More on the Fair State of Alaska

Summer is apparently the time for state fairs all across Alaska. Rolling into one town from the next, I encountered two of these local cultural gems. Here are some highlights from one of the bigger ones, the Tanana Valley State Fair in Fairbanks.

The Giant Cabbage Contest: Because the area gets about 24 hours of sun in the summer months, veggies are able to grow quite large. This year's winner, the pictured 27.20 pounder, was of disappointing size. Locals blame the record-breaking cold and rain this summer for the dismal results. As a local farmer explained, the cabbages entered typically weigh at least 60 pounds, and at the larger Palmer State Fair, they have a minimum weight requirement of 100 pounds for entries. It's not uncommon for winners at that fair to weigh more than me! And they ought to since the first place prize is a dollar per pound.

The Chicken Showoff: I was excited to participate in the choosing of the crowd favorite amongst dozens of chickens. Let me tell you, this is no easy task. There were so many varieties to choose from, I became somewhat overwhelmed by the challenge of narrowing it down to one. Here are mugshots of some of the characters vying for first -

And like any good community event, there were of course local groups and random oddballs with tables of information to raise awareness and get people involved in their cause. This included

• supporters of Ted Stevens, the longest serving Republican senator who was recently charged with seven felonies;
• a charlatan claiming to see auras, but not being able to tell me the colors of mine at the time since his aura-capturing camera was on the fritz; and
• my favorite, a pregnancy center educating teens about STD's and pregnancy through a prize wheel that seemed to capture the attention of girls aged 5 to 12 who hoped to win candy, lip gloss, or one of the nifty water bottles. (I doubt the girl pictured could answer, let alone comprehend, the questions she could have landed on dealing with how to prevent STD's or what HIV is.)

Alaska's state fairs were quite a treat, indeed. From bluegrass and jam bands to comedic jugglers and a hypnotist, and not to forget the puppet show, I was thoroughly entertained to the core.