State Fair: recollections & remembrance

Summer cannot officially end until I've attended the Indiana State Fair..... 6 or 7 or 8 times.  I love the State Fair as it's a great showcase for the state's Agricultural heritage and future.  I like seeing families come out to the fair to enjoy the rides and exhibits.  I like seeing the livestock being shown by proud 4-Her's and the large vegetables being weighed against their competition by a proud farmer.  I like eating state fair food,  ribeyes or deep fried Oreo's.  I like seeing the lights of the midway against the nighttime sky, or the rows of antique tractors polished, shined and lined up sitting under the hot August sun.  There's the random vendors selling products in the manufacturers building, or educational exhibits from Purdue with consumer information.  Why I even like the smell of the hog barn while viewing the world's largest boar.   

I'm sure by now you have heard about the incidents that happened this past weekend at the Indiana State Fair.  What a tragedy to happen in a place that has always brought so many great memories.  Like most years I try to take in a concert while at the fair and ironically, Ott, E and I were in the Grandstands anxiously awaiting the Sugarland Concert to begin when the tragedy struck.  While we were safe the entire time, we were praying for those who were in harms way and those brave citizens who tried to rescue them.  Below is a picture of the memorial set up outside the Grandstand gates.

While we continue to pray for those affected by the accident the state fair did re-open on Monday and here are a few shots from the week to recap all that we saw and did.  The Great Indiana State Fair will run through this Sunday, August 21st and is still my favorite summertime activity.

The giant cheese sculptor in Our Land Pavilion.  (Look at that Pepper Jack.)  Below the kids from Beyer Beware meet Bennie the Bean as it's the year of the Soybean at the fair. 
A giant sculptor of "Dance in the Country" by the famous Renoir' painting stands 20 feet tall in front of the 4-H hall.

2 of the Kids from 3 Kids and Lots of Pigs pose with Pork Chop at the Fair. 

Hannah from Off the Cuff and Indypendent poses with Buttercup the Dairy Cow, Pork Chop and Bennie.

And the kids from 2 Maids a Milking pet some baby pigs in the hog barn.  (I was trying to convince the kids they needed pigs on their family and since the pigs were black and white spotted they would blend right in with the black and white spotted cows on their dairy farm, though I don't know if their parents would agree.)

And big kids like Ott, E posed with a giant Otter in the DNR Building.

Regardless what you are interested I'm sure there is something at the fair for you and I hope you will make time to go out to the fair this weekend.  Summer will be over in a few weeks and you'll be glad you did!!!