I grew up in Maine in the summer when I was a little girl, and the highlight was always the arrival of the county fairs– they just promised good times: late nights; naughty food; small animals; colored lights; cold air; unusual vendors + patrons; semi-famous musical acts; handmade sweaters, mittens + doll clothes; and rides galore. The whole thing was a sensory explosion that took days to recover from.
Napa Valley has 2 spectacular fairs in the summer— the Calistoga Fair over the 4th of July and the Napa Town + County Fair, August 11th – 15th. Next week’s fair is an old fashioned operation under the most gorgeous alley of trees in downtown Napa with clown acts, a major 4-H production + petting zoo, sno-ball stands, a hundred rides, every manner of fried goodness and kitschy vendor.
My kids + I love:
the guy who makes the air brush t-shirts
chocolate-covered-bacon booth
mini donuts by-the-bucket
corn dogs
the super slide
PS — Stick to the Mary’s Pizza for dinner!
{photo credit: nicole mcintosh bruce}
