Alaska Situated
an hour north of
Anchorage, the fair
is big on enormous,
record-setting
vegetables. Last
year a cabbage
weighing in at 127
pounds took the
Guinness World
Records title.
Aug. 26–Sept. 6,
Palmer, Alaska;
alaskastatefair.org
mac ’n’ cheese,
chocolate-dipped
Key lime pie, and
other one-stick
wonders. Aug.
26–Sept. 6, St.
Paul, Minnesota;
mnstatefair.org
California This
year’s “Your
Passport to
Adventure!” theme
takes inspiration
from travel, sports,
and even dinosaurs
(expect more than
a dozen life-size
animatronic dinos).
Though the theme
changes yearly,
you can count on
some things—like
the karaoke
championships.
July 14–Aug. 1,
Sacramento,
California;
bigfun.org
North Carolina The
past, present, and
future share the
stage here. A stilt
walker, a clown, and
even an interactive
robot roam the
fairgrounds, while
the web and
graphic design
competitions draw
as much attention
as the livestock
shows. Oct. 14–24,
Raleigh, North
Carolina;
ncstatefair.org
MAk; f;bric
h;ir flo;;rs
Delaware This
diminutive state
shows big love
for Mother Earth
by powering its
rides, games, and
concession stands
with biodiesel
fuel derived from
soybeans. July
22–31, Harrington,
Delaware; delaware
statefair.com
Oklahoma Watch
the buckaroos
show off their grit
in the rip-roarin’
bull-riding events,
or experience some
serious thrills of
your own on the Dr
Pepper Family Fun
Zone’s “turbo jump”
trampoline (bungee
cord harness
required). Sept.
16–26, Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma;
okstatefair.com
*Iowa Giving new
meaning to the
term “dairy queen,”
one cow gets top
billing—and she’s
made from butter.
A state fair fixture
since the 1900s,
the 600-pound
cow is 5½ feet tall
and 8 feet long,
and sculpted from
enough butter to
cover 19,200 slices
of toast. Aug. 12–22,
Des Moines, Iowa;
iowastatefair.com
Oregon Athletic
types flock to
Salem’s fair to
practice bocce,
hop on a BMX
bike, join in a
beach volleyball
match, or check
out the awesome
roller derby.
Aug. 27– Sept. 6,
Salem, Oregon;
oregonstatefair.org
I had a wonderful, big, pinky/orange vintage millinery flower that I couldn’t bring myself to use because I loved it oo much. In considering how to re-create it, I remembered reading a book in which a Victorian-era character kept burning her fingers while making silk flowers. So I tried singeing some petals I had cut from thrifted blouses, and I immediately realized that polyester is made for poppy magic. —Betsy Carr, thefoundling.com
Materials
100% polyester fabric (look
for thrift store blouses)
Scissors
Small candle
Small bowl with water
Needle-nose pliers
Needle and coordinating thread
1∕ 8–1∕4-inch beads to coordinate
Bobby pins
Flexible adhesive (like
Amazing GOOP)
1. Cut three circles in decreasing
sizes from polyester with the
largest about 1½ inches in diameter.
2. In a well-ventilated space, light
your candle and prepare your bowl
of water. Holding a circle of fabric
with your pliers, gently singe the
edges to curl and ruffle the fabric.
If the fabric catches fire, drop it
into the water you’ve so smartly
kept nearby!
3. Once all layers of petals are
singed, stack them, smallest on
top. Thread your needle and sew
a bead onto the center of each
flower with a single stitch, tying
the tails of the thread securely in
the back.
4. Apply a small amount of glue to
your bobby pin and place it on the
flower, covering the knot. Allow to
dry according to glue instructions.
5. Wear one at a time or in a
bouquet of three (or more!).
EXPERIENCE
YOUR STATE FAIR
That time of year is approaching, and we
suggest you mark your calendar, request time
o;, and prepare to take a road trip to the most
deserving fair in your neck of the woods. Here
are some of our favorites. —Laura Neilson
Minnesota This
St. Paul event
is famous for
its dizzying
smorgasbord of
fun foods-on-a-
stick. Last year’s
fair took in a record
1. 7 million hungry
visitors, who came
in droves to nosh
on cotton candy,
Texas Deep-fried
curiosities like Coke
fritters, peaches
and cream, and
even butter are
just a few of the
reasons the Dallas
fairground takes
the title of “fried
food capital
of Texas” for 24
days every year.
Sept. 24–Oct. 17,
Dallas, Texas;
bigtex.com
*Editors’ note: If
you go to the Iowa
State Fair, tweet us
@readymadetweets
and we’ll do our
best to meet you for
mullet watching!
