Something Different at a County Fair

Well, I am always on the look out for something different. Try this... you are the parent of a teenager or young adult. One of the things you worry about is teenage drinking... and driving. There certainly have been a lot of teenagers killed for being under the influence.
Now along comes virtual reality. This one is good and its at a county fair too. The teenagers and young adults will actually have fun seeing what its like to drive under the influence and in bad weather also. They might even actually learn something.
Cudos, to the Tioga County Fair... its quite cool.

Candied Almonds Recipe

Kamikatze / All my dishes
2 days, 19 hours ago

Candied almonds always remind me of county fairs or at least the German equivalent to a county fair. Sweet and crunchy - an irresistible combination and so simple! Try this recipe also with other kinds of nuts like peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts even sunflower or pumpkin seeds. ... More

Weekly National Event Feed

Well, its finally official. There has been a tremendous amount of work put into this feed to get it to work. It is working off our MySQL countyfairgrounds.net database. It wasn't easy. Not at all. Its one thing to generate feed off a blog like say blogger or Word Press and quite another to generate one off a MySQL database. Part of the problem was that it isn't a traditional feed. In otherwords its not an article feed. What will you find here? All the fairs in our database for the current week listed by first chronological order. Then the name of the event, the state, the town of the event, the events phone number, directions to the event, description of the event, grandstand information for the event, ticket prices, and whether pets are allowed, and the MySpace address if they have one. The states currently in the database are posted at http://www.countyfairgrounds.net/promoters.html - I have about 25 in there and am constantly adding more. This feed is available from our mobile site at countyfairgrounds.mobi and the feed can be subscribed to at http://www.countyfairgrounds.net/CountyfairgroundsUsaRssFeed I am looking forward to feedback from you our audience and questions. Suggestions are most welcome. Oh, by the way I don't think there is anything else like this feed

Before the fun can begin

Ride safety expert lends his lengthy credentials to San Joaquin Fair

By Dana M. Nichols

Record Staff Writer

June 17, 2008 6:00 AM

STOCKTON - Take a look at Ray Rieger's business travel itinerary and you might think he was a Cold War-era spy. Last week he was in Portland, Ore., and Fort Lewis, Wash. Monday he arrived in Stockton. Next week he'll be in St. Petersburg, Russia.

His past also suggests an unusual mission: long employment with an obscure government agency and expert knowledge of all kinds of mechanical, electrical and hydraulic devices that far surpasses anything 007 could claim.

But Rieger, 64, of Topaz, Ariz., isn't on a quest for danger. Instead he crisscrosses the globe seeking safety. Specifically: yours.

Now, Rieger is at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds inspecting carnival rides as they are being assembled. Before any roller coasters coast or any merry-go-rounds make merry, he will check the machines' naked parts for damage and watch to see they are put together properly.

Buffalo Steer For Sale

BUFFALO Riding Steer For Sale. He is a 2 yo Buffalo Steer, sweet, smart and gentle. Hand raised, well started under saddle. He has been in School events, Parades & County fairs. Trained Buffalo Steers are extremely RARE and would be a sensational asset for anyone who loves cowboy stuff and participates in public events. Or just as a unique pet for anyone with horse or cattle experience. If you have ever seen Buffalo upclose, you’ll appreciate just how special this sweetie really is. He is in Missoula, MT. Jessica is moving this summer and can’t take him with her so he is for sale to good home only but the price is negotiable. We also have trained Texas Longhorn Riding Steers available.

Lets make Funnel cakes

Hello, Karen here, do you have an interest in those sweet sticky yummy (not so good for you) funnel cakes. They signal the county or state fair. Actually, there isn't as much sugar in them as I thought. They are fried in oil... maybe before you buy some you could ask the person you are buying them from what they cooked them in. Anyway here is a recipe I found online... if you have a recipe that is different we would love to hear from you.

Funnel Cake Recipe courtesy Alton Brown Show: Good Eats Episode: Choux Shine

1 cup water 3/4 stick butter (6 tablespoons) 1 tablespoon sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup flour 1 cup eggs, about 4 large eggs and 2 whites Vegetable oil, for frying Powdered sugar, for toppingBoil water, butter, sugar, and salt together in a saucepan. Add flour and work it in until it is all incorporated and dough forms a ball. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a standing mixer and let cool for 3 to 4 minutes. With mixer lowest speed, add eggs, 1 at a time, making sure the first egg is completely incorporated before continuing. Once all eggs have been added and mixture is smooth, put dough in a piping bag fitted with a number 12 tip. Heat about 1 1/2 inches of oil in a heavy pan. Pipe dough into oil, making a free-form lattice pattern; cook until browned, flipping once. Remove cake from oil, drain on paper towels, and top with powdered sugar. Continue until all of the batter is used.

Its a BAD year for Carnivals

A short post... some of the carnivals are pulling out of various states, due to financial reasons - like the cost of gas and transportation to get to an event. Some are pulling out because of the accident liability situation. We may end up with fewer carnivals. If anyone has any ideas on this please post. Is there something that can take the place of a carnival? Economy or not, people need to have fun. Maybe the carnivals need to go green. Is there such a thing as a carnival that is green? Doesn't seem logical - umm it would be nice. What did we do before them?

county fairs