Arizona State Fair 2013

We went to the State Fair on opening day. I don't really go to the fair to do what most people do. I don't usually ride the rides, play the games or eat the food. We go to look at the exhibits.

It has changed a lot since I was a kid. When I was a kid there were several buildings full of fine art, photography, crafts, hobby's, collections, sewing and cooking. And lots of animals. It's all much smaller now. I guess much fewer people do those things or go to the trouble of entering. I have only entered a couple of times before. I entered a couple of crocheted afghans this year. So I was pretty focused on going to see how I did.

On our way under the grandstand, we saw this really large model train set up. It was very detailed and really fun to look at.

 In the building with the commercial exhibits, they have put all the cooking and baking entries. I keep saying I am going to enter something in that section. Maybe next year. Meanwhile, here are some of the fun things that caught my eye. This awesome windmill cake.

Snowman cake.

 Candy corn cake.

 These detailed and beautiful butterfly cookies.

 I won first place with my scrap afghan. How you do depends on how many people enter the catagory you enter. I don't know how many entered in the categories I entered. You really don't win anything but the ribbon, but somehow it's fun anyway.

 I got third prize on my song bird afghan. This was entered in crochet, Open class, any other pattern. I think there were several in this catgory. I really like this afghan. It was fun to do, and now it's a prize winner!

 My friend, Amy Bryce entered some of the goat milk soap she made. She won a second prize ribbon!

 Here are just some other things I liked. I liked this cross stitch and the way it was matted and framed.

 I thought these were fun. It's all knitted. It's the Owl and the Pussycat setting to see in their beautiful peagreen boat. Just like the Edward Lear poem.

 I have seen this pattern before. It was nice to see it done. It was crocheted by a teenager and they did a very nice job.

 LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this bench made out of truck tail gates!

 The produce was skimpy. I think I should maybe enter something from my garden too, although it probabley isn't the best season for garden produce.

 The livestock varies with what they have exhibited on any given day. We saw lots of fun and cute bunnies. This one was a stand out in the looks department.

 There were lots of Boer goats, which my niece tells me are raised for meat. This one is a moon and stars pattern.

 This was a fun sight. Someone won a giat ape.

 I had recently gone back on my diet and so most fair food was off limits. They were selling grilled turkey legs that we could have had, that looked really good, but they wanted 11.25 for a leg! We stopped at the grocery store on the way home. We looked at the turkey legs, but decided we wanted turkey thighs instead. We had a nice dinner of turkey thigh and aspargus!
Go and enjoy the fair!