This year, we made it out to the current edition of the Dixie Classic Fair. It has been several years since we last went; I think the last time was when Madeleine was not even one year old. So we were overdue for a return visit though frankly, given the state of our finances and the higher costs of the fair, I might have given the fair a pass this year if it was not for the entries I submitted to the photo contest.

A cheap day for the family it is not for the fair. Even tightly controlling the expenditures, it still came out to $80 for parking ($7), admission($24),rides($22) and food($27). Definitely an indulgence for us these days.

Still, we made the most of our time there. Arriving in the late afternoon, we avoided the heat of the day and by lingering for several hours, we managed to take in the fair at evening when the midway and rides are all lighted up. Good size crowd too at the fair.

We wandered around the fair. It seems that nearly half of the vendors there were selling food, way over priced ($7 for a turkey leg? $5 for funnel cake?) and seemingly the same vendor in multiple locations. We checked out the exhibits at the Education building. Some really nice crafts there in wreathes, quilts and the like. We checked out to see if I won a prize for photography (I did).

Wandered around the Midway to see the rides and I was surprised to see the quality of the rides they now have at the fair. Much better than it was before with the Top Spin ride, two ferris wheels, and a beautiful carousel. Plenty of rides for Madeleine to go on for a change.

We checked out the prize winning animals at the stables. There were some poultry there that look amazing.

We did not get a chance to see any shows; limited seating at those places make it hard to see what is going on from behind the crowd. That was a bit disappointing as the theme this year was Wild West Shows which I thought were potentially quite interesting.

So all in all, a decent outing for the family. I am a bit lighter in the pocket book but at least the family is happy. As for me, I am just waiting for the time when we head up to the mountains to see the fall colours.