Our Visit to the 160th Annual California State Fair!

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We had an absolute blast today at the 160th annual California State Fair!  This was the boy's first trip to the fair and I worried how he'd do with the heat and the crowds, but he did great!   I broke down and paid the crazy $10 for parking and parked right next to the Kid's Park entrance, and boy after a long day walking around does that $10 feel well spent!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did not make it in 20 feet through the gate......."Mama!!  This is the BEST fair I have ever goed to!!  Look at all the wonderful Dumpsters they have!!"

 

 

 

Squealing (!) with excitement!  *sigh*  Guess I'm glad he's so easy to impress!  Who needs Disney anyways!

 

 

 

Reading the side of the recycle can.  LOVE the fact that he is completely oblivious to the souvenir stand next to him! 

 

 

 

 

We had a great time looking at all the Llama Llama Red Pajama Llamas!  So soft and super friendly! And I think this one liked the boy too!  Llama kisses anyone?

 

 

 

 

Let's try it again!  Nope!  More smooches!  And every single attempt after that! 

 

 

 

 

He could not have cared less about the sheep show going on.

 

 

 

Over the shoulder peek is much less awkward looking, right?  *sigh*

 

 

 

 

The farm exhibit was probably our favorite!  Lots of great paths to wander down and crops ready to be harvested!  Definitely gonna try planting some Bush Beans!

 

 

 

The Sunflower House brought to life!  This was a favorite story this past year in preschool, but how do you show a 4 year old what a sunflower really is without, well, showing them!  We measured the height, picked the seeds and tried to eat them!

 

 

Learning about what Grandpa István did for a living!  Was nearly 100° out and this guy was hunched over the hot coals!  Beautiful work!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Daddy's forest!"  The U.S. Forestry Service had a wonderful little area to explore and escape the heat!

 

 

I don't know.

 

 

 

 

The boy that has showed ZERO interest in sitting down to color something decides now is the time to sit and learn to color between the lines.  For.  The.  Love.  We spent 20 minutes sitting here before I could coax him to go see the rest of the fair.   Great place for a quiet and shady break though!

 

 

 

This was a two-fer:  a purple trash can and a recycle "bag" bin with bottle slots.  At this point, I am really starting to think the CA State Fair has missed out on a profitable opportunity here!  We would have bought a "Dumpster" wristband for sure!  LOL

 

 

 

Sacramento Zoo's Jungle exhibit.  SUPER crowded!

 

 

 

 

It's Templeton at the Fair!  So many different things to eat, but it's not a hot and sweaty trip to the fair without a corndog and some pizza!   If you look closely there is a small grease stain on the rim of his hat from where he tried smelling the pizza!  LOL  And he ate every last bite and asked for more! 

 

 

We found daddy's truck!

 

 

 

We sat for quite a while here and talked about what daddy does all week in the forest so far away.  It really is amazing how much young kids can "take in" if they see something concrete to represent it.  Suddenly it made sense to him!  

 

 

 

 

Giant bubbles!!  I LOVE this water table!

 

 

 

He was trying so hard to get that little girl to go in the bubble! 

 

 

 

 

And he did end up getting her head in!

 

 

 

 

SMUD has a great exhibit with tons of science, um, exhibits and huge board games!  Chess, Connect Four, Operation, checkers.....lots of fun!

 

 

 

 

Found the city fire truck too!

 

 

 

And we made the huge mistake to do the rides late in the afternoon.  Hot, tired, sweaty, and hungry again.  Mama did  not want to pay $100 for tickets (UGH!) so we had one ticket to spend on a midway ride or the Monorail train that came with my admission ticket.  This is what he chose!

 

 

 

 

And he didn't want to sit in the front, because "little kids are not supposed to sit in the front!"  Car seat safety from a 4 year old!  LOL

 

 

 

And this is what I was waiting for!  A deep fried Snickers bar (couldn't find the Oreo stand!)!  Over-priced, took 20 minutes to make, and looked so gross with the whipped cream melted on top.  :/   But after the amount of walking, running, and stroller schlepping I did with a 4 year old, I did not feel guilty in the fact that I *almost* finished it!!    Mmmmm indeed!

 

 

And the boy who did not want to leave his first trip to the fair......

 

 

There were a ton of things we didn't get to see or do or photograph, but we really had the best time together!  I am so glad I decided to take the boy this year, his little mind was just full of questions (how do you explain what a carnie is?!) and his heart is full of memories now!   And the best part?!  We spent only $36.25 including parking and admission!   Not too shabby!

Some tips if you are planning to attend a fair this summer:

• Beat the heat and the crowds, GO EARLY!
• Bring frozen water bottles.
• Bring a filtered water bottle.
• Ditch the cute look.  Wear comfortable walking shoes with socks if need be.
• Bring a little first aid kit with bandages and ointments for the scraped-up knees of running little ones and blisters from those "comfortable" shoes.
• Bring lots of hand sanitizer.
• A travel-tip I learned from all our flying, pack a small bottle of hand soap and a roll of toilet paper.  'Cause you never know if there will be any, until you get the squirmy kid on the seat!!!  Ugh. 
• Bring a washcloth and a travel-sized bottle of body wash.   Feeling "clean" and fresh really helps get through the day!
• Bring a ton of baby wipes or hand wipes.  Napkins were really hard to come by and did little to clean sticky hands and faces!
• Bring snacks to get little ones through to the next meal.  A little sugary treat for melt downs may help too.  We had fruit for that!
• Pack extra clothes for the kiddos. 
• If you splurge and buy a drink, get the "souvenir refill" cup.  Our was $5 and refills were just $2 throughout the park.
• Bring kiddy cups to share drinks.  Nothing grosser than floaters, amIright?!
• Bring an umbrella or compact stroller for little ones.  Even if you have an independent "I can walk by myself" big kid, nothing slows down the fun more than a heavy child that can walk no further!  LOL
• Don't forget the camera!
• Hit the ATM before you go.  The service fees are crazy!
• Don't forget the sunscreen and the hats!  Ouch!
• Pay the outrageous fees for the parking in the lot.  Carpool if you can to split the cost, but at the end of the day, you will be SO glad you parked close! 
• Buy the ride wristband.  The cost per ride at this fair was $3 - $5 per child!  That is nuts!  Buy the wristband and let the kids go wild.  Still much cheaper than Disney!!

 

What tips do you have for a great fair experience? 

 

 

 

 

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