The Utah State Fair

[kathys_shadow]

On Saturday we went to the Utah State Fair, and I had a great time. It feels like going to a museum and to a farm and to a concert and to outdoor shopping all at once.



Some of my favorite things:

• Roasted corn. There was a vendor that had a big, old, metal roaster that rotated the corn in it as it cooked. They just stuck the full pieces of corn--husk and all--into the roaster. Once they were done, they pulled it out, pulled back the semi-blackened husks, and there was the beautiful, fresh, bright yellow corn. They brushed hot butter onto it, and then I went to the topping table, that had everything! My husband was daring and put some exciting spicy pepper on his... I took a more mellow route and put garlic salt, a basic dark pepper mix, and lots of Parmesan cheese. The result? Simply divine. 
• Funnel cake. I've never had it before, and I had to try it. It was quite tasty, especially covered with powdered sugar. And there's was plenty for me to share. 
• The Home Arts building. I could've spent an hour in there gazing at all the beautiful afghans, clothes, embroidery and quilts. It was filled with stunning, creative displays that were quite inspiring. And I've decided that I'm going to enter next year. It will definitely take some thought, creativity and planning, not to mention execution, but I think that I could make something that could qualify, perhaps win an award (in amateur, probably). The point isn't the prize money--it's paltry--but to make something beautiful and display it. So that's my goal. 
• The photography competition, the creative arts building, and the fine arts building. I love that my husband loves looking at this stuff just as much as I do--we spent so much time enjoying ourselves in the art that Utahns have created. (The cows made out of butter were also pretty cool.)
• The animals. It was fun to see all the sheep, the cows, the rabbits, the pigs, and the other animals. We even saw a pig race! 
• The prize winning fruits and veggies. There's something about looking at a prize winning peach that's just thrilling.

We had great weather--plenty warm, but not too hot that it's exhausting. It was great to have so much time to spend with my husband, and to get to hang out with my brother and his girlfriend who went with us. All in all, a wonderful Saturday afternoon.

And now back to normal life. But normal life is a good thing too.