Free Republic

Today isn’t just Labor Day, it’s the last day–forever–of the historic Michigan State Fair. Yes, it’s a sad day in Michigan history. And a sad day for me, given the great family memories I have of attending the State Fair, and given the State’s Muslim-funding priorities. Michigan’s Tax-Funding Priorities: OUT . . . This is the 161st and last year of the State Fair because Michigan’s Governor Jennifer Granholm a/k/a “the Governatrix Gran-HO” and legislators announced they will no longer subsidize the fair, a tribute to Michigan’s largest industry: agriculture. Gran-HO announced that Michigan doesn’t have the money to pick...

DES MOINES, Iowa-- An Indianola woman is taking on a big challenge at the Iowa State Fair and it's put her on a feeding frenzy. Lindsay Grooters wants to sample every item at the fair that's sold on a stick. There are 55 such items sold at the fair this year. "If I see it and it looks good, I eat it," she said. She said her selections have ranged from traditional caramel apples to fried Twinkies. "I've had 30," she said. "(There's) 25 to go." Grooters said she's been pacing herself, eating five per day, every day. "I love...

Chocolate-covered bacon, anyone? Food on a stick means kabobs on the grill, ice cream bars on the run, caramel apples for Halloween. You know where we’re going with this, right? Fair-weather fans crave oddball food during this time of year, and that can mean collecting sticks during all meal courses. The lines don’t begin and end at the Pronto Pup stand. Food-on-a-stick menus are getting fatter, embracing cotton candy and hot dogs to deep-fried Oreos and chunks of cheese. Expect more than three dozen choices when the Wisconsin State Fair opens Aug. 6 in West Allis, and the most outrageous...

A predominantly Latino audience trickled into the half-filled venue as Jorge Hernandez, “El Guero (Blondie),” took the stage just after 7 p.m. Sunday at the Nebraska State Fair. In contrast, people had packed around the fence surrounding the Open-Air Auditorium Friday before country musician Miranda Lambert had played her first note. A capacity crowd of 6,200 had filled the benches on Friday, and 5,800 came Saturday to hear two other country artists. Theories on why Sunday’s crowd was smaller and slower to form ranged from fear of immigration officials to the different cultural tradition of Latinos. Hernandez, the performer, speculated...

While Minnesota families are paying more for just about everything, the Minnesota State Fair is asking all food and non-food vendors not to increase their prices this year. "We know how the economy is and we know that the costs of doing business are rising," said Brienna Schuette of the Minnesota State Fair. In a letter to vendors the fair suggests boosting profits by offering "family pricing" for multiple items, and even offering smaller portions. "Some of us might appreciate because we do so much eating at the fair," said Shuette.(sic) George Wozniak has co-owned the French Fry stands at...

A bull escaped from its handlers at the Minnesota State Fair today, running loose for about a block before it rammed a fire hydrant and died, witnesses said. No people were injured in the incident. The bull, owned by Morris-based Wulf Limousin Farms, was being unloaded from a trailer around 9:15 a.m. when it got spooked and broke free. Witnesses said they were shocked to see the bull running down the street on the south side of the fairgrounds, where most of the animal exhibits are. "All we heard was screaming, and then we saw the bull starting to run...

Outspoken rocker Ted Nugent has been told to keep his political thoughts to himself when he performs at the upcoming South Dakota State Fair after offending fans with a rant about presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. The fervent Republican blasted the Democrats during a concert on August 21, when he called Obama a "piece of s---" and Clinton a "worthless bitch". And organizers of the state fair in South Dakota don't want a repeat when he performs there on Sunday. State Fair manager Susan Hayward says, "We don't approve of what he does at his other concerts, but...

GOP Candidates Put On United Front That Contrasts Dems' In-Fighting (CBS) SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Illinois Republicans used their rally day at the Illinois State Fair to mock the feuds and in-fighting among top Democrats. As our Political Editor Mike Flannery reports, the GOP's statewide candidates drove home the point by doing something simple; something the divided Democrats may never be able to pull off. With former Gov. Jim Edgar joining in, all six of the Republican Party's statewide candidates clasped hands for a sort of class picture. It contrasted sharply with the bizarre spectacle Democrats put on here Wednesday, featuring...

DES MOINES, Iowa - The Iowa State Fair is a showcase for turkey calling, prized sheep, 600 pounds of butter carved in the shape of heifer and another breed lurking this year — 2008 White House hopefuls. The 152nd version of the state fair gets under way Thursday and the 11-day event is expected to attract more than 1 million people. Iowans will tell you it seems about half are running for president. "There's no place in America where you have more potential impact on how people will talk about policy than Iowa," said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.,...

