MICHIGAN STATE FAIR

When I was a teenager, I would go to the New York State Fair in Syracuse, New York. Ever since then I have managed to miss the state fairs in whatever state I was living in at the time. Yesterday, I decided to check out the Michigan State Fair (http://www.michiganstatefairllc.com).

The place was packed. We had to park quite a distance away from the exhibit hall; fortunately, there were shuttle buses.

We entered the exhibit hall on the side where assorted vendors were showing their products. Much of it was the usual that you see at any big show: hot tubs, waterproofing, siding, etc.  I did find one booth selling unique hand-made jewelry, and I purchased earrings with peace symbols at a very reasonable price.

Guernsey Farms (http://guernseyfarmsdairy.com) was selling their fantastic ice cream so, of course, we had to stop for that. I chose Moose Tracks.

But the best part was yet to come: the animals. 

There were educational signs throughout the hall, such as:

If you look at the top right corner of the following picture you can see the famous Butter Cow display.  Until yesterday, I had never heard of sculpturing cows out of butter. Click on this link for more information on butter sculpture:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butter_sculpture

I got to pet an alpaca, whose fur was incredibly soft:

There were horses, including Clydesdales.

Clydesdale Wagon

I was amazed at how large the animals were.  Just look at the size of these cows and pig:

I liked looking at the little chicks:

Outside there was a midway filled with all the rides, food and games I remember from my childhood: 

Here’s the balloon pop. I was pretty good at that at one time.

And there was the duck game, which requires no skill, just luck.

We walked through the Beer Garden, where the Michigan State Fair Choir was performing.  Once we were inside again, we browsed the display of home made products that had won prizes, such as quilts and scrapbooks.

It was a good day. Agriculture is an important part of Michigan’s economy, as well as most of this country.  Living in the suburbs, I don’t see enough animals. I don’t see barns or smell that strong agricultural smell. It is important to be reminded about agriculture, a vital part of this country’s livelihood.