Benton-Franklin Fair & Rodeo

The last week or so of August is a fun week in our town as it's the Benton-Franklin Fair & Rodeo. Growing up I loved going to the fair. No, I LOVED going to the fair! We'd arrive pretty much when the gates opened and left well after dark. We'd eat all sorts of carnival food, get sick on the dozens of rides we'd take, visit all the animal and 4H booths, peek around the demonstration and For Sale booths, watch the rodeo (where the Bull Riding event was my favorite), and then end the evening with a concert or more rides.

Last year we took Abby to the fair, but it was pretty much a bust. She was only six months old so other than sleeping and a few minutes of people watching she didn't get much out of it. This year I figured she'd be old enough to really enjoy the fair so I was very much looking forward to taking her.

The first part of our fair day was riding the bus to the fair. Sometimes parking at the fairgrounds can get pretty crazy so our local bus system has special "straight to the fair" routes from certain bus depots. For $3.00 you get a ride to and from the fair and a front-gate drop-off. It's funny but it wasn't until riding the bus this year that I remembered how motion sick I got the year before as I once again experienced that yuck feeling. While the bus is a sweet deal I think Nate and I agreed to take our own car in future years (me so I don't get car sick and Nate because he likes the ability to leave when he wants instead of on the bus' schedule). Anyhoo, we arrived at the fair and had a bit of a crazy start. My parents and niece were joining us in this adventure and Haylee (my niece) ran straight to the rides instead of stopping for dinner like we'd planned. So the first half hour or so was trying to get everyone back on the same page with dinner and after dinner activities, but we eventually figured it out. Mostly we realized that a 5 year old and an 18 month old aren't the best of fair buddies and needed different activities to entertain them. :-) After a spin around the carousel Abby let us know that she wasn't as into carnival rides as her Mama would have liked so it was off to Old MacDonald's Farm (petting zoo) and then the other animal barns.

Haylee, Abby, Nate, and I riding the bus to the fair.

Abby so wanted to go on the dragon roller coaster ride!

So I put her on with Haylee. She was totally excited until I stepped away  right before the ride started. Then suddenly the ride was no longer exciting. It was scary!

After a few tears she was back to wanting to ride the roller coaster again. 

I decided the carousel might be more up her alley.

Nope! It moved so it, too, was scary. We soon moved to the chariot and decided that the rides were still a bit too bit for Abby this year.

Oh, what a time Abby had in the animal barns! She loved seeing all the ducks, chickens, and turkeys (as birds are a top ten on her favorite animal list) and squealed when she saw the rabbits. She so desperately wanted to pet one and didn't understand why I kept pulling her fingers out of their cages. We did eventually make our way over to the 4H demonstration table where she got to pet two different bunnies (they were too cute to be called rabbits!) and was so proud of herself with using her gentle touches without having to be reminded. At this time Grandma, Grandpa, and Haylee joined us so that Haylee could pet the bunnies while Grandma gave Abby a corn dog that she'd gotten for her. After that Abby was happy to sit in her stroller and devour the dog. :-) She ate the whole thing!!! For such a little thing she can sure pack in the food when she wants to. After the poultry/bunny barn we visited the sheep/goat barn (where Abby and Haylee got to pet a friendly sheep) and then the cow barn. Although this last one we went through pretty quickly. In most of the barns the animals are housed in little pens so, depending on their mood, they can be faced towards or away from you. Not in the cow barn. There the cows are tied up near their feeding trough so their faces are away from you while their backsides are right on the aisle you walk down. I do NOT like this. It's not the poop (having horses growing up meant that I've gotten pretty used to side stepping the cow pies) it's the fact that I know these animals can kick and can wallop you pretty good when they want to. So taking my baby down an aisle with hoofs at the ready just waiting for an annoyance to kick away freaks me out! Only thing worse is when there's the occasional steer with five-foot long horns that they've tied up facing outward. Then I imagine babies being speared right and left by those massive horns! Like I've said...not a fan of the cow barn. :-)

At first Abby wasn't so sure about all these animals. 

Soon she couldn't get enough of them. Especially when she saw the baby pigs.

Who wouldn't love to watch these little guys? Especially since one was a total bully and kept chasing his siblings around the sty.

Outside Abby was able to get a better view of the piglet shenanigans.

As well as race around on the hay bales.

Abby and Haylee got to pet some bunnies. I have no idea why I look so horrified. No monster was lurking off-screen or anything. 

Haylee petting the sheep while I'm in the background washing Abby's hands. She kept petting the bunny and then trying to put the stray hairs that came off into her mouth. Yuck!

After the animal barns we toured the 4H and demonstration barns and then decided to call it a night. It was already Abby's bed time and we still had a bus ride into Richland (where we'd met my parents and Haylee to ride the bus in) and a car ride to Pasco. All in all this was a pretty fun fair trip! The only differences I'd make for next year would be: 1) take our own car instead of the bus so we can come and go on our schedule, 2) plan to attend on the Saturday if we want Nate to go (having him try to get off work early and meet us was just a disaster - he had to run out of work in the middle of a project and was still late getting home which made both of us upset for a while), and 3) better communicate the plan to all parties who we may be going with (not that I want to dictate the day but having a firm plan in mind of eating, rides, booth, etc would make the first minutes of the fair go much smoother!).

Abby chowing down on her corn dog.

The 'Akers' girls (minus Katie who had to work).

Nate getting in to the carnival food action with a Root Beer Float. His one dessert of the quarter (that boy just doesn't eat dessert. It's not healthy I tell you!).

My family!

 

On our walk out of the fair Abby wanted to walk but I'd forgotten her monkey backpack/leash. So we improvised and hooked my mom's purse strap around her sleeve. Abby had fun running in circles as she danced with her rope. 

 
Can't wait to go again next year!