| Hey all – aside from the fact that we’d be writing a post about the state fair anyway, we especially want to make sure to dedicate an entire post to the state fair because they really need your support!! and I’m not talking about all the fairgrounds staying or leaving nonsense, I’m talking about the immediate need for financial support for the folks working at the fair because they work on commission!!! We were pretty shocked when the friendly folks working the gold fish game told us that they were working on commission and we were around their 10th customers of the day…at 9:00. So really, go on out to the fair and spend a few dollars, it’s REALLY fun and hey…you might win a goldfish like we did!!! | Hola a todos!! Aparte del hecho que escribire sobre la Feria del Estado (State Fair) de todas maneras, queremos hacer un post especialmente dedicado a la feria porque en verdad necesitan que vayas y los apoyes!! No estoy hablando de la feria en si y el terreno y todo ese problema, sino de la necesidad inmediata de aquellos que trabajan en la feria ya que su compensasion es en base a comision! Nos sorprendio mucho cuando nuestros nuevos amigos trabajando en el juego de los pescados dorados nos contaron que trabajaban en base a comision y nosotros eramos como los decimos clients ese dia…a las 9 de la noche!. Asi que en verdad, vayan a la feria, pasenlo bien, jueguen algunos juegos, es MUY ENTRETENIDO y oye! tal vez te ganas un pescadito como nosotros!!! |
| So this was the 3rd year in a row that Javi and I made a trip out to the state fair – we LOVE it. The highlight for us is of course the animals…the goats, pigs, cows and sheep are our favorites (and before you say “that’s all there is,” remember there are barns full of poultry, rabbits and other critters on display too!!). The first year we went we got to see pigs, cows and goats. Last year we saw the pigs, cows and sheep. This year we went on a “livestock changeover” day, so there weren’t stables full of anything, but we saw a little of everything at the petting zoo which was sweet!! Still, if you go this weekend you can rest assured there won’t be any livestock changeups, so you should get the full experience of the farm animals being handled by 13 and 14 year old FFA members in contests. It’s awesome. | Este fue nuestro tercer ano consecutivo a la feria del estado de Tennessee – nos encanta! Lo major por supuesto son los animalos..las cabras, los chanchos, vacas, y ovejas son nuestros favoritos (y antes que digan “eso es todo lo que tienen”, acuerdense que hay tambien graneros llenos de gallinas, conejos y otras criaturas paa ver tambien!) El primer ano que fuimos, pudimos ver los chanchos, vacas y cabras. El ano pasado, chanchos, vacas y ovejas. Este ano fuimos justo en el dia de untercambio de animals, asi que los establos no estaban llenos, pero vimos un poco de todo en el mini zoologico donde puedes hacerles carino a los animals…GRATIS!!! Aun asi, si vas este fin de semana puedes estar seguro/a que los animals estaran alli, asi que puedes disfrutar de la totalidad de la experiencia y ver como ninas de 13 o 14 anos dominan animales 30 veces mas pesados en los concursos. Es genial! |
| This year we went with our friend Samantha (from my cohort!) and saw a performance by the Kenyan acrobats (AMAZING!), a cow milking demo (not quite as amazing but still fun), a lumberjack show, 1,000 lb pumpkins and squash and lots of animals at the petting zoo. Then Javi did what I swore I’d never do – he ate a hot beef sundae!!! Now, I know this sounds ridiculous but when I first heard the words hot beef sundae I swear I thought it was one of those disgusting mixtures of food that shouldn’t go together…like ice cream and beef. And don’t roll your eyes because I know that kind of stuff exists at fairs!! But anyway, it turns out the hot beef sundae is just mashed potatoes, gravy, beef and cheese with a cherry tomato on top. It’s alot like a shepherd’s pie, really. Anyway, he had that and I had my regular fair corndog, Sam had ice cream and we all split fried oreos, a last minute decision that trumped the funnel cake. It was delicious and totally necessary fair food to make the trip complete. | Este ano fuimos con nuestra amiga Samantha y vimos la presentacion de los acrobatas de Kenia (INCREIBLE!), una desmostracion de como sacan leche de una