2011 Indiana State Fair Day Eleven

Nora will use this blog to chronicle her daily adventures at the Indiana State Fair. 

It was eerie walking in to the Fairgrounds this morning. The familiar sounds of laughter and midway rides and tractors and animals was replaced by solemn silence.

I thought the Fair did a marvelous job with the Remembrance Ceremony. I was struck by how appropriate it was that State Fair Queen, Sara Lynn Alford did not wear her crown. Husband and wife team Steven and Amanda Potaczek of the band 1000 Generations sang their original song, “Fail Us Not.”

Governor Daniels, First Lady Cheri Daniels and Lt. Governor Skillman gave moving talks lauding the heroics of concert audience and other Fair goers. As Governor Daniels reminded us, "There was a hero every ten feet on Saturday night."  

My burst-into-tears moment was when the Pioneer Village volunteers formed a funeral parade with antique tractors and bunting on their wagons.

My laugh-out-loud moment came after I learned that the Pioneer Village folks had “borrowed” the black table clothes to make the bunting from a catering site on the Fairgrounds.

The ceremony reminded me of why I love the State Fair and the folks that make up the community.

When I heard the chug of the steam engine tractor fire up for the threshing demonstrations and whirr of a Lemon Shake Up being shaken, everything seemed just a little bit better.

I spent hours at the Fair today. I was able to tuck into a corner of Normandy Barn and write about the Fair and the music community for two publications, Being on the Fairgrounds was the absolute right place to gather my thoughts. It was lovely to take breaks and soak in the sunshine and noises of Pioneer Village and to walk through the 4-H exhibits and Hook's Museum and wander  aimlessly down Main Street and reconnect with the Fair that I know and love. 

2011 Indiana State Fair Day Seven

Nora will use this blog to chronicle her daily adventures at the Indiana State Fair. 

Nora Spitznogle, Sarah Davis, Douglas David

This evening was the official 'meet the artists night' for the Farm to Fair show. 

It was humbling to hear the memories stirred by the show. I heard several stories of childhoods on the farm and grandmother's journals and other rural tales. 

Gwen has fond memories of pulling weeds with her four sisters and growing up on a working farm. 

It feels odd to watch friends and family and strangers ready my stories and gratifying to hear  that they identified with them. Hearing people laugh while reading the stories is heart-warming. 

My part of the Farm to Fair project is to tie Douglas's farm scenes to the fair scenes. Some were straightforward - dairy cow to a milkshake was easy. Flowers to a pork chop was a little more of a stretch...

The sweet smell of summer flowers help balance some of the not-so-sweet smells of farming. 

I’m looking at you, piglets! Swine have a distinctive odor and I will forever equate that smell with going to visit uncles and cousins and laughter and sunshine.

Lots of little piggies went to market, and several wound up at the State Fair. Indiana farming families sent eight million pigs to market last year – that is enough to meet the pork needs of every Hoosier, and twenty million more people around the U.S. and the world. The pork market is also the leading consumer of Indiana grain. Show your State pride by eating a pork chop at the Indiana Pork Tent. 

2011 Indiana State Fair Day Five

Nora will use this blog to chronicle her daily adventures at the Indiana State Fair. 

Nora on stage

So, I'm in an all woman jug band, Alice Chalmers and The Stick a Cork in Your Jug Band. And I play the typewriter and rotary phone. There, I said it.

View from the stage

Playing on the stage in Pioneer Village is the best thing ever. Our band is started with the hope to play at the State Fair and we soon discovered that we (and when I say 'we,' I'm not including myself) were good. Amazing harmonies, music and giggling soon poured from our front porch rehearsals. The fact that we had use for grandmother's aprons and punch bowls was a bonus.

Miss Hamilton County, Phoebe Davis

We were lucky enough to have Miss Hamilton County join us for a song. The two hours flew by and I loved seeing friends and family in the audience. 

Pioneer Village Summer Kitchen

One of the perks of playing in Pioneer Village besides looking out at antique tractors while you perform is getting to grab a drink from the little screened in porch - I've always want to be able to go in there. 

After the show we had a grand time wandering around Pioneer Village and checking out the displays and chatting with folks. 

I especially loved meeting this grandfather/grandchildren trio and hearing about the steam engine tractor he demonstrates at the Fair.

Dad reading my work at the Farm to Fair exhibit

I was anxious to show Dad the Farm to Fair exhibit (Normandy Barn, until August 21, 9:00 to 8:00). It's one thing for strangers to read your work, but I'm nervous about family and friends seeing it. Dad enjoyed it - yay!

