So many great readers and Fair-goers have written to me this week to tell us what not to miss in these final two days of the Fair. This is what is still on our list: rootbeer floats, Dock Dogs (Dogs run down a 40 foot ramp and jump into a pool. Longest jump wins. What's not to like about this event?), visit Toonville, and ride the ferris wheel. Here's what some readers had to say this week:
Here are my observations on what has changed, what has remained the same:
Scones are the same, wonderful. The raspberry jam is probably coming from Oregon these days (I checked at the scone stand a couple years ago and it was), which I regard as a mini-scandal, because scones came to the Fair in the early 1900s because Mr. Paulhamus (sp?) was looking for an outlet for all the raspberries Puyallup Valley farmers were producing, and scones with raspberry jam were part of the solution.)
Hamburgers seem to have down in quality, and up in price. Though I only tried two different producers. Maybe our hamburger standards have gone up since we started eating McDonald's and Burger King burgers. I was not happy paying $4.50 for a distinctly mediocre hamburger this year.
Enjoyed watching kids and their parents enjoy the Hobby Hall, as I enjoyed exhibiting my matchbook collection there.
Loved the Mutton Bustin'. Great fun, free fun.
Roller Coaster is the same, and still fun. I miss the Old Mill.
Games of chance seem cheesier. My brother and I are tall, 6'2" and 6'3", and we could lean out at the dime-throwing booth, leaning past the "foul line" when we could, and we won lots of panda bears for our sisters and girlfriends. No more dime-throwing booth, and the prizes don't seem as good.
Glad the taffy booth is still in the same place, and a bargain, 75 cents for a bar of peppermint taffy, which I enjoyed after the Fair last night, when I walked over to see the second half of the Puyallup-Bethel football game. Puyallup won. On, Puyallup! The student rooting section was in good voice.
Good addition: Churros with hot chocolate, just like I had in Barcelona.
"Killer Kielbasa." I ate one in the beer garden last night, while listening to the Smilin' Scandinavians polka band. The sausage was the size of a geoduck or a fire hose. Darn near killed me, but I can't say the Kielbasa didn't warn me, with its name.
Photo exhibit: Excellent. Some of the photos were of extremely high quality, National Geographic level.
Cordially,
Michael Mowrer
I enjoyed reading your column in today's Herald. You mentioned you will be focusing on live entertainment at The Fair. May I suggest that you take in one of my shows at the Fountain Plaza stage near the Gold Gate? My name is Karen Quest and I perform the Cowgirl Tricks show three times each day: 12:30PM, 2:45PM and 5:00PM. I have had the good fortune to be on that stage since 2002. It's a comedy cowgirl show complete with trick roping, whip cracking and kooky cowgirl shenanigans. I happen to be staying with one of your high school classmates - Elisa Hays, née Sullivan, who not so coincidentally, has a great program for children ages 4 to 12 in the red, yellow and blue tent aka Toonsville in Sillyville (that's a lot of "villes") - her showtimes are Friday at 2, 4, 6 and 8 PM, Saturday and Sunday at 12, 2, 4, 6, and 8 PM.
I haven’t been to the Fair, but looking at your blog, I FEEL like I have been to the Fair! Thanks so much for making me feel like I have been having little 3-minute vacations!!Photography is great, too! Julie
Keep those comments coming!
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