In All Fairness
We love the state fair. Call it what you will, but for some reason (maybe the fried gutbombs on a stick? or the array of non-chihuahua animals?) we just get a kick out of going every year. So when the State Fair of Virginia rolled around again this year, of course we were there.
We honestly didn’t expect to see anything blogworthy there - since photos of us stuffing funnel cake down our traps doesn’t quite qualify as “decor inspiration.” But as we snapped pictures of our trip for our own little album we kept coming across cool shots that had us saying “Man, you could almost throw a frame around this and call it art” (which you know we’ve been known to do).
So with that in mind, here’s some visual fare from the fair that we think could be frameworthy – especially if you happen to be better photographers than us.
We snapped these at a vendor selling bulk candy. We didn’t buy any (bummer, I know) but we at least treated ourselves to these colorful close-ups that could brighten up a kid’s room or be a sweet addition to an office (or kitchen!). Though I think I put on a few pounds just looking at them…
If our last name was Eatersik or Neatersik, these snapshots of lighted carnival letters would make great, punchy monogram art for our house (and you know we love a good monogram). Maybe if we’d looked harder we would’ve found a sign for Pie or Pumpkins. I guess there’s always next year.
In keeping with the circus theme, we found the bold stripes of the tents to be quite interesting – almost sophisticated with the right color affect on them (picture it as a graphic high-contrast black and white print with a large white mat in a sleek black frame).
And since it wouldn’t be the fair without farm animals, we risked life and limb to get this close-up of baby ducks (actually, the one in the foreground did poke our digital camera with its beak through the cage. We survived, thank goodness). Who knew ducklings huddled under a heat lamp could be such a nice pop of soft and fuzzy yellow art? And the one in the foreground is really connecting with the camera. Tyra would be proud.
But if ducks are too cutesy for your space, Sherry snagged this pic of bees on honeycomb at one of the agriculture exhibits. Our shot was thwarted a bit by the protective glass casing (not that we’d have it any other way), but the resulting blurriness still had an interesting look to it (we picture this blown up huge in a modern space). Buzzworthy, no?
So that’s a sampling of the potential art we uncovered at the state fair. The lesson? You never know where taking the time to tote your camera along could result in some free wall art (well, it may cost a few bucks to get it blown up at CVS or Kinkos but it’s still majorly affordable- plus you get the pride of saying you snapped the shots yourself). And of course we got this non art-worthy obligatory shot of me in funnel cake heaven. Ahhh, the powdered-sugared memories. Sidenote: do you like how I powdered my pants and struck my best Zoolander pose?
Anyone else been to this (or another) state fair recently? We know our Facebook friends seem to be big fans, but would love to hear if anyone else has discovered some inspiration there as well. Even if it was just your mouth “discovering” some strange-but-delicious fried treats.
PS: The State Fair of Virginia runs through this weekend (October 4th) if you want to check it out for yourself. Sherry and I were quite wow-ed by the new location too. And don’t forget your camera!
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We have a big regional fair called the Big E. It is for all of New England. I went on Tuesday with my family and we took some pics of the carnival rides with their lights. There is something wonderful about a fair.
Nice pics. :) This is totally off topic from your post, but I was in Target the other day and thought of you guys (I know I don’t actually know you, but I swear it’s not creepy!) I was at Target and looking at the seasonal section full of Fall colored plates and cups etc. I saw a set of small white ceramic fall leaf plates. I tried looking online for a link to send you guys, but I couldn’t find one. They looked right up your ally. They’d be perfect as small candy dishes or maybe to hold a votive or two. Just thought I’d let you know. :)
Hey Christin,
Ok, we totally know what you’re talking about because we saw them too! And I was immediately smitten. Of course our basket was full of other stuff so we resisted, but now that you’ve reminded me of those lovelies I just might have to make them mine. Fingers crossed for a sale…
xo,
s
Well, we over here in Minnesota are fair fiends. I don’t know how big state fairs are in other states, but here it’s HUGE. It’s a “food orgy” as my mom described it, where you can get just about anything you want to eat on a stick – hot dogs (natch), bacon, steak dinner, giant dill pickle, hotdish (casserole to you non-MN folk)….it goes on and on. There’s also tons of kooky options like fried alligator nuggets (“gator tators”) or deep-fried fruit. This year I went…twice…and gorged myself on a couple Pronto Pups, a pickle on a stick, Sweet Martha’s chocolate chip cookies (MN state fair classic), mini-donuts, cheese curds and deep fried Oreos. Remember this was two trips so it wasn’t all in one day, thank goodness.
