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Illinois

* What is your usual State Fair routine?

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 11:38 am

Comments

Vose’s, horse track, pork pavillion, beer tent

Comment by The Captain Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 11:40 am
Eat something fried, wash it down with a beer, eat some pork, wash that down with a beer, sit around with friends over some beers complaining about all the crap we just ate, then watch Rich Miller ride a harness horse looking like a crazed Amish fugitive

Comment by Fair is Fair Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 11:41 am
To ignore it completely … except for an occasional concert.

Comment by Nick Naylor Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 11:44 am
Conservation world for the lumber jack and dog shows; hit the various rock walls while touring the vendor boths, catch the high dive show, tour the arts/crafts/hobby butter cow area.

eat lots of death food. Ride rides at night with the pretty sparklies, play recognise the prison tat on the ride operators.

Comment by Ghost Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 11:45 am
MUST see/do: Go down the big slide with entire family, visit Dairy Barn for cream puffs & to see the butter cow, the Illinois Building for honey ice cream, the Expo Building for free food samples and other fun stuff, the Pork Patio for a pork chop sandwich, the goat barn to see the cute little pygmy goats, the grandstand for harness racing, at least one concert (Cheap Trick this year), and of course the beer tents for good bands and ice cold brew. Not necessarily all in one day - but could be done!

Comment by Love the Fair! Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 11:46 am
Well since my last post was pulled down along with another guy’s that said pretty much the same thing, I’ll play along and come up with a routine (that just may explain my first post):

Walk a figurative mile to reach the fairgrounds. Eat a bunch of fried stuff that somehow miraculously doesn’t kill you right on the spot. Bump elbow to elbow with total strangers in a superheated beer tent. Listen to bands that are 20 year past their prime. Watch racehorses that are as well.

There. Sorry to be anti-Fair, Rich.

Comment by Ace Laredo Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 11:46 am
When I can make it get a Ribeye sandwich, mini doughnuts and some taffy for my wife.

Also check out every commercial building and long for one of those woodworking machines.

Comment by OneMan Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 11:50 am
FiF, this year’s “celebrity” harness race will be Wednesday afternoon.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 11:53 am
lumber jack and dog shows are not there this year

Comment by central illinois Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 12:03 pm
I ignore the fair completely. I can get a corn dog and a soda at the grocery store. The fair is a waste of money. Shut them down. You don’t throw a party when you cant pay the light bill. That is the equivalent of what is going on at the state level. The Fair is breathtaking financial stupidity of the highest order.

Comment by Moving to Oklahoma Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 12:08 pm
First, all things BBQ, then all things mustard, then cream puffs. Then I’m in a great mood to look at baby goats, and take in the smell of hay. All things beer comes later.

Comment by Dan Bureaucrat Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 12:09 pm
Mine varies by day.

If I’m starting at the main entrance, it’s Miller’s corn dog (beats Vose all to heck), then a trip through the commercial building. Then, it’s on to the horse shows. After decades of watching, I still can’t figure out those judges, but I refuse to give up. Almost every trip to the Fair is spent partially at a horse show. It’s become the center of my Fair experience. Usually, I’ll also browse through the cowboy hat store (which wasn’t there last year), then take a look at the tractors.

Other days, it might start with Ethnic Village, maybe a beer and a show while I’m there. Then on to the grandstand for a concert.

At least one day is spent walking through the animal barns and maybe catching a competition. That’s the “no sandals” day. I’ll maybe bet on a few races as well. Just two bucks a pop. I don’t get crazy about that stuff.

Wednesday afternoon will be spent in the beer tents. That’s where everybody goes. Dems are leaving town and Repubs are coming in. Thursday is Frannies for Rutherford’s annual thing, then tents, with a final stop at the mayor’s motor home before leaving.

Hmmm. Maybe I’ll head over there this afternoon.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 12:12 pm
yes I know they canceled my two favorite shows, lumber jacks and dogs, plus I couldnt find the rock wall.

The army has a push up contest… OneMan V VanillaMan…..

Comment by Ghost Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 12:18 pm
I used to avoid the fair but with kids found plenty to appreciate:
Dairy building - eclairs and ice cream;
Barns - sheep, horses, cattle and pig bursery, stop for chocolate milk
Sky ride to get to the ethnic village; kabobs
See The Whip Guy at Conservation World
corn dog, fried potatoes, pork chop, high dive show. They could charge more for admission, it’s a cheap day at $5/$2 with some special cheaper days.

Comment by Bonsaso Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 12:21 pm
Pig nursery, they aren’t handing out money…

Comment by Bonsaso Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 12:23 pm
- Rich Miller - Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 12:12 pm:
If I’m starting at the main entrance, it’s Miller’s corn dog (beats Vose all to heck),

What!? Have you lost your mind? Nothing beats Vose. The “crispy” corndog cannot be beat.

