First we buy tickets during the pre-sale. Children 5 and under get free admission but ride tickets add up quickly when parents have to ride with kids. Ride tickets are half price if you buy them during the pre-sale.
Because Jon and I hate crowds AND we are wrangling two small children, we always take a day off work and go on senior citizen day. It is the least busy day of the fair and Kiddie Land is generally quiet in the morning.
The gates open at 8 and we generally arrive around 9AM. This gives an hour to check out all the non-ride attractions (such as the animals and petting zoo) before the rides start at 10AM. This was the first year Alex was brave enough to hold the baby poultry (Nate always has).
At 10, we head immediately to Kiddie Land to get on rides. The ferris wheel has one of the longest waits so we hit that first this year with no wait right at 10!. Alex and Jon are afraid of heights so they sat this out.
This was the first year the boys were tall enough to ride almost every ride by themselves, and they were even tall enough to go to the big kid section of the fair. Due to this, we bought just 5 sheets of tickets during the pre-sale. Because we had such short wait times, we honestly could have bought twice that amount and continued to ride.
HOWEVER... we like to leave the fair on a high note with kids, generally leaving somewhere after lunch. It is a LOT of walking for young children, and this year it was hot and sunny. (Btw, they chose to wearing matching outfit. SIGH.)
There are also a lot of one-off games they can play. I would not recommend this one. Alex was super scared and even Nate got tired of it. Next year, we'll stick to rides.
And of course... FOOD! You can bring outside food and drinks into the fair. We bring healthy snacks for the kids so we are not waiting in a long line at a booth with two cranky hungry children. There is also a state fair iphone app, which we used to plan out our lunches and snacks.
While we do love to indulge in some sweets, we also want to get something hearty in everyone's stomachs. This year Jon and I hit the Cattleman's Association booth for steak sandwiches while the boys ate belgian waffles from next door. And of course roasted corn.
We did sample both fried oreos (YUM) and fried brownies (so so). What could be wrong with oreo filled doughnuts?
To stop the constant "I want to play that game!!!" requests, before we go, we explain we will play one game on the way out to the car. Then when they ask for a game, we tell them if we play the game we have to leave. Problem solved. They love this fishing game in kiddie land so we hit that as a last stop before heading home to rest in the afternoon.
The state fair is one of our favorite family activities every year and I would highly encourage everyone to give it a chance.
And PS, the lady at the child ID tag booth gets serious kudos for suggesting she take a family photo for us AND for taking a great one!
(All photos Canon G12 point and shoot.)
7 comments:
Love it! When I lived in Georgia, we lived just a few miles from where they hold the GA State Fair. I have a lot of good memories from the fair. (Including the one where Matthew not-so-secretly stole my ring so he could get a size for my engagement ring!)
Love the last family shot!
What a great family tradition. It's something that the boys can look forward to for years to come, and then look back on with fondness.
I love the picture of Nate holding the chick and Alex standing back just a little bit. It's such a cute picture to contrast Nate's enthusiasm and Alex's hesitation. Such a great mix.
Love love love the fair! Looks like a blast.
Ps I always dress the kids alike when we go to theme park/fair/super crowded places. That way if one gets lost we know what the thy had on just looking at the others. I suppose having a boy now will throw an interesting twist into this strategy...
I LOVE the idea about playing a game on the way to the car. What a great idea, I will have to steal that next fall at our Big E!!
GREAT write up for local folk and also anyone heading out to a large festival/even Disney.
We've done the weekday afternoon plan but are shooting to first thing Sunday am on the final day. Sadly our attendance this year is centered around going to the demolition derby.
Sadly for me as much for Ben. Stunt shows, tractor pulls, monster truck rallies, crashing cars... I love them all!
Reason #912 I am a boy mom
I wish the state fair was closer to us but it's a 2.5+ hour drive so Cameron is a bit too young...maybe when she cuts out naps we can do it. The last fair I went to was a rinky dink one in Charlottesville and I was less than impressed. Being from NE state fairs aren't big but I plan on enjoying them now that I'm a Southerner :-)
Stacey - slightly closer for you is the Dixie Classic Fair in Winston-Salem. It's the 2 weekends before the state fair, and has almost all of the same ride and food vendors (the Monday morning after the Dixie Classic, I40/85 is a riot to drive on!)
With a 6 month old, not State Fairing this year. MAYBE next!
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