(Are we having fun yet?)
If you know me in the least, you'll know that I am the self proclaimed "World's Biggest Festival Fan". I love festivals. Azaela, Peach, Strawberry, Route 66, Dogwood, Blues & BBQ - you name it! If there is a festival near me, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be there. They're just so fun and well...festive!
Ha!
In my part of the country, there are festivals galore during the summer. I can pretty much look at the events calendar online for all my surrounding towns and there is bound to be a festival most weekends within driving distance. I just think they are so summery and sweet. They are usually in small towns and those are my favorite kind. There's nothing like the feel of a small town coming together to enjoy the annual festivities.
Saturday, after attending a fabulous birthday party for two of Levi's little buddies, we stumbled upon the Green Corn Festival. When I saw a ferris wheel and vending carts, I knew it was the place for me. It's as if the rickety fried food stands and dilapidated carnival rides call me in with their unrefined charm. There's simply nothing like them!
We have never attended the Green Corn Festival, but I must say after Saturday evening, we must make it a yearly must. We had so much fun just watching the local bands get down with some good ol' bluegrass tunes as we watched the locals run into old friends and strike up friendly banter. I nudged Husby once as the cool breeze brushed through our hair and onto our red faces moist from the summer's heat and I said, "I hope we end up in a place like this".
Okay, enough rambling. Let me share some pictures with you guys.
This is where the band was set up. It was located in the town square and it was ultra Stars Hollow-esque!
Here are some of the locals enjoying the live entertainment.
We decided to go for some food, of course, since that is what festivals are all about. We started with none other than...
well, corn of course!
When Husby went to pay for it, they handed him three ears of corn (he had only ordered 2). They said, "one was kind of small, so we threw in an extra one for you". Nice!
It was supper time, and they didn't have many options for The Weebie, and we didn't want to give him a hotdog or a corndog because he had one earlier, so we went for something on a stick.
Chicken. On a stick.
Now, before y'all come out guns a blazin', let me tell you that Weebie rarely has any fried food. I don't believe in putting junk in his little body, but sometimes, you just gotta let your hair down and make do. And by golly, he loved the stuff.
Of course, I had some fruit for him as well.
The only ride he was big enough to ride was the merry go round. Duh, duh, duuuuuhhhhh!!
Dude hated the thing.
I'm not even kidding.
It was all fun and games when I first put him on there and the ride hadn't started yet. He was all smiles and posing for his Daddy as he snapped pictures.
Unfortunately, the more I built up the suspense and told him how much fun he was going to have, the more apprehensive he became.
Note the terror beginning to invade his smiles.
Once the ride began and his horsie started going up and down, Levi wanted no part of it. He wanted off that thing and into my arms.
My poor angel. He never cried, he just had this look of panic on his face and went "Ummmm.... Ummmmm... Ummmmmm..." the whole time. I was dying laughing.
We decided to head back to the town square for some pineapple whip and more music.
Levi decided to bust a move in front of the entire town square and I'm not kidding, he had everyone rolling. He was dancing like crazy and the harder they laughed, the harder he danced. He is quite the little showboat.
Once he was finished getting his groove on, he decided to play meet and greet with the locals. We couldn't keep him near us. He was off saying "hi" and smiling at everyone.
He especially liked this man.
Husby had to rescue him from strangers approximately 19 times.
I sat back laughing hysterically and snapping pictures. In that particular picture, Levi had wandered up to where they were having a "pig calling contest". He was so very intrigued.
Before the night was over, our Weebie had captured the hearts of most everyone there.
We didn't ride many rides that night, we didn't indulge in too many treats, we didn't find any must haves from the shopping booths and we didn't win any games or prizes. But we did laugh hysterically, we did sit and talk while enjoying the cool evening breeze, we did get entertained by the cutest little blonde boy around and we did make beautiful memories enjoying the simple things in life.....together. My little family of three.
The Green Corn Festival only solidified my true love for summer festivals.
Are you a fan?
I loved this post! It brought back such great memories of growing up in my small town and looking forward to Strawberry Days at the beginning of every summer. Listening to the music while working the funnel cake booth, and the free vanilla ice cream with strawberries on opening night, and making colored sand bottles with my little bros and sisses... good, good memories.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder! :)
your little weeb has the longest legs, and dance. so he still likes to dance. And join in the fun with the locals.
