The Beach: The Delaware State Fair

The Beach

Jul 24

This past weekend, instead of making a two-year streak out of visiting Artscape, I left Baltimore for one of my crew's annual trips to the Delaware beaches.

On one trip, we spent Saturday night at the bars in Dewey Beach. On another, we hung out and BBQ'd on someone's deck. Nearly every trip I've gone on, going to the Delaware State Fair was the butt of a joke.

And then somehow, this year it became the plan.

Now, thinking back on it, I am 90 percent sure that unless my parents took me to a state fair when I was little, I don't think I've ever been to one. My preconceived notions about them included no more than fried food, rides of dubious safety, and smelly petting zoos.

While all of these things did indeed exist at the Delaware State Fair, I wasn't prepared for the next-level 'Merica I was about to experience.

Nothin' like fireworks over a giant bottle of beer.

Naturally, I instastoried the shit out of it. Some reactions from friends:

"Thank you for this slice of Americana, I think I need a Tums."

"Donut burger? No. Just no."

"Looked depressing and diarrhea-y."

But Scott probably summed it up best when he said, "It's like a funhouse mirror -- familiar but disturbing."

So to give you a taste of my Delaware State Fair experience, here's a Buzzfeed-style listicle of all the gems you too can experience if you're so inclined this week.