The Top 10 Things I Love About the North Carolina State Fair [In Pictures]

I don't know that there is anything I look forward to more each year than going to the North Carolina State Fair.

It's like all of my favorite things about living in the South wrapped into one absolutely awesome and exhausting day. We pick a day when the weather will be perfect, and we load up our littles and head to the fair.

This year, the kids' cousins came to visit us for the first time and stayed for a long weekend, and taking them to the fair was the perfect way to share with them so much of what we love about living here.

As I was looking through the photos from our day at the fair, I realized I captured just about everything I love about it.

So.

Just lots of photos of us loving our annual trip via a Top Ten.

The Top 10 Things I Love About the North Carolina State Fair:



10. The street shows.

This year, The Amazing Arthur was their favorite. Magic tricks and comedy and just right for littles.

9. The Rides. Of course, right? Love their faces.

(No rides for sweet baby girl. Just finally a nap. Thankfully.)

8. The honey tasting. There are many entries into the honey contest and honey straws are always a favorite for all of us.

7. The fruit and vegetable competitions. It's hard to believe how many varieties of every kind of fruit and vegetable are entered into the competitions. We love strolling through the aisles looking at all the different varieties and seeing if we can guess why a certain one got the blue ribbon.

6. The animals. Cow, horses, pigs, goats, chickens. There are farm animals galore.

5. Cow milking. This is SUCH a fun activity for the kids. They all get to milk a cow and they LOVE this. We love it for them - that they get to experience something so "down on the farm" when we live in modern day suburbia.

4. The pumpkin growing contest. Seriously. The blue ribbon pumpkin was EIGHT HUNDRED pounds! Crazy.

3. The FOOD. Glory! If you love Southern food (I'm kind of obsessed), the fair has it ALL. I could do an entire post on the depths of love I have for the food at the fair, but I'll spare you.

We walk around eating all day long. My two favorites:

Roasted Corn. (Amazeballs.)

Deep Fried Snickers. If my thighs jiggle for the rest of all my days, I will NEVER regret one single bite. Seriously, I have this thing once a year and it is GLORIOUS!

2. The Carolina Pottery and Baskets.

I love it. I love all of it. I have a few pieces and they are among my favorite things. There is something so unique and special about Carolina pottery. And, we get to watch the potters at work. They are always so gracious and so good with the kids.

The baskets? Simply gorgeous. (Hint, hint to the hubs - me want for Christmas!)

1. My family. I wouldn't love the fair like I do - I wouldn't love the South, the food, the pumpkins, the pottery, the shows or any of it if I didn't get to see the joy and happiness on the faces of the ones I love as we walk around together - tasting and smelling and looking and touching and taking it all in together.

I LOVE watching my people lovin' the fair.