State Fair Family Visit Part 2: Seeing the Animals

Last week, we took Ava to the Indiana State Fair to see the animals. We went on $2 Tuesday night, which is a great time to go because that's the cost of entry and the food vendors have "taste" portions of food to sample for $2. Indiana does a HUGE State Fair. I must disclose that this is the ONLY Fair that I've been to, including County Fairs, but by all accounts, it's giant. They run the fair for 3 weekends. Last year was our first summer in Indy and my first time EVER going to a Fair. In California, we have lots of agriculture, but I grew up in the San Jose, known for being the heart of the Silicon Valley and world class software and technology and not world class cattle! Aaron laughed at me because I was in awe by being so close to the animals.

I got a free ticket to the fair because that was the day that I volunteered with Ava at the Lactation Station, a cool place for nursing moms to feed their babies out of the heat, sponsored by the milk bank where I'm a donor mom. Even though we went in the evening, it was still in the mid-90's and very humid out! We've had a record heat here this summer. We kept Ava cool by keeping her in the stroller without the car seat. She relaxed and really enjoyed the animals! We took her to see the cattle, the ponies, sheep, and goats.

Aaron took Ava out of her stroller so she could get up close to the animals and see. Then I got a little ambitious and then I got "dangerously" close to a huge male goat to take it's picture and it baa-ed at me very loud! I jumped back and yelped. The man beside us was laughing at me. I think it could have been on America's Funniest Videos if they had a hidden camera. I liked this goat that was wearing a homemade Kimono (that's a person with WAY too much time on their hands!). Wow! I have no clue farming so I'm sure there's a very good reason this goat is wearing clothing. You can see Ava's little legs in the stroller. She was bold enough to get close to animals!

Every year, at the fair, they fry something new. Last year, they fried BACON (gross) and this year was Fried Butter. Aaron tried it when he went to a sponsor lunch and he said it made him queasy so we skipped it. It's a frozen pat of butter rolled in funnel cake batter and then fried. They also were selling burgers with Krispy Kreme donuts as buns. Seriously, who eats this stuff. Aaron and I shared an elephant ear, which is a cinnamon sugar doughy treat. It's more traditional fare at fairs. :) It's only once a year, right?

Our last stop was to the Future Farmers of America (FFA) pavilion. They had this cute cutout of a kid farmer. Holy moly, if my kid becomes a farmer, I don't know what I would do. You can't take the city out of me yet!

Incidentally, I just learned about FFA last summer when the kids came to Indy for their national convention. They wear these navy jackets and lots of feathered hair! Just kidding on the hair. But seriously, at my high school we had TONS of sports, activities, and clubs, (I was the VP of the Fashion club) and NEVER FFA at my school. I guess that goes with the territory with living in a new place. I highly recommend the $2 Tuesdays to try the Fair and we'll be going back next year for sure!