What local "people's fairs," local carnivals or festivals happen where you live or where you used to live that you like to attend?

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

Answers

Growing up in New Orleans, the whole freakin' city was a carnival, all the time.

In college, the big thing, besides Mardi Gras, was the Strawberry Festival in nearby Ponchatoula.

Here in Denver, the big ones are the Old South Gaylord festival, which was last weekend; the Capitol Hill People's Fair, which was this weekend, the LoDo Music Festival, which happens in mid-June, the prestigious Cherry Creek Arts Festival, which is always around July 4, and the "Festival of Mountain and Plain," aka "A Taste of Colorado." Old South Gaylord is a really cool little independent retail and restaurant oasis, but their festival is lame (there was some good live music, though). The Capitol Hill People's Fair is always a good time, but it's most special to residents of Capitol Hill. The LoDo Music Festival is relatively new, but they sure pack in a ton of music and I foresee it growing every year. The Cherry Creek Arts Festival always has great live bands, but the visual art on display and for sale is breathtaking, and this young festival is very well known around the country as the premier of its kind. But it's often crowded and always hot, so I tend to stay away. And the "Taste of Colorado" is just one big legalized cluster-fuck. Way too freakin' crowded, way too expensive, and way too much gang presence. I did my last "Taste" about 9 years ago, but it's still popular with lots of people.

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

Since I live in a city of 5 million people, I enjoy getting away from crowds, congestion, and craziness. I like the county fairs in rural Pennsylvania. Somehow, they are relaxing and the food is good. I also go to household auctions in Lancaster County. Lancaster County is Amish. The auctions are part of the local social fabric. It's soothing to see the rural lifestyle. I wouldn't want to live it, but it's a nice break from William Penn's "City of Brotherly Love." For local music, I like to go to the free recitals at the Curtis Institute of Music. During the school year, they are 3 times a week. It's mostly classical. Sometimes the performances are truely world class. The place is a gem. Most events in the city are crowded and rowdy, especially if they are free. The people, however, are mostly decent. Urban youth tends to get a bad rap, IMHO. Good topic, Paul.

-- Anonymous, June 04, 2001

Just yesterday I was looking forward to the Central Square World's Fair, this festival of music, great Indian food, kitschy and not so kitschy art for sale. It's in what used to be a neighborhood of really interesting mix of people in Cambridge, MA, but has lately the whole area has gone upscale beyond belief...but that's another topic. Anyway, the whole thing was postponed due to impending rain (that never came) so now I get to look forward to going next week.

I grew up near Lowell, MA and they have a huge folk music festival every July. It was great to see so many people involved in community theatre, shows, etc. since the city had (and still has) a lot of racial tension between long-time residents and immigrants.

-- Anonymous, June 04, 2001

Hey Joseph, the Strawberry Festival in Lemont, PA (right next to State College) is next weekend! Everyone loves a Strawberry Festival.

The Grange Fair is about 10 miles away from us. It's a big ass agricultural fair, and people come out in their RVs. Very big in PA.

As for REALLY local activity, the annual film festival is this weekend. This film festival is full of movies made by the local Ultimate players and hashers. You'd have to know this bunch to really appreciate it all, but it promises to be a great time! Good friends, homemade movies, and lots of beer.

-- Anonymous, June 04, 2001

being new to the 9-5 world, I haven't had many opportunities to attend fairs, carnivals, etc. but I can tell you, any fair having to do with food is alright by me. ...and shopping, there has to be lots of shopping.

My favorite fair/carnival memory is when on the way home from a late movie, my boyfriend and I attended a parking lot fair on a whim. The parking lot belonged to a long abandoned 60's shopping center off a major highway. We were attracted by the bright lites and excitement. Buying cotton candy and ride tickets...we stupidly rode all those rickety, second rate carnival rides. Rattling bolts and tinkling silver as we whipped up and around and hovered for a moment suspended upside down....Patrick lost all his change.

I think we left after the neck-ripping ride that stole his change.

Worst memory is the last state fair I went to. Sometime in high school, me and my older siblings split away from our parents to do the fun stuff. We had never been to a freak show before and we decided it would be fun. Blowing a wad of ride tickets, we entered the dank dark trailer and only after a few minutes of witnessing other people deformities, we came to an unspoken agreement to leave. Outside in the sun, none of us said a word, we just made a beeline for the nearest ride to clear our heads.

-- Anonymous, June 04, 2001

Theres fair i used to enjoy going to as a child called the Ox Roast. Yes they roast Ox's...i never ate it. But it had bands, kareoke, scary 3$rides that parts fly off of,and fireworks. Then i got older realised that staring at the man who controls the rides (its like its mandatroy for them all to have holes in the crotch of their sweatpants and not wear undies) just wasn't worth the 5$ parking and the drunken bikers with mustard on their shirts...but it's really charming...really 8Þ

-- Anonymous, June 04, 2001

San Diego has street fairs going on all the time, but my favorite memories are from 30 or so years ago. My grandparents lived in Mt. Veron, Misouri, a very, very small mid-Western town. Every year they'd have "Apple-Butter Days". I just remember lots of big kettles of apple butter and somewhere where they were showing a silent movie with someone was playing piano for it. The festival I'd most like to attend is a four day blue-grass festival in Winsville, (sp) Kansas.

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2001

We always go to the Hot Sauce Festival in Austin which,inexplicably, is always held in the hottest part of summer. Ah, the joy of eating crushed habanero peppers when it's 110 outside..

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2001

We just went to a festival on the weekend. My neighbourhood is known as a "village in the city" and the village was settled in the 1800s. This past weekend there was a parade and festival to celebrate the neighbourhood. The parade was fairly small, not a lot of huge floats, but some friends who live elsewhere brought their three-year-old and two- month-old over and everyone enjoyed it. Then we went to the festival/fair part of it and ate a bunch of food and walked around. After that, we came home, had beer and napped. A fun time for all.

I also really enjoy going to the Eden Mills Writers' Festival. It's held in a small village about an hour or so out of Toronto. It's a very pastoral setting and they get Canadian and international authors to read.

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2001

the local pig fare is allot of fun in my town. pople dress like piggys and they hve a oink contest and lots of pork stuff. itw rilly kewl!!1!

-- Anonymous, June 07, 2001