This'll be my first time entering photography at the fair.  I'm pretty excited about it.  My kids use to dance at the fair too.  One of these years I'll be able to walk all around the fair, but it won't be this year.  The memories are more about the kids riding the rides....they've gone from the kiddie rides to the more grown up ones....boohoo. 

Plus, I look forward to going into the way back machine, while seeing The Guess Who.  

I used to enter the pie contest,got several wins in that, plus it is fun watching the judges try to eat all that pie. Entered  in flowers,usually made the entrance fee back in prize money ,entered the collections category and got best of show for my dress collection, enter something and have fun.

My favorite memory is attending with Kelsey on "Special People day".  We were wheeling down the main drag, this clown on stilts walked over us~ I will never forget Kelsey's face lighting up~ it took him 15 minutes to quit laughing! (Progress ! made it through that memory without one tear)

As a child, my mom would take me to the fair and what fun we had tossing the dimes and winning all those cheap glasses and ashtrays. Nowadays, hey, I like to people watch. We sit at the corner at the Disabled Vet's food & beer stand, and drink beers, watch people, and visit with friends as they pass by or join us. Even have made a new friend or two! 

Of course, we do have to walk thru the buildings first, and go to the photography building to see if I got any ribbons for my entries, and eat along the way before we settle down for people watching. Luckily we have kids that drive, and are our DD's

About 5 years ago we took up people watching  I ask my wife why did we start are we better  do we see things so diffent now than we did 46 years. I thought she give me a good answer  Honey after 46 years  we have seen everything they have to offer  but the people.  I watch now and see young kids with that Glee in there eyes  young couples holding hands  gang bangers and us older folks. ( gee thats hard to say )

All the memories of the 1st Fair I remember at that time it was on North Chester Ave. by Sam Lynn ball park and my brother. We got into some Lye and burnt all over  Mom put something on us to help stop the burning we looked like mummies walking around.

My 1st date  my fight with my Mom over the black leather jacket and wanting to wear it in 100 plus weather to the Fair. My 1st G/Daughter how we stood in line so long so she could ride the ferris wheel  how we gave each of our 3 kids $ 5 dollars to go off and play.

"and now we sit and watch all and wonder what memories they have  how long have they been coming here  and how fast time has past since our 1st date to THE FAIR.

Ron.

To my knowledge I've only missed one fair in my considerable years and that was when I had moved to TN.  Just knowing it was going on without me just about broke my heart.  Like Ron, I remember when it was on North Chester and still remember the armory buildings where they had the exhibits.  If memory serves, one of those buildings is still at Pioneer village.

Of all the years I went as a kid, my first clear memory was when I was still a teenage mom.  Mark (motopoet) was an infant when he was diagnosed with pyloric stenosis and, at age 6 weeks, underwent surgery.  It was Fair time while he was hospitalized and we could do nothing for him, so his dad and I went to the fair.  I felt guilty with him being in critical condition and me off to an evening out but I was young and I guess it was a way to relieve some of the stress.  I still feel a little guilty but don't beat myself up to badly about it since I was just a kid but it niggles a little now and then.   My (then) hubby bought me a silver Pagoda with a jade drop hanging in the middle and I still have it after all these years.  When I run across it in my jewelry box, it brings back all those memories of fear for my baby mixed with the innocence of my own youthful time as a young mother.  We were so broke that it must have been an extravagance for us to have spent any money at all. (Probably borrowed from parents.)

There are other memories over the many years of my fairgoing.  Taking my kids and meeting up with them every so often to check on them, taking my first grandchild and remembering him looking out the car window at the lights as we were leaving saying "Bye Fairey."  Entering a yearling in the horse show and having a pass to get in free all the time because of that.  Entering my bell collection for the first time and being unable to go in the building to see if I got anything because I was so nervous.  Making my then hubby go in for me and finding out I'd gotten a blue ribbon.  Spending the next two years setting the collection up again and winning each time.  In later years, taking my co-worker from Best Western for her first Fair experience here, her drinking a little too much beer and going into the petting zoo with all the kidsand kissing a lamb on the nose.  Taking my running buddy now for her first trip to the KC Fair.   Seeing Mark take Chairman's Choice award and a Champion award for his glass etching of the space shuttle and his diorama of a war scene complete with model sized men, helicopters, trucks, airplanes etc.  Watching both my kids and my grandkids enter their prized collections in the Fair too. Going from "Meet me in two hours" with my kids to now using the cell phones to keep up with each other when we go in separate directions.  Eating Strasners Deep Pit, caramel corn and fudge.    Ah, the memories.

I love the fair and all that goes with it.  I love the noise, the people, the lights, and the excitement of running into someone I haven't seen in ages.  In the past I would go 4-5 times but that's whittled down to usually two times.  Grumpy gusses can mumble and grumble about the Fair all they want to but they just don't have any of the kid left in them or they would look forward to it with childlike excitement just like I do.

People watching is so much fun. I know that I have done it for years and it amazes me all the time at just what all you see.  It's not just going to look at all the exhibits, rides and animals but look at all the people. 

As for the Fair being held on North Chester well I guess that was before my time. :(  But none the less I have lots of memories of the fair from being to little to ride hammer ride to finially being able to.  From not liking the sweet potatoes to liking them.  There is just so much to do at the fair year after year.