Tag Archives: Indiana State Fair

iPhoneography: 2012 Indiana State Fair

The Indiana State Fair brings summer to a close for hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers, who go back to school and jobs not long after the fair’s run.

The fair is also an opportunity for good iPhone photography.

The midway carnival rides are a natural photo subject. I’m pretty sure the Vertigo ride is new this year.

I haven’t found anything online that tells me how tall it is. I’m guessing … pretty tall.

The Freak Out is among the new traditional rides at fairs at the county and state level. It’s apparently a variation on a European ride called The Frisbee.

The Screamer is another new favorite.

If you’re more of a traditionalist, the Ferris wheel is for you. The first was built for the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893. The book “Devil in the White City” has some very interesting background on the Ferris wheel.

Sometimes traditional rides operate under a variety of variations and names, including the Matterhorn, also known as the Flying Bobs.

The Firestorm is a traditional ride …

So is the Cliffhanger, or hang glider.

If you’re in need of a more sedate ride, the state fair offers shuttle trams pulled by tractor.

And lest we forget that 4-H competition is a big part of any fair …

Working at the cow wash. Get it?

iPhoneography: Indiana State Fair Part Two

Yes, the people watching at the Indiana State Fair is wonderful. But what about those wacky signs?

First things first, though: My friend Andy Tooze today uttered the wittiest and most literary remark that will be heard on the fairgrounds this week. Maybe any week.

I spotted a guy wearing a T-shirt with a reproduction of a book cover for John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,” noting that wasn’t a typical T-shirt among fairgoers.

“Perhaps he’s here to see the rabbits,” Andy replied.

And what about those signs?

Yes, we all know about the corndogs and lemon shakeups. But what about this?

Gotta say “Hot Beef Sundae” sounds more like a male revue than fair food.

Now here’s a tempting offer:

I don’t think they really mean a burger made of baloney. Fried baloney is awesome enough.

How’s this for enticement?

Uh, no thanks. I’ll just wander over to the horse barns.

And last but in no way least is this statue, which might be the strangest, kinkiest, dirtiest way of advertising corndog sales ever. Ever.

That is just all kinds of odd. Happy dining!

iPhoneography: Indiana State Fair

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I try to get to the Indiana State Fair at least once every year. I really enjoy fairs because my son loves the rides. For me, it’s the people watching and the photography opportunities. Not the rides. Definitely not the rides.

Monday’s state fair visit was a good time: Not too hot — the fair in 2010 was blisteringly hot — and the rain arrived only a little while before we were due to leave anyway.

The change in weather gave me the opportunity to capture the fair under both pretty blue sky and ominously gray sky.

Here’s the pending storm perspective on the Ferris wheel:

The sky made the drop tower look like Mordor from “Lord of the Rings.”

Little things at the fair catch my eye. The rubber ducks carnival game, for example.