Fair days

The rides have been torn down. The last funnel cake fried. No more roasted corn to be had.

Wilson County Fair - 2009
Wilson County Fair - 2009

The Wilson County Fair has come and gone for another year. And I’m happy to say I got to attend this year.

Ever since I moved to the Nashville area, I’ve heard that the Wilson County Fair was something I absolutely had to go do. However, with a husband who plays county fairs all around the country, attending yet another county fair just for fun was pretty low on the list.

This year, though, it was announced that the Wilson County Fair was listed as one of the top 50 fairs in the country, and the urging to go grew too hard to ignore. So one night last week, my husband and I packed it up and went to the fair.

And I am SO happy we did!

Our visit to the fair really made me feel like I’d taken a step back in time to when entertainment didn’t revolve around video games and the Internet. We decided to be kids again, and we made a meal out of carny food. The smell of the food and the lights of the rides were sensory overload. We sprung for a ride on the large Farris Wheel that turned over head all night and upon reaching the top didn’t know which was to look first as the fair seemed to spread forever below.

There was a petting zoo. A walk through an old town. Monkeys riding dogs. And most importantly: families out having fun together.

Just when I start to lose a little faith in our world thanks to the constant stream of bad news coming from all around, I have an experience like the fair that brings that faith back. Moms and dads with kids of all ages were scattered all around the fair bringing a smile to my face. I walked through the fairway holding hands with my husband, and it was like being on an old fashioned date.

We left that night more relaxed than we could have ever asked to be. My legs were like goo from walking so much, and my stomach gave a little grumble at the junk food we’d eaten. We rode home with the windows open in complete content silence, marveling in the wonder night we’d had.

You’re never too old for a night out at the county fair, and I do highly recommend catching your local fair when the opportunity arises. Leave the stresses of work and society behind and go be a kid again. It’s wonderful therapy for the mind and the soul.

My Flickr Set of Fair Photos