Fairs and Festivals

There is something glorious and exciting about celebrating. And somehow it seems to make things even better when you are celebrating absolutely nothing at all. Everyone is created equal because there are no "guests of honor" or particular people to be the center of attention. It's just a chance to celebrate life and community and all the goodness that goes along with it.

Last weekend I went "home" to Cullman to gather stuff from the house for the yard sale in a few weeks and to also spend a little time with my dad and step-mom (and pick up the wedding pictures!) I put home in quotes because it feels less and less like my home now. I've been kind of torn about where my home is for several years, but that is beside the point.

Last week was the Cullman County Fair. I used to enjoy going to the fair when I was young. It was just nice to have something going on in a small town that gets kind of boring in the fall. As I have gotten older I don't have the desire to go to the fair I once did, but I can still respect it as a part of the life of the community. My dad took us up there for a little while. Since he's in the Lion's Club and they sponsor it, we got in free which was good. Catherine rode one ride and we watched her. We checked out all the exhibits and visited a little bit of livestock, and strolled through all of the fairgrounds just to remind ourselves why we didn't want to stay too long. There were lots of rednecks and the place had a very distinctive odor of fried food, animal poo, and tobacco spit. Still, I have a few fond memories of the fair from childhood and probably always will.

We are going back to Cullman this weekend for round two. And this weekend marks the beginning of the Oktoberfest. I am very excited about all the food and the German Festival at Sacred Heart. In elementary school my best friend went to Sacred Heart so I would always go to the German Festival with her. In high school I played in the German Band and got to go to quite a few varying events. No matter what, the food has been and will continue to be my favorite part of it. I don't think I would be quite as excited if good German food was readily available in the same way that so many other foods are. I never did get to try out the Gerst Haus in Nashville. Maybe one day when I got back for a visit. 

I like getting to celebrate absolutely nothing and have an excuse to get excited about things. Not just these, but all the different fairs and festivals that are out there. My other favorites are the arts and crafts fairs or any other seasonal thing. If you know of a good one and want to share the experience, let me know!