This was my first look at the cheese sculpture in progress.

Jennifer Dickie and her champion danish. 

We got to the Home and Family Arts Building just in time to see the lovely Jennifer Dickie win first place in the Fleischmann's Yeast contest. Her recipe is now entered in the national contest. Congratulations Jennifer! 

I wrote on my Farm to Fair bio that my State Fair 2011 goals were to win a blue ribbon on my toffee and to ride in the tractor parade. One goal was realized. I got to ride with the Third Satchel Novelty Jazz Orchestra - and the Hamilton County Fair Queen. 

Phoebe Davis, Miss Hamilton County 2011

Our instructions (besides making sure you don't fall off) were to smile and wave. Like you had to tell me that! 

Everyone loves a parade. And corndogs. 

I

Jeff and Jodi from Nebraska bring their booth to the Fair every year.

The rain storm didn't start until the parade was almost over. I got soaked on the way to the car as I juggled my typewriter, typing table, jug of flowers, rotary phone and other goodies. The white dress became transparent in the rain. At least the crinoline protected a bit of my modesty.

Another awesome day at the Indiana State Fair. 

2011 Indiana State Fair Day Two

Nora will use this blog to chronicle her daily adventures at the Indiana State Fair. 

 Today was my first chance to get in to the Home and Family Arts Building to see how my Open Show entries fared. I'd baked snickerdoodle cookies, made English toffee and entered things in the antique division.

English toffee is my signature item. Or was. In the past I've been able to whip up a perfect batch of toffee with my eyes closed. Not this year. Out of six attempts there was only one that even looked good enough to enter. I was not surprised that I didn't get a ribbon on the toffee.

I was was happily surprised to see a third place ribbon on the snickerdoodles, there was lots of great competition in that category.

In the antiques division I'd entered the Ugly Lamp competition, but mine didn't place - I can never decide whether it is good or bad not to have the ugliest lamp. I was excited for my friend Novella, who took the blue ribbon - she deserved it, for sure! 

The piece I entered in the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race memorabilia won the blue ribbon. Yay!

Anyone can enter projects in the Open Show divisions. There is a small fee, but you get enough Fair tickets to cover the cost of entering. Click here for details. 

From there I walked to the Normandy Barn to check out the Farm to Fair exhibit. I was thrilled to see folks there and talking about their farming experiences. This is exactly what we were aiming for.

I made a quick stop at the Dairy Barn for a grilled cheese sandwich, retrieved my bike from the lovely volunteers in the Pedal and Park tent and rode the Monon Trail home.

Farm to Fair

The exhibit is hanging and beautiful.

Douglas' work is amazing and some of his best yet.

Please come and see us at the historic Normandy Barn. We'd love to meet you!

The Indiana State Fairgrounds are buzzing

 

My favorite color of tractors and the Normandy Barn

The Indiana State Fairgrounds are buzzing with activity. 

It is a real thrill for me to get to wander the grounds before the Fair starts. The Pioneer Village folks are pulling wagons and tractors and displays out of storage. The vendors are starting to setup and hire their helpers. The contestants are entering pies and cakes and quilts and photographs. 

The excitement is palatable. 

It's a great time to be a Hoosier.

farm to fair - the project

The rich food legacy of the Indiana State Fair is often overlooked by the sensationalism of deep-fried butter and chocolate covered bacon.

Each year over 900,000 visitors come to the Fairgrounds from every county in the state to sample Indiana-grown food and celebrate the state’s deep agricultural roots.

When the first Indiana State Fair was held in 1842 the state’s entire economy revolved around farming and agricultural products. Until 1925, most of the population resided in rural areas or on farms and lived the connection between livestock, crops and food.

Almost a century later, most Hoosiers are generations away from rural life and the connection from soybeans to dairy cows to butter have been lost. This exhibit would connect the Normandy Barn – Central Indiana’s most recognizable agricultural building, with the talents of Douglas David – Indiana’s most celebrated painter.

Douglas will create a series of paintings what will illustrate the connection of crops and livestock to the food that is served at the Indiana State Fair. The show will be hung in the upper level of the magnificent Normandy Barn and be open for all seventeen days of the State Fair in August of 2011.

The exhibit will include text by writer, Nora Spitznogle connecting the fair food to the commodity origins, to further add to the educational component of the show. The gallery will appeal to art lovers, fair food aficionados, farmers, producers and children.