There are plenty of unappealing aspects to visiting a county fair: the sweltering heat, the overpriced junk food, and the exhausting crowds. You leave feeling grimy, covered in a fine layer of dust that seems to stick to everything. But kids? They absolutely adore it!
One night, as we drove past the fair bustling with activity, I heard the excited gasps from the back seat.
“Please, Mom! Can we go? Look at the ferris wheel!”
“No way, not tonight. We need to get home and get you ready for bed. School is tomorrow,” I replied, trying to be the responsible parent.
Ideally, we’d have visited the fair before school started, but this year it coincided with the first week back. We’re also pretty frugal and try to keep weekday activities to a minimum. Plus, we had relatives visiting, with no plans for the following evening. But suddenly, I felt a spontaneous urge to embrace the “you only live once” mentality. Why not shake things up?
So, we said yes to our kids. We agreed to stay out until 10:30 p.m. on a school night for some fair rides. We caved to the high-priced games where you pop balloons and ring a bell with a sledgehammer. Clutching our cheesy prizes—easily found at a dollar store—we navigated the fun house with its zig-zagging stairs and monkey tunnel.
We devoured giant corn dogs and cotton candy, sticky hands and ketchup-stained faces all around. My youngest even rolled around in the dirt after a ridiculous inflatable sword duel with his dad.
We took a spin on the merry-go-round and the tugboat, watched a daredevil get shot from a cannon, and cheered for stunt motorcycle riders. The kids saw their parents laughing hysterically as we got drenched on one of the wild rides. We swung high on the swings and let the little guy fish rubber ducks from a pool for even more prizes, staying way too late as the lines for rides dwindled down.
With a sense of joy, I said yes to nearly every request for junk food and games, leaving with stuffed animals, four swords, full bellies, and huge smiles. The boys chattered excitedly in the backseat on the ride home, swinging their illuminated swords and marveling at the light patterns they created on the ceiling. I drove in happy silence, grinning like I hadn’t in ages. It felt liberating to step outside our usual routine.
Once home, we reminisced about our adventure before tucking the little one into bed. I let the older one stay up late, skipping bath time altogether. We all fell asleep a bit dirty but blissfully happy. It truly was an unforgettable night.
The next day, the kids went to school with dusty shoes and ride stamps on their arms. Some might have thought they looked messy, but they had the biggest smiles. For those three and a half hours, we forgot all the unattractive aspects of the fair and just enjoyed ourselves. I hope my boys will always remember that night we chose fun.
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Summary
Sometimes, saying yes to spontaneous adventures can lead to unforgettable family memories. On a whim, we visited the county fair on a school night, indulging in junk food and rides that left us all with big smiles and cherished memories.