grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

  • Home
  • About
  • Media
  • Crafts
  • Farm
  • Food
  • Garden
  • Reading & Books
  • Sunday Letter
  • SHOP!
  • Privacy Policy

Don’t be late!

September 4, 2012 By Talya Tate Boerner 16 Comments

Our State Fair is a great state fair. Don’t miss it don’t even be late. Rodgers & Hammerstein
The top 5 reasons I go to the State Fair of Texas….
5. Pig Races
4. Car Show
3. People Watch
2. Crazy Mouse Ride
1. Corn Dogs!

I’m counting down the days to September 28…. when people from all walks of life and all corners of the state and beyond, eagerly gather into a hay-filled rodeo barn sitting side by side squealing for their favorite pig like its the Texas-OU football game. Big-haired women, mullet-haired men, even Oprah was there a few years ago to feast on the deep fried butter.
The parking lot is crammed with expensive tiny foreign cars and dirty farm vehicles driven in from Groesbeck, but once inside the hallowed fairground gates everyone is reduced to the lowest common denominator, standing in long hot lines for piles of tornado taters. People come together. Totally non-partisan.
The presidential election should be held during the nation’s state fairs. 
Crazy Mouse ride!
Talya, Taylor, Zach, Staci 2011
Each year there is a contest for the best tasting and most creative new fair food to feed the famished fairgoers. This year’s winners, Deep Fried Jambalaya and Fried Bacon Cinnamon Rolls. Another new food for 2012, Chicken Fried Cactus Bites, proving people will eat anything as long as its battered, deep fried in lard, and served on a stick.
Don’t even be late!
fried margarita 2010

talya

Musical Pairings

State Fair – 1962

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: State Fair of Texas

Wanna receive my monthly Newsletter? Sign up here!

Comments

  1. The Neighborhood Wine Porch Party says

    September 4, 2012 at 5:57 am

    OUR STATE FAIR IS A GREAT STATE FAIR, DON’T MISS IT, DON’T EVEN BE LATE! IT’S DOLLARS TO DONUTS THAT OUR STATE FAIR IS THE BEST STATE FAIR IN OUR STATE!

    Reply
    • TateFarmGirl says

      September 4, 2012 at 6:09 am

      24 days and 51 minutes…

      Reply
  2. Nancy says

    September 4, 2012 at 6:20 am

    Fried Margaritas? Please tell me there’s a yearly State Fair cookbook with recipes?

    Reply
    • TateFarmGirl says

      September 5, 2012 at 11:03 am

      I’ve never seen a cookbook but I bet there is… You know it’s best not to know how to make some things.

      Reply
  3. Anonymous says

    September 4, 2012 at 6:31 am

    I have a picture of me eating the Fried Margarita. I wish you had had it for this blog. Love the fair, but I missed it last year for some reason.

    I have to try the deep-fried Jambalaya: shrimp.Cajun sausage, coated in seasoned flour, and of course, FRIED! The creator of this, Abel Gonzales, Jr. said he gained 10 pounds trying to get this one just right.

    And, the the Big Tex winner is grease—-again. Love it! Talya’s Mom

    Reply
    • TateFarmGirl says

      September 5, 2012 at 11:04 am

      I think the jambalaya sounds pretty good too.

      Reply
  4. Colene says

    September 4, 2012 at 7:32 am

    Sounds just like the Iowa State Fair! Loved it! Loved the music!

    Reply
    • TateFarmGirl says

      September 5, 2012 at 11:04 am

      I’ve heard amazing things about the Iowa State Fair. Would love to try it out some time!

      Reply
  5. TimH says

    September 4, 2012 at 8:06 am

    One of these years, I’m heading to Texas to check out the Texas State Fair! Just the pictures of all these deep-fried foods is reason enough!=) And Talya, you need to hook up with the TSF’s media and advertising department!….You’ve definitely sold me on making the drive!=)

    Reply
    • TateFarmGirl says

      September 5, 2012 at 11:04 am

      You have a place to stay.

      Reply
    • TimH says

      September 6, 2012 at 7:54 am

      Thank you, and now, I may have to make that trip sooner than later!=) And the same invitation goes to you when you come to Nashville.

      Reply
  6. Anonymous says

    September 4, 2012 at 1:48 pm

    Always love the fair, brings back the old days of the Mid South fair in Memphis!

    Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    September 5, 2012 at 12:05 am

    Always love to read your fair adventures and see the pictures! I miss the old days of Courtney showing her Animals in the fair. Great memories! In JrHS and HS, La Nette and I would always go to the Mid South Fair at Memphis! We’d plan all our rides before arriving and try to ride them twice! Our FAV back then was the Octopus! Loved the TSF too! Went with De Ann once – a blast! Talya’s Cuz

    Reply
    • TateFarmGirl says

      September 5, 2012 at 11:05 am

      Staci and I loved the Mid South Fair! We always went with Lesa. So much fun! It’s where I first peed in my pants I think.

      Reply
  8. pittypatter says

    September 5, 2012 at 4:33 am

    I’ll pass, thankyouverymuch. It’s been ages–the children (now 40s-50s) were little–since I’ve been to the Arkansas State Fair. Color me yellow–cowardly, if you like–or ecru: neutral.

    Reply
    • TateFarmGirl says

      September 5, 2012 at 11:05 am

      Pat. You KNOW you want a corny dog.

      Reply

COMMENT: Cancel reply

Talya Tate Boerner


Hi! I'm Talya. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (Now Available!)

Click to BUY NOW!

Talya Tate Boerner books
Gene, Everywhere

Never miss a blog post! Subscribe via email:

Receive my Monthly Newsletter?

Most Popular Posts…

  • Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • SHOP!
  • Yum Yum Cake - old southern recipe!
  • Nana's Strawberry Cake (the real one)
  • Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

Most Recent

  • Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Sunday Letter: 01.29.23
  • Sunday Letter: 01.15.23
  • Sunday Letter: 01.08.23
  • Sunday Letter: 12.18.22

Grace Grits index

Prior Posts

Search Categories

Tags

A to Z April Blog Challenge Autumn BAT Book Reviews childhood Christmas creative writing prompt Dallas Desserts Eureka Springs Fall Fayetteville Food Gracie Lee Halloween Hemingway-Pfeiffer home humor Johnson Family Keiser Lake Norfork Lucy and Annabelle Mississippi County Mississippi Delta moving Munger Place Nana nature Northeast Arkansas Northwest Arkansas Osceola poem Reading Schnauzer simple living simple things spring spring gardening Summer sunday letter Talya Tate Boerner novel The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee Thomas Tate Winter Wordless Wednesday
Follow on Bloglovin

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!

All content and photos Copyright Grace, Grits and Gardening © 2023 · Web Hosting By StrataByte