A pervasive excitement always surrounds the State Fair of West Virginia. The lights, the sounds, and the smells all evoke memories. Each memory means something different. For me, the fair has meant many things throughout the years.
As a child, I saw fair time as an adventure. The fast rides and flashing lights, the yummy food, and the thrilling games, everything was bright and shiny. As I got older, I began competing, and my feelings for the fair shifted.
Throughout the year, I would work on various arts and crafts to display at the fair, hoping to win a ribbon. At this point, I worried more about the competition than the rides or games. Later, I got into cooking and baking more than crafting. This meant the week or so before the fair was carved out for perfecting my cake or biscuits.
Later still, my view shifted again. Instead of competing, I concerned myself with concerts and browsing the grounds with friends. There was even a point I did not want to go at all. Finally, I hit a point where I was more interested in experiencing everything the fair had to offer with the people I held closest.
Throughout all of these phases, one thing remained true. I was building long-lasting memories that would become more precious than gold. Now, when I go to the State Fair of West Virginia, I can recount some of the best memories as I create new ones.
Now that all of my grandparents are gone, I find myself often recounting the moments spent with them at the fair. My maternal grandfather was always the one to go on rides with me. My favorite was a water ride where you sat in a vessel that resembled a log. It will go up an incline and then speed down with water splashing all around. Sadly, I have not seen that ride in many years.
One of my most prominent memories from that ride involved me bashing my face because I insisted on riding in the front seat even though my grandpa said it was a bad idea. My nose was bloodied, and it took some time before I was ready to try again, but now, I would not trade that moment with my grandpa for anything.
My paternal grandparents were obsessed with getting the roasted corn. It was always their greatest joy to buy everyone in the family an ear of that corn to munch while walking around.
I could spend copious amounts of time recounting my favorite memories from the fair. Instead, I will leave it at one of the most recent.
Pre-pandemic, I went to the fair with my mom. We spent the entire time checking out the plethora of cheesy sideshows in the carnival area that year and partaking of various food booths. We had so much fun.
This year, go out, enjoy the fair and make memories!
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