Photoblogging the Arlington County Fair

I love fair food. As soon as I arrived at the 2008 Arlington County Fair, I made a beeline for the stand that sells fried Oreos. I deliberately ate next to nothing the whole day before going to the fair so I could load up on ridiculous food and not feel as guilty.



Nice little petting zoo sponsored by Ballston Common Mall and Westwood College. Am I the only one who can't look at a llama without thinking, "Hey, Lama! How 'bout a little something, y'know, for the effort?"




Another sponsor -- Nintendo Wii Fit. They should've just called this the Make Your Parents Feel Guilty for Not Buying You a Wii Tent. And is Wii Fit really exercise? I say no.





Arlington Democrats sent out a press release touting that they're not giving away balloons in an effort to be environmentally friendly ... then gave out bottled water and stacks of brochures, flyers, stickers, and yard signs, none printed on recycled material. You can't have it both ways. Better -- Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment was giving away pens and pencils made out of recycled jeans and recycled newspaper.

GM was there promoting its hybrid vehicles. Note to GM: We'd give you a lot more credit for your hybrids if you weren't fighting tougher fuel economy standards and making ridiculous gas guzzlers. Instead, let's give another plug to ACE, which has its Hallowgreen 30th Anniversary event coming up.






I'm not sure who or what this talking tree was promoting, but he was inadvertantly scaring the hell out of any kid who walked past. Arlington County does take some steps to reduce the Fair's environmental impact.








Finally, it's the Old Dominion Cloggers! They practice every Tuesday night at Thomas Jefferson Community Center. If you'd like to learn more, there's contact info near the bottom of this page.

Arlington County Fair Opens Wednesday!

The Arlington County Fair opens this week at Thomas Jefferson Community Center! The outdoor fair opens Wednesday, and the full fair with the indoor exhibits and booths opens Thursday. The fair closes on Sunday.

Growing up in Boston I didn't get to many fairs, so I still get a kick out of rides and pig races and such. And I'm shocked at how many people have not yet discovered the culinary delight that is fried oreos.

But my favorite part of the fair is definitely the booths inside TJ. Row after row of government agencies and community groups with information about programs you didn't even know existed. If you're new to Arlington or just want to learn more about what's going on in your neighborhood, it's a must-see. The Green Miles will be working the Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment booth on Friday night, so if you're at the fair, stop by and say hello!

TJ is at 3501 S. Second St. with shuttles running from Ballston Metro. The fair is only about a 30 minute walk from Ballston area, but considering it's going to be in the high 80s/low 90s this week, the shuttle may be a better option. And an incentive to ride your bicycle -- there will also be valet bike parking:

Volunteer with Valet Bike Parking at the Arlington County Fair
BikeArlington and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association are looking for volunteers to help run our free valet bike parking service at the Arlington County Fair from August 16 - 19th. Valet bike parking will be an encouragement for Arlingtonians to bike to the Fair with prime attended parking spaces - that’s where you come in! We are looking for your help to promote cycling as a viable transportation solution by parking bikes of those who choose to bike to the Fair. If you are interested, please contact Henry Mesias at henry@waba.org.

Admission is free. Check it out!