State Fair!

[Prettymaid]

Who's at yours this year? Are you going? Do you ever go? How far do you live from your state fair? If you don't live in the States do you have anything like a state fair?

I hadn't been to the IL State Fair for years until 2007 when I went to see Joe Walsh. I remember I was suffering with a migraine that day. I was miserable, but still put F1 in and skipped to just the Joe parts. We left around 3:00 p.m. (it's a 2 hour drive) and stopped to pick up Joe's greatest hits CD on the way to familiarize ourselves with his solo stuff. Fortunately, my headache went away shortly before the show. Can't wait to see him again!

Anyway, this year we are not going but the Grandstand shows include:

Lynyrd Skynyrd with Bo Bice (Aug. 14)
Heart with The Bangels (Aug. 22)

[MikeA]

'Heart" Sept 19 at the Kansas State Fair. $30.00

The Fair in Kansas is at Hutchinson...right at 50 miles from Wichita. The Wilsons must be making the circuit!

If I KNEW they'd do their cover of "Battle of Evermore" I'd go for that alone. But then, "they" have so much more material they tour the States and never sing the same song twice...well, maybe that's a little bit of an exaggeration. But the Do have a LOT of good music.

[Prettymaid]

I'd like to see Heart. I saw them years ago at the U of I, but all I remember was the nosebleed seats! And I don't remember big screens back then.

[sodascouts]

Well, I have attending things that were almost state fairs!

Way back in 1982, I attended the World's Fair when our family was up north to visit Dad's relatives. I remember being awed by the statues made of butter.

Growing up in Beaumont, I attended the Southeast Texas State Fair every year with my friends. It is not as big as a state fair, but it is pretty good-sized (at least it seemed so to me at the time). I remember how me and my friends loved riding things like the Tilt-a-Whirl and the Gravitron (which made my sister throw up, much to my amusement and her mortification). Only local musicians play there.

When Houston holds its "Livestock Show and Rodeo" once a year, it is kind of like a fair. It has rides and all those yummy concessions, and (relatively) big-time acts played it. They weren't just country acts either - while I saw Alabama one year and George Strait another, I also saw Def Leppard and REO Speedwagon at other times! Yes, they were long past their prime at that point, but it was certainly more exciting than local bands.

My first official state fair was just a few years ago, when I went to the Indiana State fair with my then-boyfriend. I don't know what acts played that year as we went, rode rides and ate concessions, then went back home again. He wasn't really into concerts and my concert money was reserved for Stevie Nicks, who happened to be touring that year with a certain Mr. Don Henley! Still, it is pretty much the same types of acts as the rodeo.

The 2009 Indiana State Fair is going on right now. This year, the acts are: Keith Urban, Journey, Jason Mraz, and the Oak Ridge Boys. I have no plans to go at this time.

It looks like the Illinois State Fair has MUCH cooler acts since it got Joe to perform! I almost went to that show, but it conflicted with a Glenn Frey show. I hope one day to see Joe live solo (I saw him with the James Gang in 2006).

My more recent fair was actually just a couple weeks ago... the VERY small fair here in Lafayette. I believe there was a total of 7 rides and no performers.

Hope that answers your question! lol

[Molly]

I love the State Fair! It's currently running in Milwaukee right now.

I missed Foreigner on opening day -that probably would have been good. I had planned to see Big and Rich on Tuesday, but I think I'll wait since I'm going to be seeing them in Atlantic City on Labor Day Weekend.

Other interesting acts this year - Nightranger, Blue Oyster Cult, Asia

Last year we saw The Romantics on one of the smaller stages. They're one of my favorite 80's groups.

My first concerts ever were at the State Fair. Bay City Rollers when I was 11 years old and Sha Na Na when I was 13. (Yikes!)

If you go to our Fair -you're almost required to get a State Fair CreamPuff. New at the Fair this year...chocolate covered bacon on a stick!

I love bacon and I love chocolate...bu...

[MikeA]

Junk Food: Funnel Cakes are a MUST and maybe a fried Turkey drumstick.

But the BEST odd food I've eaten was from "Mermaids" on Fremont St in Las Vegas. They have deep fried Twinkies! Batter fried, smothered in powdered sugar and then sprinkles with Chocolate shavings! Oh My! They also have deep fried Oreos and deep fried Bananas. But I live (and probably die) for those Twinkies! Just about everything is $.99 there. Did I mention the Twinkies?

[rickmullen]

I'll be going to the State Fair here in Kentucky in 2 weeks. (It's in Louisville). I have tickets for Journey and Heart on the 21st of August.

Rick

[Brooke]

We used to go to the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia when I was a kid and it always seemed so huge! Then we went about 15 years ago and it wasn't nearly as big as I remembered! What happened?!

When I was a kid (15 or so) we saw Dolly Parton and Porter Wagner. I'll never forget my Dad watching Dolly with the binoculars. He wouldn't hardly share them with the rest of us at all! That was before she got skinny. Quite a sight!

The last time we went we saw Alan Jackson and Faith Hill was his opening act. They were both great!

My son and I saw Garth Brooks at a small neighboring county fair about 20 years ago. Just as he was really making it big.

I'd love to go see Heart at the Illinois State Fair, but we are planning a visit to our son's that weekend for his birthday.

The Illinois and Missouri Fairs are both about 2 hours from me.

Soda, you should consider going to see Keith Urban! He's wonderful and you will not regret it!

[Prettymaid]

The Illinois and Missouri Fairs are both about 2 hours from me.

Brooke, I think we've found a halfway point - Springfield, IL is about two hours from me too!

Your story about going to the state fair as a kid brought back memories of going when I was a kid and seeing Sonny and Cher. I remember she wore a white body suit with a diamond shape cut out so that you could see her navel!

[Brooke]

That would have been very cool to have seen S & C!