SC State Fair

Every October, tradition must be served. My sister, Cinder, and I meet in Columbia and head for the Midway! This year the weather wasn't fair for the Fair at all. But chilly temps, a blustery wind and intermittent drizzle didn't dampen the spirits of the intrepid sisters.


Neither Sis nor I are big fans of the rides. We opted not to do the Mega Drop.


We didn't take a ride on Niagra either. But neither did nobody else. (Guess there's not much allure in a skin-soaking flume ride when it's raining and barely 50 degrees).


Fair food is one of the main attractions for many fair-goers. It's amazing what kind of fried treats they come up with every year. I'd heard of fried Snickers bars. But Fried Pepsi??? We lingered here for awhile, debating "should we or shouldn't we?"

The thought of a fried Reeses Cup was tantalizing. It nearly got me. But willpower prevailed and we headed into another exhibit hall to view artwork. I was especially enchanted by this painting done by a kindergartner.

Having a soft spot for opossums, this piece (from a professional artist) caught my eye.

But the "artwork" that most appealed to me was found posted outside one of the stalls in the livestock stable. Though never intended by the artists, images of Lascaux and Chauvet came to mind.

I also found plenty of inspiration for my next "flock" of birds at the petting zoo.

But as wonderful as all of the above attractions were, Cinder & I inevitably found ourselves back on the Midway, playing the games. We probably played every water-gun game (and there were many) at least once. We tossed plastic balls, shot at targets, laid dollars down on Birthday Months. And one of us even "whacked" moles.

Because every year, we save up our spare change, determined to win as much plush as we can at the State Fair...

...so we can give the stuffed animals we win to "Toys For Tots" come Christmas-time. This year, we came away with half a dozen prizes. (Thanks to the carnie who was selling candy apples for taking this pic of us with our "booty")

We have some coins left over to put in the till for next year's State Fair. And we have plenty of memories to tide us over until then. It was a great weekend! Hope yours was too!