I absolutely LOVE the large typography letters and think they would look fantastic in a grouping with some other art. It’s amazing where you’ll find inspiration. And the picture of John is priceless! :)
“And the one in the foreground is really connecting with the camera. Tyra would be proud.” Haha…that was so unexpected…thanks for the chuckle!
The annual Puyallup Fair (Western Washington Fair) is a fun tradition. I look forward to it every year!
Great post – I love these pics. I think the candy ones would be great in a kids playroom! Funny, I was just thinking about doing a similar post on some great pics I took at the fair just the other day! Now, I am going to do it, and link to you guys as inspiration!
I love these photos! Fair are the best for taking pictures – SO much color and people just enjoying life! Here’s a link to some I took this summer in case you’re interested :) http://www.flickr.com/photos/40474399@N08/sets/72157622372313684/
Wish it was closer to Harrisonburg! With grad school in full swing, we won’t be able to make the drive to Richmond this year. Looks like you guys had a blast, though! Thanks for sharing the pictures!
oooo I LOVE the fair!
That peppermint picture is such a great idea!
I love the bold architectural letters. To improve my photography skills, my current project is to get photos of all the letters of the alphabet. So far, I have found a lot of interesting M’s, W’s and E’s. I’m always on the look out for the uncommon letters – X, Y, Z and so on. I usually find them though when I dont have the camera with me!
The Kentucky State Fair is one of my favorite yearly events and I’ve been around 30 times. Last year I did a big blog post about it which can be found here:
http://progressconservative.com/2008/08/23/kentucky-state-fair/
The Iowa State Fair rocks my socks off. I saw your post and was like “State Fair in October? BRR!” but I realized you are in VA, which is perhaps a bit warmer than the Midwest. Iowa State Fair is in August every year; there’s always a cow carved out of butter and then some other cultural icon; 2008 was Shawn Johnson, this year it was supposed to be Michael Jackson but there was a great controversy (seriously; there was voting) and they wound up celebrating the 40th anniversary of the moonwalk instead. I don’t know that butter sculpture has a place in my living room yet, but it would be different!
I love the State Fair of Texas in Dallas. It’s awesome and so much fun to go to. We are taking my son this year for the first time.
I’m actually going to the Tennessee State Fair tonight(Lawrenceburg). They too have awesome fair grounds. I have been every year since I was a lil’ tot. The only difference… we use to ride rides for 25 cents! Nothing “fair” about the fair anymore, but I would’nt miss that footlong corn dog for nothing! :) Oh, I also LOVE the exhibits. It’s cool to see all those blue ribbons!
Our state fair boasted chocolate covered bacon?! Only in the Midwest, baby… ha ha
What a fun post! After I read this, I googled to find the closest/soonest fair in my area. It’s in two weeks, and halfway across the state, but I’m totally going!
And I love the photos you took. You should put those up for sale in your shop :)
Awww, the state fair looks so fun! Sadly, I’ve never been to the state fair in Nevada. I really should though, especially after seeing those awesome shots you guys captured. I think my favorite is the candy. No surprise there!
I love the candy shots and those neon letters — you’re right, they’d be great fun blown up as “art”!
I haven’t been to a fair yet this fall (the big one in TX is actually in Dallas, which I can’t make it up for) but our county has one coming up soon I may just have to drag Dave to.
Please indulge this UK reader: what on earth is funnel cake?!
Hey Laura,
A funnel cake is basically fried dough covered in powdered sugar. Pretty gluttonous, eh?
xo,
s
I grew up in Kansas and always loved the State Fair that was in my hometown of Hutchinson. I always lived basically within walking distance and just loved going. I moved away seven years ago and Colorado, well, their State Fair just doesn’t compare. Yes, Kansas is a low profile state but their fair is far better! :) Those funnel cakes make my day—ever had a Pronto Pup?! Delicious!!
I love the pictures!
The “N” and “E” pictures work perfectly for my husband and me, Nancy and Eric. Thanks!
