Tuesday, October 27, 2009

NC State Fair

The Parken Family is enjoying the Fall here in North Carolina as the leaves are changing colors and pumpkins and apples are everywhere. Our little neck of the woods has a cute nursery on the way to our neighborhood and it is covered in pumpkins and Fall plants. We've been wanting to get out there to take pictures of Everett, but it hasn't happened yet. But what has happened....the NC STATE FAIR! For 10 days, the Fairgrounds are covered with rides, exhibits, and way too much high calorie food items. I didn't think we were going to make it this year with having a nearly 6 month old baby, but we did get to go!!! Our friends, Ethan and Ashley, had free tickets with a free parking pass, so we all made it out Sunday afternoon. Let's just say we did eat our share of fried food. We shared many items so don't think we bought one of each of these to eat on our own! Adam and I tasted: ribbon fries (thin freshly made potato chips that come to you piping hot), corn dog, funnel cake, cheesesteak sandwich, fried cheese, and the new item we tried...fried Oreos. We hunted for the infamous "Pig Licker" - chocolate covered bacon, but couldn't find it. One of my friends said she went last week and got one at noon as they were getting to sell out. That's after 70 pounds of bacon were sold! Needless to say, we'll just try again next year! Here are some pics from that high calorie afternoon!
Ahhh....the craziest of the Fair

This picture is for my Dad. He grows Winter Melons too, but I know we haven't had one this big come out of our yard!

As if you didn't know what food nerds Adam and I were, we love walking around these exhibits where they showcase the fruits and vegetables. Yes, that watermelon won a blue ribbon as it weighs over 211 pounds!

So, I can't read how many pounds that blue ribbon pumpkin weighs, but it is HUGE and there are many others next to it that are quite impressive as well!

Eating some deep fried Oreos with Ethan and Ashley...YUM

Apparently there was little to worry about regarding taking Everett to the Fair. He slept in his car seat holding his blanket in one hand and his little giraffe in the other. Bundled up with a hat and blanket, he slept through the entire thing.

Random Fact from Adam: "How do you like these (facts about) apples? According to Parade magazine:
  • The average American eats 17.8 lbs of apples each year
  • Cornell University has bred and named 62 varieties of apples, including Empire (a cross between Red Delicious and McIntosh), Cortland and Jonagold (a cross between Jonathan and Golden Delicious)
  • It takes 10 years to crossbreed a new variety of apple and bring it to market"

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