As a kid, I used to go to the perya in Sta Cruz, Laguna each year to try my luck at ring toss and colour games, feast on typical street-food fare, and to ride the rickety Caterpillar with my maternal cousins. When I went to the California State Fair in Sacramento with my paternal cousins this year, I realised that it's the first time in my whole entire life that I've gone out with them to the perya, and the Californian version at that. It's definitely bigger, brighter, and wilder than the town fiesta fairs and UPLB's annual Feb Fair.
The large parking lot in the California State Fair reminded me of the huge parking lots at the hot-air balloon festivals I've attended in Pampanga, sans the lahar dust that made my car look like espasol at the end of the day. The state fair's parking lot was a preview to the immense size of the fairgrounds.
Once inside the fair, our first order of business was to eat. A food promenade featured typical fair food: corn on the cob, corn dogs, potato fries, tacos, cotton candy, soda, and lemonade. But this food court also offered interesting items like chicken served in carved out pineapples, roasted turkey legs, deep-fried cheesecake, jalapeño lemonade, and bacon-wrapped food. It's intimidating in the beginning because the options were plenty; but even more overwhelming when I realised the serving portions!
After filling our tummies, we walked off the carbs by visiting the indoor exhibits. I was expecting the state fair to feature a lot of Californian agricultural produce (like cereals, fruit, and vegetables) and processed products (like beef jerky, wines, and olive oils) but instead, I saw gadgets whose companies are headquartered in other states (like the bed mattresses, the air coolers, and the hair-styling tools). There were booths for seat massage, psychic reading, and political party registration... even DMV was there (and there's no queue!). I couldn't help but feel sad because I was expecting something different. In the Philippines, the organisers of Madrid Fusión Manila made sure that agricultural produce from different provinces were showcased prominently through region-centric booths. Yes, kitchen equipment and products from other countries were also there for chefs and restaurateurs to buy but the prominence of the agricultural exhibits allowed consumers to become aware of where to buy their locally produced ingredients. The 2014 International Rice Congress in Bangkok also had a trade fair that featured Thailand's agricultural gems. Sure, there were machinery on exhibit too, but these did not upstage the products themselves.
Anyway, aside from the trade fair, the California State Fair also featured animals grown in ranches in state. On our visit, I saw different types of goats (e.g., Nigerian Dwarf, La Mancha, and Boer) and dairy cows (e.g., Holstein and Shorthorn). Ate Maddie said that there were alpacas and llamas too; however, we did not see them in the livestock area.
A small-animal exhibit featured rabbits and guinea pigs was located in a different building. Poultry should have been part of the exhibit as well; however, an epidemic of virulent Newcastle disease prevented domestic fowl to be part of the exhibit. Instead, fake chicken were on display.
With so many rides to choose from, Anna and Ate Maddie opted to try "Pole Position", a roller coaster on which the cars twist and turn as they move along the elevated track. It's not as dizzying as the other rides, but both of them totally enjoyed the experience. It was a good way to conclude our day at the California State Fair.
With so many rides to choose from, Anna and Ate Maddie opted to try "Pole Position", a roller coaster on which the cars twist and turn as they move along the elevated track. It's not as dizzying as the other rides, but both of them totally enjoyed the experience. It was a good way to conclude our day at the California State Fair.
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