It’s 9:07 AM here and all I want is a funnel cake… thank you. :-P
Hi guys, I have to admit I am a SUCKER for fair food, and I love your shots!! I had to share with you a photo from the fair my friend went to in Bakersfield, CA… where you can watch the baby cows being born… and this is the sign:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hApCkQA7irk/Sruj5u9UKwI/AAAAAAAAAG8/CjnjmxO_GCY/s1600-h/photo+4(2).jpg
Funny and gross, all at the same time! :)
I wish I could claim credit for these great fair pics, but sadly I just have to brag about them on behalf of a local photographer whose work I adore. He just did an evening engagement shoot for a young couple at our county fair. Wouldn’t these look great, blow-up on a gallery wrap canvas?
http://benfieldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/09/fayetteville-engagement-photography_10.html
I go to the fair strictly for the funnel cake. Oh okay, to see the animals, too. :) I went to the MI State Fair in Detroit this year for the first time (previously I had only been to one near Powder Springs, GA and the Gogebic County Fair in the UP). The Michigan State Fair is actually the nation’s oldest state fair!
Thanks for all your links to fair photos you guys took (just ones you love or the ones that are snapped by the pros). We’re loving them so much we’re ready to go back to the fair tonight!
Though that “Moving Out” cow sign is a bit much… but still a good laugh! Thanks (we think) for sharing AlysonO.
xo,
s
I love the big bright “E”!!!
We have the SC State Fair and its coming in the next few weeks. I LOVE going to the fair. I’ve grown out of the riding phase of course but I love the food. I’ve always went and my husband has joined the tradition! Never thought about taking pictures there before but it sure will be on my mind.
It’s the time for fall fairs. And it is ALL about funnel cake! Great pictures.
Hi Petersiks!
We love the fair too! In fact, my wife was a 4H-er in high school. She didn’t raise any animals, but she entered plenty of cakes at the annual Washington County Fair near Pittsburgh. I was born and raised in Oklahoma so I know my way around a good fair!
We thought of you guys the other night (after we thought of ourselves) when we saw a new camera thats out that has two screens: one on the front and one on the back. The one on the front is so that you can extend a mutant-long arm (like mine or in your case like John’s) and take one of those self portraits making sure that the entire face of the loved one is still in the pic! I started taking pictures like that with my wife and she thought it was a bit wierd when we first started dating, but now its tradition to take at least one wherever we go. She thinks its hilarious that you guys do the same thing! Anyway, thought I’d share the find.
Great pics by the way!
Hey Travis,
That’s so funny because we saw the same commercial for that camera and thought it would be perfect for our little self portraits. Although John thinks he’s pretty expert at that already even without the extra screen. Haha.
xo,
s
My husband and I LOVE the Wisconsin State Fair. This year we got to try chocolate covered bacon and fried PB & J on a stick! Both were pretty good.
We got married in 2007 and did a “trash the dress” photo shoot at the fair – we went on the bumper cars, crawled in the hay with the cows, and even did a “cake smash” with cream puffs. It was wonderful, and our pictures are fabulous.
I love fair season!!! I’m originally from MD and the fair there is fantastic and actually just ended last week! Unfortunately here in NP Alaska, where I am now, the fair isn’t quite the same.
We have a pumpkin festival every year in Circleville, Ohio. They have contests, pumpkin festival beauty queens but best of all they have pumpkin donuts.
When I moved to Virginia, I was fascinated by county fairs. I go to at least two or three each year and I try to enter the photography contest at the local fair (Albemarle County) each year. I love calling my friends back in NYC and Boston so I can tell them I won a ribbon at the county fair…it cracks everyone up.
Some pics from my first visits to the Albemarle and Greene County fairs are below. As you’ll see, the more rural the fair, the more fabulous the entries. Case in point: the cake decorated to look like a race car driver.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeanninepc99/sets/72157594223955966/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeanninepc99/sets/72157594234267544/
We are most definitley fair goers! We LOVE the Minnesota State Fair and MUST go every year, if not twice while it’s here. Our reason for attending? The food of course! Cheese curds, corn on the cob, Sweet Martha’s cookies. Mmmmm…I’m already counting down the days until next year!
haha, that duck is totally “smizing”
Ok we just called each other and cracked up over you smizing reference Holly. Too funny.
xo,
s
Love the pics (made me miss agricultural fairs)! Which do you guys prefer, funnel cake or fried dough?
