I'm probably biased, because La Crosse's Fair is comparable to the one I remember from my adolescence and early adulthood in Eau Claire. But I still think that ours is about the perfect size, with the perfect balance of exhibits, livestock, vendors and rides. If I didn't volunteer to staff the beekeepers' booth--in the dairy building--meaning the building where they sell ice cream and malts and root beer floats--and where you can also feel less guilty about the ice cream by stopping by to see the (educational) bees and buy locally-produced honey--yes, of course that is a shameless plug...
Ummm...so...yeah. Where was I going with that, again?
Oh, right. If I weren't staffing the bee-booth, I'd probably still come out to have my annual corn-dog and chocolate malt, and marvel at the boundless ingenuity humans have shown in combining starch and cooking oil. And for an occasional sense of timelessness in this event that seems to have its roots in both the trade fairs of the Middle Ages and the riot of color and revelry from the Venetian Carnivale. I've been to a couple themed "fests" in the Twin Cities and elsewhere, and the completely urban versions are lacking something. Which makes me pity the metro set in that regard.
If you're in the La Crosse vicinity, I'd recommend taking a couple hours of this weekend to appreciate the treasure that a smaller fair can be. You mostly won't find it on the midway, mind--it'll be in the exhibit halls and milling around the barns, on either side of the stalls: Younger folks in their best riding gear, old-timers catching up on the gossip in the shade, wide-eyed little ones coming eye-to-eye with critters that previously only existed in their Speak-n-Spells--that sort of thing.
Seriously--think about it. The weather's supposed to be cooler than normal; admission is free, and you don't have to walk far from the parking area to the gate. And, best of all, the bees can't go anywhere. ;-)
