While completing his PhD in English at Duke University, Kelley faithfully attended the North Carolina State Fair for more pedestrian pleasures.
The Best Pies in . . .
My favorite part of the North Carolina State Fair was always the “pie barker,” a little old man with a microphone who lured fairgoers to the Apex Lions Club food stall with a long, low cry: “Lemon paaaaaaah. Cherry paaaaah. Pee-kan paaaaah.” He also announced ham biscuits in a deep voice that echoed over the din of the rides and the shouts of children. That the pie barker’s sing-song voice alone persuaded people to eat was an incredible feat. The memory alone still makes me hungry.
A Veritable Smorgasbord
As I began to explore state fairs for this article, I found so much more to tantalize the senses than the traditional pleasures I remembered. Take, for example, the monumental sculptures by Sacramento artist Dave Lane that have dominated the California State Fair arts competitions for the last two years. Lane’s giant fantastical machines look like something from the desk of Willie Wonka, with wings and wheels and wonderful mechanisms everywhere. Then there are the real machines, like the 133-foot-tall wind turbine that towers over the Iowa State Fair, providing power while teaching people about wind energy. I was startled to learn that, as big as it is, the turbine is about a third the size of many in rural Iowa. Best of all, state fairs now serve up all kinds of food beyond burgers and barbecue—lobster rolls, organic veggies and new attempts at deep-fried fun (deep-fried peanut butter and jelly, anyone?).
No Place Like Home
Amid all these modern developments, though, I still enjoy the classic pleasures of my first state fair, North Carolina’s. (As the Rodgers and Hammerstein song goes, “Our state fair is a great state fair. Don’t miss it, don’t even be late. It’s dollars to doughnuts that our state fair is the best state fair in our state.” Note that the 1945 movie musical was actually set at the Iowa State Fair. But still.) I can’t wait to get back there again, to gorge on barbecue and hush puppies while the savoring the smells (and sound) of “paaaaaaah.” You can bet I’ll save room for dessert.