New stuff is coming to the Fair!

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I sort of attacked the special Clark County Fair insert in yesterday’s Columbian.  Aside from the ads (sorry, sponsorpeople) and the C-TRAN schedule on the back, I pretty much devoured every word.  Here’s some new stuff I learned:

• There’s a spot in the lobby of the Exhibition Hall where you can store stuff for free.  That I knew.  What I didn’t know was that it is manned by summer interns working for People’s Community Credit Union.  Wow, my internships were pretty bleak compared to hanging out at the Best Fair on the Planet.  Lucky dogs!

• Tuesday, August 5 is Military Appreciation Day.  Current and past military personnel get a $3 discount that day ($7 entry fee) if they show their military ID.  But if they come in uniform, they get in FREE any day of the Fair.  That’s cool!  Although I’m not so sure the uniforms are.  The forecast so far is for pretty warm weather throughout the Fair.  So if you see a service person sweating in their uniform, be sure to thank them for their service and congratulate them on their well-deserved free entry.

• Dock Dogs have been replaced by Sea Lions.  I’m not quite sure how this is going to work.  It’s a traveling show featuring Californian and South American sea lions.  Given my near 30-year stint in CA, I’m pretty familiar with that variety, so I’m looking forward to learning more about their more southern cousins.  Show times are 1pm, 3pm, and 5pm every day.  I’m really hoping the set-up still leaves lots of shady grass to hang out on.  The grassy area around the Dock Dogs pool has long been one of my favorite places to take a little break and perhaps enjoy a snack.

• According to the delightfully colorful map of the Fairgrounds, #43 is the “Fair Souvenir Booth.”  Whaaat?!?  Are they finally going to offer awesome Fair swag???  Oh please oh please oh please!!! Years ago, the Fair Folks used to sell hats, t-shirts, and sweatshirts with the fun country-time logo.  Then they stopped selling items but gave the logo to a local print shop so we could make our own stuff (I made a handy cinch sack).  Last year there was a whole lot of nuthin’ offered to proudly show your Fair Loyalty.  I resorted to having my own Fair-food-stain shirt made online.  Rest assured, I will be reporting back what #43 has to offer!

• Queen Katelyn of the Clark County Fair Court graduated in June from Battle Ground High School.  I was at that graduation and had no idea!!  Darn it!!  I would have totally whooped it up when her name was called if I had been paying better attention.  Congratulations, Queen Katelyn!

• This year’s Clark County Fair Volunteer is Mary Ann Morrison.  I hadn’t heard of her either, but she rocks!  She’s done all sorts of stuff for the Fair over the years, including lots of help with the Beekeepers Association and the Bee Barn.  Mary Ann serves as a host and chaperone for each year’s American Honey Queen.  The young women stay at Mary Ann’s home and she takes them touring around the area and escorts them around the Fair for their various duties. Mary Ann apparently spends a lot of the Fair at the Bee Barn, so I am going to be sure to buzz by and say hello.

• A new crazy ride in the midway that I won’t be experiencing first-hand is something called The Freak Out.  I didn’t quite follow the description, but it involves words like “towering” and “dangle” and “rotate.”  Yikes.

• A new show out by the Yellow and Green gates is “The High Diving Pirates of the Caribbean.”  I’m sort of wondering if it’s a combo of the Pirate Parrot Show and the high diving show with guys on fire that they had last year?  There’s mention of a “frightening Fire Dive” and a “dramatic inflatable pirate ship.”  Shows are at 2pm, 4pm, and 6pm every day.  Stay tuned.

• Lastly but not leastly, this year’s interactive exhibit (last year’s was about music — it inspired me to buy an 8-track tape by Captain and Tennille — yay ebay!) is called ToyTopia.  It sounds super fun!!  It’s going to feature a history of toys and toy makers.  There’s also a 20-foot tall, two-story doll house so you can go in and play house.  Apparently the World’s Largest Etch-a-Sketch will be part of the exhibit, as well as a Retro Arcade featuring some classic arcade games from the ’80s and ’90s.  They mention Donkey Kong.  OMG!!!

3 days, 21 hours, 54 minutes, 36 seconds to go!!!!