A Day at the Fair - Pies and Bacon

It used to be, the kids and I would spend a couple days every year enjoying the State Fair. Now that they go back to school in July, we had to cram it all in in one day. So this is how G and I spent our day at the State Fair...

Pies were due in between 7:30 am and 11:30 am Saturday morning. The Bacon Contest was also Saturday with check-in between 9 am and 12:30 pm and open judging at 1 pm. I ended up bringing two pies - my regular go-tos - Blueberry Crumble and Dutch Apple (recipe HERE).

tagged and ready to go

 

For the Bacon Contest, you had to choose between a sweet or savory dish. I picked sweet and made Bacon Date Scones (recipe coming soon).

 

Bacon Date Scones

 

 

G and I actually made great time driving to the fairgrounds and got everything checked in earlier than expected at 9:30 am. Now we had three and a half hours to kill before judging time.

 

First on the agenda for G was a Grilled Blue Cheese and Cheddar sandwich from the Dairy Barn.

 



 

We then wandered to the Ag/Hort  Building to see what time the watermelon seed spitting contest was held. We were going to do it if it was at 11 am. Unfortunately, it was at 1 pm - same time as Bacon judging. Oh well, no seed spitting this year. Instead, we got a strawberry shortcake...

 





   ... and some fried cheddar nuggets

G decided she wanted her face painted. She didn't like any of the design choices that the booth offered but found one online (off my phone) that she liked and this lady was able to replicate it on her face.

 

We're having fun now!

 

 

G insisted she play one "rip-off fair game" so she got to play an impossible ring toss game.

 



 

We were getting hot so we wandered into the DuPont Food Pavilion where we sampled Burton's Maplewood Farm maple syrup - that I purchased for the Maple Syrup Contest tomorrow - and ogled all matter of other good Indiana made food. Then it was back to the Ag/Hort Building to look at decorative gourds, then into the Home and Family Arts building to look at all the art before heading downstairs for the food judging.

 

The Bacon judging was fun to watch. All the different things you can make with bacon... although I think the judge said "interesting" - which I think is code for either "OMG I hate it" or "I can't think of anything else appropriate to say" - a bit too much. Anyway, I didn't place so we picked up our scones and put them in the car. Also bought this year's recipe book on the way out. Actually, it's the recipe book the fair publishes every year of last year's winning recipes.

 

I buy one every year

 

G wanted to ride the White Water log ride before we left. We left that for last because I knew we would get wet. Well, I ended up riding in the front and I didn't just get wet, I got completely soaked - like shoes and socks sopping wet and shorts soaked to my underwear!

 

 

 Then G wanted "real food" - kinda... by that she meant a corn dog...

... and I got an apple cider slushie.

And now, since it was 4 pm, I figured the pie judging would be done. Might as well stop back in to the Home and Family Arts Building to check on my pies.

Dutch Apple didn't place

 

Blueberry Crumble got Third

 

NOW it was time to go home. We spent 7 hours at the fair. Got to ride a ride, play a game, get G's face painted, see some exhibits, and eat a ton of fair food. Time to go home and kick our feet up for awhile.

 

G crashed. I went and ran 6 miles. That was the least I could do for all the fair food I ate!