Rice County Fair, a Review

Okay, I hate fairs. I know that is a hot take, but hear me out, the only two times I’ve ever been to a fair I got sick, and I’m afraid of heights. So for the past 7 years, I have avoided state fairs like the plague. However, this past weekend was my friend Theo’s birthday, and so I decided that I would suck it up and go with him and a bunch of other friends to the Rice County Fair, which was taking place in Faribault, a small town about 20 minutes south of Northfield. When I saw the fairground looked mighty similar to mine back home, my feelings of doubt intensified, but I was committed to letting this fair change my mind.

The Animals

We started as any knowledgeable group would, by looking around at all the animals up for show. One of my friends, Ella, actually participated in some of the livestock shows and auctions when she was young, and while we walked around she gave us a whole bunch of information about the show and different breeds of animals. At the very end of our 2 hours there, the sheep show had started, and we got a crash course on the difference between sheep showing and goat showing, and how much of the affair was also a look into how the handler was holding themself, not just the animal. It was a nice window into a world I didn’t know much about.

The Games

After we left the animal pens, we moved into the fairgrounds, looking at all the rides we were all way too chicken to go on. I know what you all might be thinking: “Aren’t the rides the best part?” I strongly disagree, the best part is all the random carnival games that you are bound to lose money on. After being gently harassed by a couple of vendors, my friend Theo decided to try his luck at a basketball game. He had three shots, all he had to do was make one, and if he got all three he would get a basketball jersey. You will notice the photo below is not of Theo shooting a basketball.

I will save him the embarrassment of photos of his 3 consecutive airballs being broadcast for the world to see. That photo is of David, who decided to try his hand at the game where you throw baseballs at glass bottles. He didn’t do much better than Theo, whiffing pretty badly too, but it was fun getting to watch him show off the arm, and those baskets were obviously rigged. My friends are great at sports, and I won’t hear anything different. After this, we walked around for a little while, stopping off at a family magic show and watching a horse-riding competition, which was a lot of fun.

The Food

Okay, this is the part that concerned me the most. Those concerns were immediately answered, as we stumbled right into a shop called “The Pork Place” right after finishing up with the games. Ella got a pork chop on a stick, which is unironically one of the best American inventions, and despite its total absurdity was pretty good. If you’re going to overspend on food, why not do it on a pork chop? My pulled pork sandwich was easily the best I’ve had outside of my native North Carolina, which stunned me.

Conclusion

So, I obviously made too many generalizations about fairs based on a few negative experiences. I still don’t think I would go alone, but that isn’t the point of things like this. I had a fantastic three hours walking around with my friends, and I didn’t even mention the old dudes playing Grateful Dead covers or the magician. While the fair is done for this summer, for those who might be thinking about staying on campus next year, I would highly encourage finding a way over to the Rice County Fair at least once. It might not be completely different from your fair experience, but it’s always a worthy experience with new friends. Consider my mind officially changed.

Will’s (he/him/his) favorite thing about Carleton is the amount of open space the campus has, as it is a good reprieve from stress. He has seen the movie The Princess Bride at least 20 times, and can recite large portions of it! Outside of the classroom, Will is a member of CHOP, one of Carleton’s D3 ultimate frisbee teams, is one of the Student Department Assistants of the Education Studies Department, and is an active member of Board Game Club.