Highlights and lowlights from the Broken County Youth Fair 2011

If you missed the fair this year, fret not, dear reader. Just remember back to last year, or the year before, and it was much of the same thing. Only this year all the kids were wearing strange Mohawk wigs in bright colors.

Either I am getting old and my taste buds are going, or the Enemies of Broken Springs have cheapened up on their Korn dog batter. The first four I ate were doughy and the next four were much better, but still not as good as I remember them from years past. If you’re in line for a Korn dog, your best bet is to buy something to eat while you wait in line. Because you know by the time you get your Korn dog, you’ll be hungry again. I wonder if they’ve ever thought of pulling their building further off the street so their long lines don’t block the traffic? Either that or just make Korn dogs faster! Can’t they have them mass imported from China or something? They’re already China Cheap, at $1.50 a dog.



The political booths were boring again this year, as it’s not an election year. The Demoncrats only had petitions to sign to recall Governor Snider and State Rep Al Psychola, not counting some goofy girl juggling jaw breakers and painting on bottle caps (that was me). The Republicon booth… er I mean building always seems so detached from the real people walking the street in front of them. I always want to yell something at them but I’m afraid they won’t be able to hear me from all the way back in the cavernous building. The closest I get to the GOP fair week is when I order an elephant ear. Tuesday night the Grand Ole Party closed up before ten o’clock which must be all those old farts bedtimes.



Speaking of Republicons, the circus was enjoyable, or so I hear. And the Country singer Luke Bryan sounded half way decent tonight. For a country singer, that is. Too bad all the fair has left to showcase is washed up Blue Collar Comedian Bill Engvall. Could be worse, though. Could be Larry the Cable Guy.

For the first time ever, I didn’t venture into the Commercial Buildings, which means one of several things: I won’t be winning a new patio. I missed out on getting a free plastic baby fetus made in China from the Pro-life nutters, and because I didn’t signup for any Broken County church mailing lists, my salvation is still very much in jeopardy. The only thing the commercial buildings had that I was remotely interested in were the History booths… the Courthouse Museum selling those wonderful books by Robert C. Myers, and the House of David booth with the old bearded man who never speaks. Oh, and the APA pool table, of course. But I knew if I started playing pool, I’d never want to quit. My offer to play for someone else’s fast rack tee shirt is again open for bids. Facebook me.

As always is the case at the Broken County Youth Fair, the goats stole the show. Here, one was trying to give me a kiss. Either that or he wanted to lick the elephant ear off my lips.

This one was trying to break into a black tool box to steal God only knows what. I think the goat’s name was Freddie Mac.


These two content faces just reminded me of Jim and Sherri, for some reason.


And this guy, chewing on a piece of straw just reminded me of Huck Finn.




But by far the cutest goat at all the fair was this 9 day old pygmy. He couldn’t have been much bigger than my Chihuahua, and for several brief moments I considered slipping him under my shirt and sneaking him right out of there. But that would’ve been baaaaahhhhhd. So I just let him stay there and look cute.