Depends on the day for me but for food its usually the following: Gate 9 to Vose, then cheese on a stick nexst to the figherfighters museum, lemon/orange shake-up, Pork chop sandwich at the pork expo (I used to go to Gabes for the pork chop but they are no more), and some type of fried dessert. Then I usually go to the track or beer tent and fight the urge to puke it up for an hour or so before I have a beer.

Comment by Moderate REpub Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 12:25 pm
== OneMan V VanillaMan…..==
LOLOL
My money is on OneMan!

Comment by Bill Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 12:32 pm
I try to go late in the day, when it cools off and to experience daylight, dusk and then night with the lights on the rides.

I always try to make it to see the butter cow (don’t know why, but just do). I always walk through the livestock buildings to see the animals but also to see the FFA and get a real taste of rural america.

I always get a corn dog and lemon shake-up. And its probably not the wisest decision, but after I eat I ride one of the scariest rides I can find. Scariness is based on how much it twirls you around and how crazy the carny working the booth looks.

Comment by Objective Dem Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 12:35 pm
I wander around hit the Dem and GOP tents. Marvel at the women that wear halter tops….who really shouldnt. Check out the overly abundant tattoos. Go to the Directors Lawn…pretend I like a lot of people who I don’t like, and who don’t like me. Wait for Rich to show up in that foul tie-dyed t-shirt, walk around and have people call him Rich Pearson. Then head off to the Miller tent!

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 12:36 pm
I wander around hit the Dem and GOP tents. Marvel at the women that wear halter tops….who really shouldnt. Check out the overly abundant tattoos. Go to the Directors Lawn…pretend I like a lot of people who I don’t like, and who don’t like me. Wait for Rich to show up in that foul tie-dyed t-shirt, walk around and have people call him Rich Pearson. Then head off to the Miller tent!

Comment by Raising Kane Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 12:39 pm
And we need Vanessa to come back as special “fair correspondent”

Comment by Raising Kane Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 12:40 pm
I usually start by making a pilgrimage to the Butter Cow, then hit the political tents for freebies. Next up is some fried dinner (usually a corn dog) and heading to the beer tents to watch the local cover bands. Primed, I then head to the Grandstand to drink PBR…
Best Show Ever? IMHO, Stone Temple Pilots circa 1994.

Comment by Vote Quimby! Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 12:46 pm
Staying at home…

Comment by Siyotanka Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 12:50 pm
This will be my first year there. Thanks for asking this question Rich, it give me some ideas of what not to miss.
I have been to every fair in Chicago numerous times, this will be the first State Fair, and fair outside of Chicago.

Comment by Third Generation Chicago Native Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 12:59 pm
I like bringing my kids. 17th Street Bar & Grill BBQ is my #1 goal (pulled pork & 1/2 chicken are both worth whatever they charge). After that, mini donuts & fudge & lemonade shake-ups & taffy. We spend most of our time in Conservation World doing all the stuff (it’s the best part of the fair & the cheapest). We always go through some of the barns and stop to watch some livestock judging; I like seeing dinner on the hoof and hearing the judges explain their choices. We always go to see the butter cow. No rides: big waste of money.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 1:00 pm
===And we need Vanessa to come back as special “fair correspondent”===

She is.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 1:06 pm
===walk around and have people call him Rich Pearson.===

That’s usually the opposite, by the way.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 1:07 pm
It will good be very good to see Vanessa again. Btw…whatever happened to those tent reviews you used to do?

Comment by Raising Kane Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 1:13 pm
I stopped doing them because they caused me more trouble than any other story I ever published.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 1:16 pm
This year, I will be continuing my 57 year tradition of not attending. I will, however, monitor all CapFax threads on the State Fair, from the comforts of my air conditioned home.

Comment by Cincinnatus Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 1:22 pm
As someone who doesn’t get south of comiskey park, I love the ridicule the media hoists upon politicians in their non suit casual attire-a certain miller attack on fancy blago jeans was an interesting tidbit and a good sign of the suit debacle to come. Wttw stopped covering the event last year and I am curious if there will be any coverage in the chicagoland area with a lot of reporters tied up at blagofest.

