides, I mean ride the same ride over and over and over. She loves the swings. You know, the one that could fling you half way across town if it were to malfunction. I’m just happy the rides are inspected, so I feel my kids are safe.
 
The fair is such a fun time for my family. I think I like going because it reminds me of my childhood. For as dysfunctional as my family was, my mom and step dad usually took us to fun places. I remember we had trips to Disneyland, the circus and the fair. At the fair we would have to go through all the buildings before we were able to ride the rides. The whole time my mom was with my siblings and I, my step dad was at the horse races. It kind of worked out nicely. The older I got, I was allowed to go with friends. That was fun, as all we would do is ride rides. Funny, the rides I went on as a kid I know for a fact I would not be able to handle as an adult. The only ride I go on now is the Ferris Wheel, and I hate being up that high-I only do it for my kids.
 

 
During this time of year, when the fair is in full swing, it’s all around. There are commercials everywhere, the news reports from the fair every night, our Facebook feed is filled with fair events and food-it’s hard to avoid. Now here I am, adding to the exposure. My opinion of the fair is that it offers us FresYes residents so much more than just food and vendors. Don’t get me wrong, but I love, love, love the food. I cannot wait to have a cinnamon roll. I heard they will also have a cinnamon roll bread, with bacon on top!! Did you hear me? Bacon!!! My daughter loves the corn and ice cream. My son loves the corn dogs. Me, well, I can’t wait to have a funnel cake. Every year I like to try something different. Sometimes I’m disappointed, other times I’m in heaven.
 
See what happens? I mention food, and I got completely side tracked! Anyway, the fair offers us more than just food.
 
Here’s a small list of things you can look forward to viewing:
 

• Gems and Minerals (My kids LOVE getting a bag of rocks from here.)
• Livestock/Birds (Watch cows get milked and babies be born.)
• Agriculture (Where you can see lots of local fruits and vegetables. I mean this is what the Valley does best!)
• Fine Arts and Photography Exhibits
• Junior Exhibits(My friend has a daughter whose paintings are being featured. Look for these during your visit!!)
• Gardening
• Home Arts
• Commerce and Industry Buildings (Lots of vendors selling stuff- but cool stuff!)
• Horse Racing
• Concerts (I saw Jim Gaffigan on Wednesday night…He did his Hot Pocket bit, which was hilarious!)

 
Then, there are the rides. Oh, the fun, fun rides. Let’s not forget the games. I stink at games. They’re fun to play, and one year my daughter won a goldfish. That stinkin goldfish lived a good 2-3 years! I’m not going to lie, unless you want a goldfish, or want to throw away your money, just walk on past the games, smile and use your money on a cinnamon roll instead. That, my friends, is just my opinion.
 
I actually ended up going to the fair on opening day, this past Wednesday. It also happened to be $1.o0 day. (Another good side note…The fair offers lots of discounted/promotional pricing.) Being the first day, and a discounted day at that, it was really, really, packed. Just a friendly suggestion, I’d avoid parking in the Maple lot (by the horse races), as leaving and getting in was horrible. They were only letting people go one way at a time, so I ended up waiting in a very sardine like line for 30 minutes, just to walk through the tunnel to get out. I’m also going back today with my kiddos, and will be parking at a different gate. The nice thing about homeschooling my daughter, is that I can get in for free during one of the fair’s educational days, and today is one of these days. The fair has also provided some learning activities, on their website, for educators. There are some great resources here, you should do a couple of these with your kiddos too!
 
Even though this may seem like the general run of the mill post about the fair, I say make it more about with whom you go to the fair. I think that’s why I love the fair so much. It’s not about the rides, food, exhibits, shows, concerts or animals. It’s about the company you keep. The memories you make. I’ve had so much fun with family, friends and my children. It could be hot out and crowded, but if I’m with the right people I’m still happy. Even on Wednesday, when we were stuck in a crowd, waiting to leave, my friend and I still found things to laugh about. That, my friends, is what the fair is about. The good times. I can’t wait to enjoy the day with children. We’ll have a corn dog, eat some sweets, get some rocks, ride some rides, learn about valley resources, check out the livestock, take some pictures and just have fun. Best of all? We’ll be together, making new memories.