ReplyDeleteSmall towns are great!
I LOVE summer festivals!! Summer festivals were the only exciting thing about growing up in a small town (I do not share your love of the Hamlet size villages) My favourite local festival in canada was blue skies music festival, which started out as a blues fest I think but then evolved into a massive (relatively speaking) folk/country/jazz/rock festival.
ReplyDeleteHere is a website (resplendit blue grass music) that shows what it was like http://www.igs.net/~tonyc/concerts/blueskies.html
ahhh, childhood!!!!
死亡是悲哀的,但活得不快樂更悲哀。......................................................................
ReplyDeleteIt's just not summer without corn and chicken on a stick! So delish! Glad you guys had a fun time.
ReplyDeleteWhit, that's where we ran our 5k Saturday, at the Green Corn Festival:)
ReplyDeleteI knew you were my soul sister! I am a HUGE festival junkie. I think it's because of my love of food on a stick. Serve anything on a stick to me and I'll be happy.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Bean loves fried chicken, too! I know it's awful for him and we don't have it often at all. But the few times I've given him some, he has smacked his lips and yelled, "Moooooeee!"
It's all about balance, and I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that!
I live in a small town, and near many others. We always check out local festivals. Love it.
ReplyDeleteHeck yeah! Who doesn't love a good festival with live music and crafts vendors and the smell of way-too-fried-to-be-good-for-you (but we eat a lil' bit anyway) food? I make an annual 3 hour (each way) pilgrimage for a blueberry festival every summer, mostly for the blueberry ice cream, but also because it's just too much fun to miss. Glad you guys had such a great time! Weebie is absolutely too cute in his hat, btw!
ReplyDeleteIt is 9:30 a.m and I am craving corn on the cob. Thanks a lot. Maybe they have some in the bookstore???
ReplyDeleteThe first merry-go-round photo is beautiful! And I too laughed when I saw the horror appear on his face in the sequence of photos. Too cute! And he still looks so concerned when you are trying to feed him that pineapple whip.
ReplyDeleteI'm such a festival person too. Glad there are people like us out there! :)
Cabin Fever in Vermont
Awww...that looks like so much fun! Festival food is our favorite! Unfortunately, there aren't many festivals around us, but your post made me want to search harder and find one to go to! I love outdoor music and contests!
ReplyDeleteI also love festivals! I wish we had as many as you seem to have. Your pictures are so sweet and once again, Weebie is the cutest little thing!
ReplyDeleteps. LOVE the Stars Hollow comment!
My hometown just had its annual festival this past weekend - "The Watermelon Thump". It was of course hot and crowded, but it was fun. For some reason I will eat things at festivals that I would never eat anywhere else and I look forward to it all year.
ReplyDeleteHow fun! Levi is such a doll. He is getting so big! My family and I always go to the Paseo Arts Festival in OKC every year. Love a good festival!
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT! Looks like SO MUCH fun! I told Mike just a few days, I'm going online and looking to do these type of inexpensive activities that we can enjoy as a FAMILY!
ReplyDeleteLooks like it was an awesome day! I have TWO blog awards for you! Check out my most recent post to get them and enjoy! :)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSooooo sweet! I always tell my husband "Well, you KNOW that I love festivites" LOL! Sounds like we have that in common.
ReplyDeleteAnd your little man looks like he just had too much fun! What a great day ya'll had!
(Any chance you'll share with me what photo editing software you use? Your pics look great, and I'm on the hunt for a new program. Thanks!)
Love this! Aren't simple things always the best memories? It just proves you don't have to spend a lot of money to have a great day. There is a festival called the strawberry festival in our town and it's a huge 9 day long thing that we LOVE going to.
ReplyDeleteI love this post! I am such a festival girl. Fairs and festivals just make me so happy. There's nothing like small towns and good fun to make a great day. :)
ReplyDeleteI love festivals too, so much fun. I wish I could make it to more of them.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at Weebie's look of terror on the merry go round.. my nephew had that same reaction the first time he went on a coin-operated ride at the mall.
Never heard of pineapple whip, but it looks amazing!