Comment by shore Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 1:22 pm
Ethnic Village for sure

Vose’s gets a visit - will have to check out Miller’s based on its namesake’s recommendation

walk through draft horse barn and the sheep en route to the Birds of Prey to then see the dog show

stop at Gov’s Day before heading to the beer tent

harness racing and a tour through the exhibits there under the grandstand - remember the storms from last year? spent a good hour in there… good times

final move is a gondola ride back to the Main Entrance with the commitment to do it all again next year!

thanks for the question Rich

Comment by 21st State Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 1:24 pm
Best Grandstand concert ever - ZZ Top

Comment by Love the Fair! Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 1:57 pm
sky ride at night, dairy building, tom thumb donuts if there for Abe’s Amble (after it lol) and beer tent. Looking forward to Cats on Holiday reunion on Thursday night

Comment by flabergasted Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 2:10 pm
Go on Republican Day and then go watch the horses race.

Comment by Jechislo Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 2:21 pm
I like the free beer trailers back by the Mayor’s camper, a stop at the Director’s lawn for Dem Day, a ride on the sky glider, ice water at the SOS tent, a stroll through Ethnic Village, a taco, a walk out the gate and a stop at Marios if there’s time.

Comment by Canadian Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 2:54 pm
Canadian, I’m heading there soon. I hope.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 2:57 pm
- Eat a Vose’s corn dog.
- Eat some salt & vinegar fries.
- Eat some type of meat-on-a-stick.
- Catch X-Krush at the beer tent w/friends.
- See the big fish at the DNR World kiddie pools.
- Stare in awe at the size of the draft horses.
- Scratch a pig’s back.
- Note all the women in tight halter/tank tops that shouldn’t be wearing them.
- Comment about how freaking hot it is.
- See the butter cow.

Comment by Slick Willy Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 3:02 pm
Same as others. Best fair concert I ever saw, strangely, was Tommy James/Iron Butterfly, 1969. Stagecraft WAY ahead of its time.

Comment by Excessively Rabid Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 4:02 pm
Got a whole list of fried stuff to try over a leisurely several hour period. That means 2-3 days of clean living to make room for the heart cloggers. Get some ice cream; something on a stick; go Ethnic Village for something healthy(?); various barns; sit on a corner (with an elephant ear of course) and count the number of ledges that walk by (ledge = butt so big it supports a drink in the back like a table); beer tent; collect stats for the ongoing tattoo, teeth, and skinniness correlation model. This year Cheap Trick is a go since we knew them during their Central Illinois bar circuit days. Go home, recover.

Comment by zatoichi Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 4:20 pm
Culler’s French Fries!!!-Note that Forrest Culler died this past Fall-sympathy to his family- start eating them at county fair when I was 16 years old- Yikes-40 odd years ago.
No one has mentioned the Trams-best ride bargain on fairgrounds, good way to overview the fair, or take a break in the middle of the day; ride all day for one price.
Also, check out the Master Gardeners plot by the Extension Service-down the road from Conservation World-great way to see a flowers and pick up ideas.
Free popcorn at Fire Fighters Display. Butter Cow, Horticultural/hobby display, girls in halter tops and short shorts (and life is too short to waste time looking at the ones who should have more clothes on), the free shows (high dive, etc.), beer is okay, but lemon-orange shakeups are better during the heat of the day.
My dad used to take my brother and I to the fair when we were young-as farmers, we climbed on all the tractors, visited all of the animal barns-would walk through Happy Hollow, but seldom rode anything, still don’t. Remember the girly shows? Was too young to go in, but mom advised us to go to a good clean strip joint, instead of those dirty carny shows…
Agree with Quinn on this-anybody wanting to get rid of the fair is a “Pinhead”- at best -
Can’t afford it, but could easily go to the fair everyday of its run, and still not run out of things to do and see…
Rich,thanks for chance to comment and reminisce.

Comment by Downstate Commissioner Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 4:22 pm
Oops- forgot something-always wear good walking shoes or boots-even then, at the end of the day, if your legs don’t ache all the way up to your hips, you haven’t really seen the fair.

Comment by Downstate Commissioner Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 4:28 pm
- it’s Miller’s corn dog (beats Vose all to heck) -

Rich, you’ve once again proven your amazing judgement, the best corn dog comes from the same small town as me.

My past fairs have mainly involved a beer tent, buying too many tickets at said beer tent (20 is a better deal than 5), and trying to use them all up and still make it to the grandstand for a concert. Success rate is pretty good…

Comment by Small Town Liberal Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 4:43 pm
1. Eat my way from the Main Gate to the Grandstand.
2. Go home and read the SJR’s stories about the fair which feature 120,000 state fair managers use the readers post to blame anything and everything at the fair on (please circle your choice): The Democrats, The City of Chicago, Illegals, Dick Durbin or Obama.