In about a month, the Minnesota State Fair starts. I love the Fair but at the same time, I hate it - because it sounds the end of summer. Anyway, I digress. I occasionally enter in the baking competition. I try to compete against the blue-hair crowd, you know the types who enter 30 different items every Fair. This year, I'm planning on possibly changing the type of flour I'm using. I always use whole wheat flour for my bread recipe. There are a lot of different whole wheat flours out there. You know, the specialty ones. What would you...

It has come to our attention that there are several unscrupulous business and organizations that are misinforming FFA, 4H students and others that : "The Texas Animal Health Commission requires all producers to register a premises identification" We all know this is false information and scare tactics. It is our understanding that TAHC has contracted numerous business and associations to be paid advocates for NAIS. That's right these organization and their subcontractors are on the payroll of TAHC to promote NAIS ! We don't know all the details at this time but appears these people are getting paid to sign...

June 6, 1936: Texas Centennial Exposition openshttp://www.tsha.utexas.edu/daybyday/06-06-003.html On this day in 1936, the Central Centennial Exposition, part of the Texas Centennial celebration marking 100 years of Texas independence, opened in Dallas's Fair Park. Construction on the exposition began in October 1935 with George L. Dahl as the architect. The official $25 million central exposition occupied fifty buildings and was the first world's fair held in the Southwest. The "Cavalcade of Texas," a historical pageant depicting four centuries of Texas history, became one of the exposition's most popular attractions. The Hall of Negro Life marked an exposition milestone, the first recognition...

Just got back from the Georgia National Fair. Ahhhh, the fair. The addicting aroma of deep fried oreos, bratwurst, Indian tacos, caramel apples, assorted meats on a stick, 5 pound baskets of cajun fries drowning in melted cheese, and turkey legs, all set amidst a background of electronic sounds permeating from the midway, people lugging around massive stuffed animals won from a carnie game, barns full of goats and horses ready to be judged, and the most important thing of all: the commercial vendors. Here, in the vast confines of numerous warehouses, hundreds of vendors set up shop, peddling anything...

JACKSON, Miss. -- The Mississippi State Fair opens in two weeks, but it's already losing money. A group with ties to the white supremacist movement, called the Nationalist Movement, is planning to set up an information booth at the fair -- a plan that's driving away some businesses and customers. The group's leader, Richard Barrett, calls it a "pro-majority" group. The Anti-Defamation League calls it white supremacist. Either way, the group's attempts to set up shop aren't sitting well with the fair commission. "I've been here for three years and gone to the fair every year," said Ramie Mitchell. "This...

The cow's look says it all.

Iowa State Fair Straw Poll: Bush-Cheney Wins 56% to 43%DES MOINES, IA - The results are in and President Bush and Vice President Cheney have won the 11-day straw poll at the Iowa State Fair, beating Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards by 3,111 votes. More than 25,000 fair goers cast their ballot at the Iowa Secretary of State booth, which sponsored the poll from August 12 - 22. "We are pleased and thank the cross section of thousands of Iowans who expressed their support for President Bush and Vice President Cheney by a significant margin at the Iowa State...

(RALEIGH) -- Six people died Saturday at an intersection near the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. A green Chevy Blazer ran a stop sign and struck another Blazer at the intersection of Nowell and Chapel Hill around 9 p.m. No one was killed. But then, some pedestrians who were on the shoulder came onto the road to help the people exiting their vehicles. That's when a white van traveling toward Raleigh struck one of the Blazers and the pedestrians. The Highway Patrol has identified the driver of the van as Larry Robert Veeder, 32, of Raleigh. He is charged with six...

PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- An 8-year-old is in critical conditon after being severely shocked after touching a pole on a ride at the Lake County Fair Wednesday, NewsChannel5 reported. Gracian Yoe is in critical condition after being airlifted by helicopter to an area hospital. Officials at LakeEast confirmed the boy was taken there, but said the patient was transferred to MetroHealth Medical Center. He is in a coma. Gracian was at the fair with his father and called out "Help me" while being shocked, witnesses said. WEWS said witnesses said the boy was so severely shocked that his ankles were burned....

<p>SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A 14-year-old girl and a half-ton steer (search) named Mongo were dethroned as Illinois State Fair (search) champions after the animal tested positive for a banned drug.</p> <p>The steer, the grand champion in the division for animals raised by teenagers, was disqualified Tuesday. Officials said it was the first time the fair has disqualified a grand champion because of a drug violation.</p>

By ELLEN SUNG, STAFF WRITER RALEIGH -- A State Fair employee was killed this morning and a teenage girl injured in an accident on the Bonzai ride. About 10:55 a.m., an attendant on the dual-pendulum ride operated by Amusements of America, slipped on the platform in front of one of the ride cars while it was in full swing. He was thrown 30 feet over the neighboring Starship 2002 ride and landed near a pizza stall, state agriculture officials said. The ride had two workers at the time: the attendant and an operator. A girl in the car that hit...