Well you know I like me a good state fair. Horses and quilts Oh My!
I've gone, I think every year since we've moved here in 1996. I must say that over the years I've seen a decline in the attendance. Our quilt group goes every year on Senior day, .50 to attend and I go on one weekend with my husband, where we pay the full 8.00 price of admission. Luckily, I get to sneak in with the carload of seniors and split the cost of the 8.00 parking. We went this last Tuesday, Mary, Shirley and myself were all that were up for it from our group of 20 this year. Now, why is that? I suppose it's the economy and the high price of attendance may have deterred a few. There seemed to be fewer quilts this year, it was most noticeable in the spacing of the quilts, there was quite a spread between them.
This is my suggested program for a fun 3 hour day at the fair. Shirley and Mary and I parked in the back and first walked into the mules and jacks building around the back by Cardinal stadium. On the way to the quilts we walked through Freedom Hall and watched the fabulous horses that Kentucky is famous for.
Then we went straight to the quilts in the South Wing. Mary had 2 quilts entered this year and she won a ribbon on one and why she didn't win on the other is beyond belief.
On our schedule for our quilt group, Northeast Quilting Friends, we are planning a French Braid Class in January and a Log Cabin themed Christmas in July party. There are lots of ideas for these 2 projects on display this year.
Besides being known for horses, Kentucky is the birthplace of bluegrass music. After the quilts we walked outside to Mike Linings famous fish restaurant tent in the South Wing B parking lot. We picked up massive fish sandwiches and could have easily split one between the 3 of us. Next we walked to the tent that had the bluegrass band, Whiskey Bent Valley Boys playing, that good old bluegrass music. It can be happy and bluesy at the same time. I love it.
From there you enter the South Wing building one last time and make your way past the Lynn's Paradise Cafe Ugly Lamp contest and through the throngs of people that are interested in flea market type things like pots and pans and the Sham Wow! of which I have to admit being a purchaser of. Exiting the building at the far corner we patiently waited for the Shuttle that never came.
Our impatience got the best of us and we decided to walk to the car in the back parking lot. We traveled through the West Wing building where we were able to pick up one last treat, the Miller's Border Collie show. Now, the upside of having low attendance was I actually got close enough to see this show that has been 6 or 8 people deep in years past and it was a treat to actually see it.