Comment by Give Me A Break Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 4:51 pm
To not go there

Comment by Irish Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 5:07 pm
Well, a lot of things I used to count on are missing this year. No fair was complete until I got to hear Keith Eric and the Waterhouse band play reggae and Carribean songs in Ethnic Village. After over 15 years of watching them come… no Waterhouse this year. Dat be babylon, mon.

The Lumberjack show is corny but fun. No Lumberjacks this year. And no raptor-birds of prey show, so double-bummer.

Food wise, I like to get hot fresh mini-donuts, or a funnel cake, but elephant ears will do. The lemon-orange combo shake-up is the perfect blend of sweet and tart and sour, very refreshing, but not every booth knows how to do it right, and some cheat by using a syrup.

I go back and forth about Gene Trimble’s clown band. For a long time I hated them, but now that I’m an oldster, I find them more charming than annoying. Maybe if they could learn one new song to play… a reggae song, maybe…

I like to see the hog-calling, but that went downhill after they moved it from the swine barn and gave the callers microphones. I mean, what;s the point of a loudness contests that uses PA systems?

We always check out the butter cow and we always go get the honey ice cream from the beekeepers. The kids play a variation of “slugbug” by counting people with give-away yardsticks instead of VW’s.

I like to get the Steak Dinner with mushrooms, over by the Coliseum, followed by a one-dollar ice cream bar near the milk-a-cow. We check out the animal acts in happy hollow, but usually find them kind of sad.

We finish off with a giant ferris wheel ride at dusk to get the view.

If I could do one thing to improve the fair it would be to plant more trees in the areas that lack them. Making shade from the far end of Grandstand Avenue all the way to Main Street would be my number one goal.

Comment by Clown Band Groupie Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 8:34 pm
Send my wife and her girlfriend off early in the morning to the fair; let them do their thing.

I go out after lunch time, tour the commercial (Expo) building, making sure to check out Trader Barb’s Native American jewelry. Sometimes I buy a piece for the wife if we find something exceptional that we don’t already have from travel out west and it isn’t priced too bad.

Stop by the tram ticket office and get a wrist band.

See the butter cow.

Catch up with the wife & her friend, take in the Arts & Crafts (building has really good A/C!!!)

Ethnic Village, listen to some German music, grab some dinner (bowl of Jambalaya and a beer today).

Ride the tram over to Conservation World, walk it, the lumberjacks were noted for their absence this year. Since I had the wife along, got her a FOID photo & application this year. Checked out the fish in the tanks.

Ride the tram some more. Get a Lemon Shake-up. Listen to some music at the beer tents. When I run down, go home … then go back at 11 PM and pick up the wife.

Comment by Retired Non-Union Guy Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 9:01 pm
Excessively Rabid wrote “Best fair concert I ever saw, strangely, was Tommy James/Iron Butterfly, 1969″

I was there too with my high school girlfriend and really enjoyed it. My wife, who I didn’t know at the time, also attended and she remembers it the same way.

Comment by Retired Non-Union Guy Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 9:07 pm
I have no usual routine but this year I will be attending the Pat Quinn Prisanor Release Race, The Scott Lee Cohen Knife Throwing Contest, the Bill Brady Dog Killing Demonstation and the Rich Whitney Proper Pot Planting Seminar.

Comment by Frankly speaking Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 10:09 pm
Bill - dude, you are so sad.
Still smarting over the “better looking than Bill” comment from Rich a couple years ago?

Why else would you write than nonsense about me losing a push up contest? When was the last time you broke out into a sweat due to any physical exertion?

You so don’t know what you are talking about.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 10:59 pm
What do I do at the Fair?
I sure as hell don’t eat any of the food. I hate crappy beer, so I skip the beer tents for some Red Stripe at the Ethnic Village.

I watch the 4H kids show off their prized animals. Growing up in Chicagoland has made me love watching the farm animals. I can’t imagine raising these animals - it is so bizarre to me. I think it is so cool that these kids do this. So, I hang with around the animal barns and see how they clean up and groom the livestock. They make those animals so clean, it is unbelievable.

Honestly, the past few years I haven’t eaten a single thing, because I cannot find a single thing at the Fair worth risking my life eating. Fair food is frankly nauseating to me. I believe this is another result of being raised around real food. When we consider the awesome farm fresh produce that is winning blue ribbons all around the Fair, the idea of eating some piece of fried crap or drinking Bud Light ought to be a criminal offense.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Aug 16, 10 @ 11:07 pm
Skip it. I prefer the DuQuoin State Fair.

Comment by Little Egypt Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 1:31 am
Stay in Chicago!

But when I have gone, would spend most of my time in the Ethnic Village, the find a beer tent and do a sociological comparison of that crowd -vs- Taste of Chicago -vs- Summerfest.

Comment by 312 Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 9:38 am