JACKSON, Miss. – I’m going to make it really simple; if you think the Mississippi state fair is too small, too “dangerous,” or just flat-out not as good as other state fairs, I just want you to know that it’s just you. Everyone else is having a good time.
I wouldn’t call me experienced, or a well-practiced, fair goer by any means. I’m one of those guys who grew up going to the same fair every single year. Luckily for me, it was one of the largest fairs in the world. The Texas State Fair.
Growing up I remember, like everyone else, our school would give us two fair tickets and my dad and I would play hooky one day and go and enjoy the grandness of it all.
If you haven’t been to the Texas state fair, it’s nothing to bend your life around, but it’s a good time. It has everything you would expect a fair to have, and then some.
During the fair the University of Texas plays Oklahoma, at the Cotton Bowl and there’s an auto show that’ll make your driving pants go wild. On top of that, if you can fry it, you can eat it. And that’s the America I love.
I have great memories of the fair, and great memories of being with my dad.
Even though he would never let me ride a single ride, becasue he “knew” that all rides were just one loose bolt away from leading to mass casualties. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it because I was with my dad. He made the fair great, obviously not the other way around.
A good fair has everything to do with the company you’re with and the time you get to share with them.
My time at the Mississippi state fair was just as memorable. My company/date/lady friend/significant other/girlfriend was with me, I got to nearly eat myself to death and I finally, finally got to get on a ride!
I got everything out of the fair I wanted and then some. It didn’t matter to me that there wasn’t a big football game, or an auto show, I didn’t even give a lick that there weren’t any Fletchers corn dogs. I loved it because of the company I was with. I didn’t care about all the other stuff that some might see as problems.
What I’m telling you, you already know. Life is what you make of it, of course, and the same goes with the fair. If you’re not having a good time, then look at the people your with! Blame your nagging wife, rude husband, terrible friends, blame them all. Just don’t blame my beloved Mississippi State Fair.
Also, apparently I’m not the only one who enjoyed the state fair. This year there was a record number of 733,151 patrons to attend. That’s up 13 percent from last year.
