Lake County Fair Time!

By: Jonathan Jones 07/26/2012

   Just when we all think the world is a big fat flaming mess - and it is - along comes a county fair to cheer everybody up! If there’s a bigger, better or more bucolic bang for an entertainment buck, I sure haven’t discovered it – and believe me I’ve tried. The Lake County Fair is one of the best.

I’m talking about Lake County, IL by the way. There are all kinds of other Lake Counties in our country from Indiana close by to California far away. I’m sure they’re fine places filled with nice people, but I’m partial to the one I’ve chosen to make my home. They do know how to run a fair, as they’ve been doing it in one form or another since 1851. That’s a lot of farm animals to judge.

I bet there isn’t all that much difference between what the fair was then to what it is now. Other than how people dress, technology and indoor plumbing, the same basic principles of fun are still in place. The two basic guidelines to having fun at a county fair are: 1) walk around 2) have fun.

What one does while walking around is entirely a matter of personal choice. I always suggest a stop at a food outlet before beginning one’s journey, and rarely does it disappoint. Any reputable doctor may not share my enthusiasm, but this is not about health. This is about enjoying summer.

I personally tend to enjoy my summer a lot more with a ridiculously large ear of corn dipped in an even more ridiculous amount of butter in one hand, and an elephant ear in the other. I feel bad for all those elephants who have to go around learning sign language, but it sure does taste good.

My next stop is usually the midway, where I take my yearly test to see if I have even the tiniest shred of my youth left. I’ve always loved rides, and I’ll usually go on a few of the bigger ones to see if my aging stomach can handle the twists, turns and loops. If I can keep my corn dog down one more year, I’ve still got hope. Then it’s off to the games to try and win a big stuffed animal.

I don’t think I’ve ever won one of those, but I still like to try. It sharpens my hunting skills, and hopefully provides the guy running the tilt-a-whirl a few much needed dollars to finally get those teeth fixed. I’m sure this is the result of a career long diet of cotton candy, snow cones and Coke.

I always like to stop by the animal barns too. I grew up a city boy, and the only time I can ever remember a smell like that was when I’d have to use the bathroom shortly after my grandpa did. It brings back memories of both Gramps and county fairs, and as I get older I cherish them both.

I can’t wait to get to the fair again this year. It’s the ultimate people watching experience on the entire planet. If aliens really want an accurate cross sample how life on earth is, they should start abducting people at county fairs. But first they need to sample a deep fried something or other.

This year’s Lake County Fair runs through Sunday, and features everything from a demolition derby to a sheep shearing demonstration. Can you get that at Disneyland? I think not. Check out their website at www.lcfair.com, and look for a smiling guy enjoying himself. That will be me.