Hmmm – I don’t know I’ve ever had fried dough. How is it different than a funnel cake? Either way, you can see I have no trouble downing some good ol’ fashion funnel cake.
John
Fried dough is smooth (like pizza dough) and funnel cake is sifted so it becomes bumpy/crispy when fried. I don’t know which I prefer, I grew up with fried but appreciate that the funnel cake holds more sugar :)
If funnel cake holds more suger than we’ll crown that as our favorite too. But now we’re curious to try it. Mmmmm….
-John
How did you like the new location? It seems like it might be smaller now….
Kristen – I’ve been to the Big E many times! The food is amazing there. Especially those fried clam things in one of the state houses.
Hey East End,
We actually really loved the new location. It felt a lot more scenic and agricultural-esque. Like the fair belonged there. Definitely worth checking out!
xo,
s
You have never been to a state fair until you’ve been to the Iowa State Fair! I may be a little biased being an Iowa girl and all but it really is amazing. I fast for weeks ahead of time just so I can really pig out on all the glorious fried food! The pork chop on a stick – amazing.
But I have something even better than a funnel cake for you – deep fried oreos. They taste like funnel cakes with warm chocolate cake inside. And with powdered sugar on top of course!
Since you mentioned your personal photo album in your post, it made me wonder: what do you do with all of your photos? Any scrapbooking going on at Casa Petersik? I know you’re pros at Photoshop, which is what I use for digital scrapbooking, so just thought I’d ask…
Hey Carolyn,
We’re pretty basic. We have a collection of leather photo albums that are chronological dating back about a decade and we just print out our pics at CVS or Target and put them in (in some semblance of an order). Maybe we should do a post all about how people organize their photos. Good idea!
xo,
s
The Bloomsburg Fair in PA is going on right now. I made the obligatory trek home this past Sunday to get my fill of fried foods. Fried dough is sometimes also called elephant ears. I actually prefer is over funnel cake. You can get all kinds of the usual funnel cake toppings on it, but I love it best with cinnamon and sugar.
I think the pictures are great, but the fact you know to place the punctuation inside the quotation marks? Well, that’s just aces in my book.
Someone read their style manual cover to cover. Me likey. :)
Aw thanks Jules! You made John’s day.
xo,
s
Is there anything better than a funnel cake?
answer: no.
Did John take that picture of you two himself? If so, those are some skills!
Hey Sara,
Yep – that’s my freakishly long arm acting as photographer. Sherry and I have quite a series of them. You can find several others in photo albums like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnpetersik/sets/72157604638005446/
If only that were a more marketable skill! :)
-John
small world. we lived in virgina for 7 years and went to the state fair a few times. fun fun. new location tho? interesting!
btw. best rollercoaster ever in your state. busch gardens apollo’s chariot. i still desire to beat my 7 times in a row record.
The hubby, kiddo, and I went to the VA state fair last Saturday and had a blast! Our fave YHL-ish element of the fair that we wish we had the money for was the ultra-luxe alpaca throws on display in the alpaca/llama tent. SO soft! Unfortunately, even if we had the moola, we were fairly sure our tasmanian devil of a dog would be all over one of those. But it would be perfect to toss on the back of a couch or the end of a guest bed!
As a midwestern girl at heart, I was pretty bummed about the Virginia State Fair. However, I must admit the unlimited rides are pretty awesome–too bad the first time we went we didn’t realize the pricey admission included unlimited rides! I did get one of my favorite home accessories there though. My boyfriend, now husband, won me a goldfish by throwing a ping pong ball into a goldfish bowl. The guy scooped him out of a trash can with his bare hands and he was still swimming around his cute little bowl in my kitchen 6 years later. I named him Ping and he was awesome!
Did you guys see Tiny Tasha at the fair?
Hmmm, no – who’s Tiny Tasha?
What is a funnel cake?
Sorry – just read through the comments and found the answer to my question.
I can’t believe though that you could eat funnel cake and complain about vegemite! lol
I laughed out loud (as I often do at John’s posts) at the phrase, “powdered my pants and struck my Zoolander pose.”
Oh boy, that’s good stuff right there.