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When I was kid my father worked nights every year at the Ohio state fair. My brother and I often went along sleeping in the back seat of the car. During his break the three of us would go a tent cafe called "The Chili Bowl" for a bite to eat. At 3:00 am the only patrons at the place was carnies, fair workers and those poor unfortunate souls who worked as sideshow freaks during the day. Many times I saw a guy who performed under the name "Knotty Knot" sitting at the counter shit faced drunk with his head hung low and droll dripping off his chin. During the daytime hours a 50 cent ticket got a person into the tent where he performed on stage with other human oddities including "Popeye" who had the ability to push his eyeballs an inch out of their sockets. "Knotty Knot" was covered from head to toe with large grotesque tumors. On stage he would remove his shirt to the horror of the audience.
"The Chili Bowl" at 3:00 am was probably the closest thing to a moments peace that poor bastard found in life.
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Near the gate where my father worked was the sheep barn. I can still remember the stench inside that place, the constant "baa baa" of a thousand animals and watching farmers shear the wool from their stock. We always got a big kick out of the size of the balls on the male sheep. Two large coconuts would be an accurate description.
Within the sheep barn was a bathroom with a huge cement stall where the farmers took communial showers in full view of anyone needing to take a piss. To this day I remain disturbed by the memory of eight or ten butt naked fat boys ranging in age from 12 to 65, together under steaming water in the middle of the night. I often avoided going in there and chose to urinate behind a tree instead.
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I might go to the Texas State Fair this October. It's a sublime time of year to wander and wonder about, and you never know who you might run into. The Fairgrounds have been reinnovated to bring them back to the Art Deco glory that they were constructed for back in 1935-36 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt opened them for the Texas Centennial.
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Posted: |
Aug 29, 2010 - 6:48 AM
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By: |
eriknelson
(Member)
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Although it's not a state fair per se, the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo has all the elements of one. It takes place every March in Reliant Park around the Astrodome. There's a midway with loads of rides, etc., BBQ, turkey legs, fried Twinkies, you name it. Farmer kids who belong to 4H come from all over Texas to show their livestock and compete for scholarships, etc. The world's best rodeo riders compete for the richest prize purses, and each night features a concert by a big-name artist. Artists I've gone to see in recent years have been Rod Stewart, Diana Ross, Reba McIntire, Beyonce (a native Houstonian), Brooks & Dunn and Patti Labelle. It's an amazing thing.
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I might go to the Texas State Fair this October. It's a sublime time of year to wander and wonder about, and you never know who you might run into. The Fairgrounds have been reinnovated to bring them back to the Art Deco glory that they were constructed for back in 1935-36 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt opened them for the Texas Centennial.
I visited Dallas during Fair time some years ago, just to see the buildings of the former Texas Centennial Exposition of 1936. Amazing place! Took lots of photos. For the most part, the original fair buildings of 1936 have been restored, and are in beautiful shape. But it's the Texas State Building that is the most spectacular, almost a temple dedicated to the concept of Texas, itself, and full of beautiful Art Deco architectural details and furnishings.
I'm glad I saw it during the State Fair. Lots of fun. And i got to eat fried "gator," which I'd never heard of .
(Tastes like chicken.)
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