A night at the Sonoma County Fair

After softball practice I met up with Mark (co-worker) and Monica as well as some folks I met the night before to walk over to the Sonoma County Fair.

En route I entertained with harrowing tales of past meat on a stick encounters, which turned into a rather thoughtful discussion on the overall utility of foods-on-a-stick. We determined that the real genius behind foods on a stick is their portability, an important quality when you’re walking around searching for…more foods on a stick to eat.

Easting a smoked turkey leg at the Sonoma County Fair
Exhibit A: Smoked turkey leg from Willie Bird’s

I wasn’t exactly breaking new ground here, but a turkey leg is a classic example of the “bone as stick” subcategory of foods-on-a-stick. Tearing into a turkey leg always reminds me of that scene in the 1938/Errol Flynn version of Robin Hood where Friar Tuck is all chomping on his mutton joint.

Willie Bird Turkeys is a local vendor (as were many of the concession stands), and it just so happens that I can get a smoked turkey leg during any of Santa Rosa’s Wednesday Night Markets. Now I do love me some smoked turkey leg, but the romantic appeal wears off after about 10 bites. I’d say I’m good for year at least.

Eating a frozen banana at the Sonoma County Fair
Exhibit B: Frozen banana coated with chocolate, crushed almonds, and toffee

I got this for one reason and one reason only: it’s hella phallic. Actually I’ve never had a frozen banana dipped in chocolate, and though not meat, this definitely qualifies as food on a stick. Mostly it was fun for posing with the camera. I also had a bite of cheesecake dipped in chocolate on a stick, which was kind of like eating a brick of cold, cheesecakey goodness.

After all that and a frozen dacquiri containing only trace amounts of alcohol, we bought some tickets to ride the rides 20 minutes before the fair closed. There were no lines in sight. We ran straight for the Magnum! That would be Magnum, P.I. to you. Note the handpainted centerpiece depicting Tom Selleck with a ginormous cranium.

The Magnum ride at the Sonoma County Fair

And for my first foray into video blogging (aka vlogging), I took a video while we were on the ride. Grab your vomit bags!

Riding the Magnum at the Sonoma County Fair
Riding the Magnum at the Sonoma County Fair

15 Comments

Melanie

excellent!

grrlonastik

nice pics. love the banana shot, as you are being such an exhibitionist. I think that must be the secret nature of the blogger.

Brian

looks like fun, glad your getting out, continue with your adventrues, but a mid-week extravaganza, whoa, I’d not be able to get up for work the next day.

actually got back around 11pm, but then stayed up late doing other stuff and posting to my blog. it was a good time.

jackie

your video was the best thing i’ve downloaded in months. really. who’s the screaming girl?

Dave

That screaming girl is me

Mark

It’s too bad I wasn’t in the mood to join you guys; sounds like I missed a good time. While I’m here, I’d like to take this opportunity to nominate Shish Kabob as a strong, and often overlooked, contender for best food on a stick.

i almost got egg roll on a stick, until i realized that the egg rolls looked the size of a cucumber and had clearly been punctured with a popsicle stick. i think most of the romance of foods-on-a-stick is that the stick was somehow instrumental in the prepartion of the food.

By far, my favorite food on a stick is that fairground staple – the corndog (with ketchup and mustard, of course). Not only did they miraculously think to put a hot dog on a stick, but they thought to deep fry the “bun” as well! Genius.

Wonderful photos!

I’d like to state for the record that the Iowa State Fair is famous for having more food on a stick than any other venue.

Just thought you’d like to know. ;-)

mush, next time i’m out there, i’ll definitely check it out.

Sarah

I borrowed your turkey eating photo to use in my final project at Cal Poly University in San Luis Obsispo, CA. Looks great! Thanks

Sarah, that’s great. Let me know if you need a higher resolution version. And if there’s something about your project I could blog about, please feel free to send me an email.

marc

Dude.. you haf’ta let mew use that pic of you and yer chilly nana

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