Fun At The Fair

In an effort to entertain the kids, create some unnecessary “food guilt” and highlight the dangers of inbreeding, Sic and Mrs. Sic took “Shorty” and Baby Jo to the South Carolina State Fair this week …

Attendance at this annual “carnival of sorts” is reportedly down this year (due to the slumping economy), but we sure didn’t see any evidence of that.

As was the case last year, we went on a weekday and showed up a little before 3:00 p.m. (after “Shorty” got out of school), and if anything this year it seemed like there were more people there – although “people” is obviously loosely-applied in this case.

Seriously, if you’ve never amateur anthropologized at the S.C. State Fair, you haven’t lived.

We’re not sure how it happens, exactly, but the entire populations of Abbeville, Barnwell, Darlington, Fairfield, Lancaster, Marlboro, Oconee, Pickens and Saluda Counties seem to come out of the woodwork (with disposable income, go figure!) to collectively mouth-breathe, guffaw and stare dimly at all the bright lights.

There were mullets on babies, beer guts that would take up three spaces in an airport security line and foreheads you could probably watch drive-thru movies on … assuming you could get the redneck to sit still (hint, something shiny).

Anyway, as much as we love to poke fun, the best part of the State Fair is watching the preppy kids, black kids, white (trash) kids, Mexican kids, Jewish kids … you name it, all laughing, playing and having fun together, oblivious to the labels that will be placed on them later in life by assholes like us.

Take the line for the bumper cars, where a collection of kids from about ten different ethnic groups paired off in perfect (non-government imposed) diversity.

Well, except for the two Asian kids, who not only stayed together but proceeded to drive their bumper car like they had prior Demolition Derby experience (say it together, people … “Rip-rash, rip-rash, errry-rody Rip-rash”).

For more info on the fair, click here …

Now, enjoy …

Caption (^): Shorty and his balloon dolphin. When you squeeze its flipper, it squeaks.

Caption (^): Baby Johanna’s first fair.  Awww!

Caption (^): Miss Sic and Jo wait for the pig races to start.

Caption (^): Dude … is that … is that a mullet?  On your kid?

Caption (^): The guy in the wheelchair with the purse around his neck?  Yeah … us stopping for this picture displeased him.

Caption (^): Shorty “Hangs Burlap” down a slide.

Caption (^): Corporate sponsorships have been slapped on everything.

Caption (^): You would have thought Shorty and his friend were Aaron Burr from the way they were dropping Hamiltons.

Caption (^): Loud.

Caption (^): Some “other” media outlets had photographers at the fair, too.

Caption (^): Shorty makes it safely across the Bridge on the River Kwai.

Caption (^): Uhhhhhh.

Caption (^): Shorty rocks out on the Rockin’ Tug.

Caption (^): Fair attendance is purportedly down this year.  Didn’t seem that way while we were there.

Caption (^): Sic’s little girl: The beautifulest.

Caption (^): Ludicrous Speed … Go!

Caption (^): “You must be this tall to ride this ride.”

Pics: Sic

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