vaca (no tan increible pero igual entretenido), un show de lenadores, una calabaza de mil libras y un monton de animales en e mini zoo. Despues Javi hizo lo que yo jure nunca haria – se comio un sundae de carne caliente!! Ahora, se que suena ridiculo pero cuando escuche por primera vez las palabras sundae de carne caliente juro que pense que era una de esas combinaciones asquerosas de comida que nunca deberia ir juntas….como helado y carne. Y no te creas porque esas cosas existen en estas ferias! Pero bueno, al final era pure de papas, salsa de carne, carne, queso, y un tomatito arriba. Es como un pastel de papas con carne. Asi que el comio eso, yo comi mi clasico hotdog con choclo (corndog), Sam se tomo un helado artisanal y entre los tres dividimos una porcion de Oreos fritas, una decision de ultimo minuto que le gano a funnel cake (no se como traducir eso..) Estaban deliciosas y sin duda la guinda de la torta para nuestra comida de feria. |
| On our way out we decided, kind of on a whim, to play the gold fish game where you throw ping pong balls at the impossibly small bowls of water to try to get one in and win a goldfish. Well…I don’t think we would have played if we’d actually thought we’d get one…we were just having some fun…right? That’s all well and good except that I actually got nothing-but-water in one of my shots, which landed Samantha with a goldfish! Sam had actually played the game earlier and didn’t win so we sort of decided, maybe or maybe not against her will, that if we won this time around she’d get to keep the fish. Lucky Sam!! haha – so anyway, now the fish (Charlie) is living in the grad offices at Vanderbilt. She’s a beauty. | Cuando ibamos saliendo nos dio un impulso por jugar el juego de los pescaditos dorados. El juego se trata de tirar Pelotas de ping pong a unos bowls muy pequenos y casi imposible de achuntar pero si metes una pelota en el bowl te ganas o un pescadito! Bueno…no creo que hubiesemos jugado si no hubiesemos pensado que ibamos a ganar uno….lo hicimos para pasarlo bien no mas…verdad? Todo bien excepto que le achunte a uno de los bowls y ganamos un pescadito para Samantha! Ella habia jugado el juego sola antes y no gano asi que decidimos, no sabes si contra su voluntad o no, que si ganabamos un pez era para que ella se lo quedara. Que suerte la de Sam!!! Jajajaja asi que ahora el pez (Charlie) esta viviendo en las oficinas de la Universidad en Vanderbilt. Charlie es muy bonita!!! |
| So that’s our pitch for the fair – it was a fantastic evening spent in great company! Also, this weekend will be perfect for the fair because it’s not 100 degrees. Last year it was freakishly hot when we went and this year it’ll be in the mid-70s, so take advantage folks!!! And don’t be afraid of the parking situation – it’s free parking and they have shuttles running back and forth, even if it’s not crowded. There is a parking lot before you enter the fairgrounds that says $5 – drive past it and get to the free parking. It’s there. Go visit and share your stories!! | Asi que esa es nuesta invitacion a que vayan a la feria – lo pasamos fantastico en Buena compania! Tambien este fin de semana estara el tiempo perfecto para ir ya que no estara tan caluroso. El ano pasado estaba un infierno cuando fuimos asi que aprovechen que estara templado! El parking es GRATIS, hay un estacionamiento a la entrada de la feria que cobra $5 dolares……no estacionen ahi…sigan recto y estacionen en la feria misma donde es gratis. Tambien tienen carritos de golf que te llevan y traen a tu auto. Vayan a la feria y cuentenos sus historias!!! |
Los Rodriguez Life 
3 responses to “2011 Tennessee State Fair!!”
Great publicity for the Fair, Les and Javi! The rain is sad for them though we need it so much. Wonderful pictures, Photographers!! I feel like I’ve been to the Fair just by looking, and it’s as far as I’ll get this year! Thanks very much!!! Grammy/Joan
[…] photos. In 2010 we brought my mom and gma and then last year we recruited our friend Samantha. Last year we left with a goldfish (Charlie) that we won in a fair game and he was our little pet until this past March (RIP […]
[…] years, you may remember that Javier and I try to go to as many state and county fairs as we can (2011 TN, 2012 TN, 2013 TN, Williamson County, Wilson County). We love seeing the animals, checking out the […]