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A Joyful Noise

Fair food

Memorable Art, at the Orange County Fair

August 15, 2015 by Melodye Shore

There’s something uniquely artistic (see also: comfortingly familiar) about the food booths at the Orange County Fair. Stuffy galleries can’t contain their glory–these outsized masterpieces are intended for outdoor venues!

FunnelCakes_AugustBreak2015

Here, the nomadic etchings of our favorite childhood memories–all electric blue and shocking pink, with stylized sculptures in every saturated color of the Sno-Cone rainbow. Exposed to temperature extremes and the rigors of constant travel, they probably travel with a touch-up crew.  How else, to maintain this full-spectrum, high-gloss beauty?

My companions roll down the fairway like Templeton, seduced by the smorgasbord of possibilities.

P1170907

Frozen treats and funnel cakes…corn dogs and roasted corn…barbecued turkey legs and deep-fried everything.

OCFAIR_FriedFoods

I find a slightly healthier option, tucked into the shadowy reaches of the fairway. Cashiers call out order numbers in monotone voices, as customers stare, in glassy-eyed confusion, at the menu boards.

GreekFood_fair

It’s a familiar choreography, accompanied as always by a cacophonous blend of rock, country and heavy metal music. Barkers, too, that pull us into their auditory orbit. “Try your luck!” they say, as truck-mounted speakers pulse.

Pass on the whirly-twirly rides; browse the barnyard exhibits before cheering on the racing pigs. I grab my partners’ hands, and we gawk at one last menu board.  Caramel apple, it is!

The trash bins are overflowing, now; sweat and perfume permeate the night air. Last stop: the ferris wheel!

LemonadeStand_Sara

We savor each moment, revel in the sensory overload. Same as it ever was, just as we remembered.  Same as she’ll remember, someday.

#AugustBreak2015 Photography Challenge, continued. The word for Day 14 is art. I didn’t have a tripod handy, and I don’t yet know how to take nighttime shots. Still and all, I think these snaps reflect the essence of today’s prompt. 

Posted in: #AugustBreak2015, joy, Photography Tagged: Fair food, joy, orange county fair, photography, sara, traditions

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