Cotton candy, French fries, elephant ears–you get the picture…it’s fair time again.
October 12th I headed down to the South Carolina State Fair, located in Columbia, SC.
Fairs have played a large part in my life (literally). I heard a story from my mother that when I had just been born, my Aunt and Uncle were contacted at (where else) but the North Carolina State Fair to let them know of my arrival. Soon, I would be making the trip to Raleigh as well to experience the sites and sounds for myself.
Fall is in the air and you know it’s time again to check out crazy flat rides, taste the latest culinary masterpieces from the midway or maybe take on a new roller coaster or two.
Fairs have been around for years and many of them existed before the advent of the midway. In many ways they hearken back to the days when people would load up their goods and livestock and head into the city after the harvest to sell their wares.
Today’s fairs are a far cry from those days but most still feature livestock and other small stock (smaller animals) for you to check out.
The South Carolina fair features several barns full of cattle, ducks, rabbits, chickens, you name it its probably there at the fair. The fair also features a petting zoo for the kids.
Exhibits are also a staple of any state fair and the South Carolina one featured several including a Presidential exhibit with a 1984 limousine from the Reagan years, a display of a former Air Force One (about ¼ of the entire plane), and even some of the gowns worn by the First Lady’s of the past.
Sand sculptures and botanical exhibits were just a short walk away in another exhibit hall. The sculptors were amazing bringing life-like forms and patriotic sculptures to life out of simple sand.
Both the North and South Carolina state fairs took place in their respective state capitals and offer many people a chance to visit their capital and see what the fair has in store for them. The South Carolina University’s football stadium is next to the fairgrounds and the University is just up the street as well.
The South Carolina fair is located about five miles from downtown Columbia and you can easily see downtown from atop one of the fair’s four Ferris wheels.
Now lets talk about what we all really love (besides the rides) at the fair…food!
At the North Carolina fair this year, the vendors were serving up a strange concoction called a Coke funnel cake. Instead of frying up the batter as-normal, vendors use Coca-Cola in the deep fryers and I’ve heard that when this delicacy is finished that it is taste unlike any other.
Speaking of unlike any other, you can also get yourself a fried Twinkie! That’s right, not only does the fair sell you a heart-clogging Twinkie, they also deep fry it for you for added calories and cholesterol (won’t your doctor be thrilled).
There are many things that we love about fairs, the food, the people-watching, the animals, the exhibits, it’s really something for everyone.
So as fall gets in full swing, why not check out your local county or state fair? It’s something that is truly a part of Americana and it’s one of my favorite parts of the Fall season itself.
For more information on the North Carolina and South Carolina fairs visit: