This year I went to the state fair. I hadn't gone in years, and I remembered very little besides the rancid odor. This year, after spending a lot of time in Coalville, I was able to look past the malodorous stench and enjoy everything else the fair had to offer. Booths line the walkway, selling everything from handwriting on grains of rice to scrap metal signs. I was also able to see Sea Lions for the first time in my life. Local bands played in a gazebo in the middle of the grounds. It was a very welcome change from the daily routine.
State Fairs, as hookey as they can sometimes be are incredibly important for pulling together individuals from all over the state. If you think about how different the rural part of our state is from the urban core, we're talking profoundly different values, ways of living and working and towns or cities that take on incredibly different forms. State fairs remind people who just happen to live in the same state what they have in common, and give you a chance to step away from your regular work or school life for a few hours and just have fun. The state fair buildings in Salt Lake are cultural icons that have been the backdrop to championship wrestling, rock concerts, and livestock competitions. Quite a range!
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