State Fair With Kids

I told my neighbor I was going to the Fair, to which he said, "We go no more than every other year.  When they bring it up I shut it down".

I get it.

The Fair is crowded.  The Fair is traffic.  The Fair is noisy.  The Fair is smelly.  The Fair is expensive.

But you know what?  I LOVE the North Carolina State Fair.

I think we picked the perfect time on Sunday afternoon to go - around 4:30 - between the daytime and nighttime crowds, the lines weren't bad, the traffic was easy and the weather was sublime.

My kids are 6 and 9, and my recommendation for kids of that age is to avoid "Kiddieland" next to Dorton Arena where the lines are outrageous.  If you walk down the midway just a bit on the other side (by the funhouse), you'll find many age-appropriate rides without the Kiddieland congestion.

Most importantly, make the walk to the area with the Pig Races and the Petting Zoo.  The best dollar you'll spend at the Fair is for the bag of carrots the kids can use to feed Camels, goats, cows, and Alpacas like my son did yesterday.

The handwashing station is right there, it's excellent, and the kids went crazy for this area.  One piece of advice for my friends at the Fair though - if you really want to ensure that disease doesn't get spread, make sure handwashing is available at all the portable toilets - or at the very least, that the sanitizer is refilled regularly.

A Ferris Wheel, Crazy Choppers, Train ride, funhouse, and World's Smallest Horse exhibit later, the Fair was as fun as ever.

Foster
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