My first memories of hearing about the State Fair were when we would get our one free Fair ticket at school and all the kids would start chattering about how fun it was and when they were going and what they were going to do there. It was never a plan for our family to go so we always ended up giving our tickets away.

It wasn't until I was in middle school that my Dad decided it was time for my little brothers and I to go to the Fair and so we finally got to make use of the free tickets. HOORAY! I should also add in here that I came from a home where the money was always tight and also my parents did not like us eating junk food...or as my dad would say "YONKE". "No comer yonke" would be his answer if we ever asked to order a pizza (we never ordered a pizza ever). If it wasn't frijoles, arroz, fideo, tortillas, carne, vegetables or papas- it was yonke. So I was fully prepared to go to the Fair and be denied anything fried, on a stick, glazed, sweet and wonderful.

I was.

However, it was our first trip to the Fair and our eyes were busy taking it all in. We went to the auto show and my Dad excitedly peeped at the cars. We collected little bags of freebies from different booths and wandered around the Dinosaur exhibit at the Science Place. My Dad bought us little souvenirs and said we would need them to remember him by. My souvenir was a little rock necklace and when I got home I tried to make rock necklaces out of rocks from the street and clear nail polish and thread but they never turned out right. Yonke.

My Dad allowed us to play some shooter games to win some prizes. We had fun and laughed and lost. It seems we never won anything and I always cringed when my Dad would hand over a $20 bill to buy some tickets. I knew how hard he worked for his money... working on peoples cars in the hot sun, coming home with oil on his clothes looking tired. That day he spent a lot of money so we could ride some of the rides and play some of the games. We went home exhausted and happy and hungry...with fideo and frijoles and good food waiting for us when we got home. 

That was the only time we went to the Fair with my Dad and he made sure we had a great time. The Fair will always remind me of that day. I know if my Dad were still around he would shake his head at my giant jalapeno Corn Dog and tell me not to eat yonke, he would want me to ride the rides and pack as much fun in that I could and make some happy memories. The Fair is a wonderful place to make some memories that your kids will never forget...whether you let them eat yonke food or not!