September 2005

The Minnesota State Fair

by Martina Priadka

From my first year of life I have been going to the Minnesota State fair. I think I fell in love with chickens, the smell of hay and the spinning of pinwheels for the first time on one of those warm September fair days. But my earliest memory from the fair is of my very first time on the giant yellow slide. I had wanted to go on it from the moment I laid eyes on it but was never big enough. Finally, in my fifth year I was just big enough to be able to go up to the top and ride down all on my own. I could not have been more excited. I walked up the steps, my burlap bag tightly in my hand, grinning with excitement at the thought of going solo on this monstrous yellow wave of a slide. Just as I set my bag on the edge, it started to drizzle a light rain but I was too focused to even notice. I sat my tiny 5-year-old frame onto the burlap feeling it scratch the backs of my legs and, stared out over the crowd below. Delighted I pushed myself off. Down and down, heading toward the first big dip in the slide, my eyes were wide and my mouth open spilling out laughter. But then, the world seemed to stop as I slowed down and finally came to a complete halt. The dip was straight ahead of me but I was not getting any closer. I looked around at all the other people whizzing by me laughing with their arms in the air and could not understand what was happening. I looked over my shoulder and saw my dad getting ready to come save me and I relaxed. He pushed himself off and headed in my direction. Picking up speed as he got closer I was not sure what he intended but I was positive that I was about to get to the bottom. As he approached he held out his hand and grabbed the corner of my bag. I pitched forward, landed on my stomach and moved about 6 inches forward. Just enough to be looking directly over the dip and watch my dad go sailing to the bottom. Over the next few minutes, every person tried to catch my bag as they passed sending me into a perpetual 360 degree spin but getting me no closer to moving toward the bottom. In one of my spins I caught sight of a boy around 10 years old who was just getting onto the slide. I could see that I was in his direct vision and from the look in his eye I had become his target. With a mischievous gleam in his eye his threw himself, stomach down, onto the burlap and hurled himself in my direction. Helpless, I watched as the streak of color with two fiery eyes came flying toward me. The collision was fast and felt like a bullet as he crashed directly into me and together we went flying toward the bottom in a mess of legs and arms. In minutes we hit the end and I felt the Astroturf burn as it rushed passed my bare back and I rolled to a complete stop staring up at the blue sky. Suddenly, the sky was blocked by a vision of teeth and wild red hair. It was the boy who rescued me grinning from ear to ear. He leaned closer and said. “That was so cool! Can we do it again?” It was then that I decided I did not like slides nor boys that much and left with my dad to go get some mini doughnuts instead.

Despite the fact that I was traumatized on the big yellow slide, I will always love the State Fair. From the double Ferris wheel to the Polish fancy chickens and the states largest pig, there is always something to capture your attention. It only runs through the first week of September so if you missed it this year, put it on your calendar for next year and check out the travel section instead. You can always try your luck on the Alpine slide in Lutsen!

...Now That's Theskini!::permalink


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