Making Memories at the Maryland State Fair

Please welcome today's guest blogger, Kat Lally. Kat is a Charm City transplant and enjoys her adventures getting to know the city with her family. She rambles/blogs at From Bedlam to Bedtime and edits the BaltimoreMommies blog.

I had the pleasure of meeting Kat when I stopped by the Baltimore Mommies table at the Tot Swap. She's a bundle of energy - - it's no wonder this mom of two keeps her kiddos on their toes!

Kat has been kind enough to share her recent visit to the Maryland State Fair. Have you been yet? We hope to get there this weekend!

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As summer comes to a close, there is one Baltimore tradition that my family has embraced since our move here -- the Maryland State Fair!

My daughter is five, full of energy and excitement. The fair is just a land of non-stop laughter and wonderment for her. We met our friend and her four year old daughter at the gates. We made a loop through the sights and sounds of the midway - jumping on the bumper cars, watching games and riding the BIG Ferris wheel to take in the sights. This was just the first 15 minutes.

My own memories of state fairs of childhood are a blur of hot days, dizzying rides, colorful game booths and runny ice cream cones. Dirty and tired we would leave just as the fair became emblazed in night time neon lighting. Throngs of teenagers would be spilling in the gate enjoying a last hurrah before school started.


The state fair is a once-a-year experience. People eat things they normally wouldn't, experience sights (and smells) out of their everyday realm, Besides the family-friendly Midway with rides, games and the bevy of foods, you can enjoy live horse racing, concerts, cooking demonstrations, flower & garden displays and animal shows including swimming pigs. Also on the schedule; animal costume contest, kids tractor pull, 4-H contests and programming, home arts demonstrations, chainsaw art demonstrations and a jousting tournament (new this year).

So even if you are a complete urbanite, you can enjoy this classic American childhood experience. Go green and take the light rail. The stop is directly behind the fairgrounds.

Did I mention that I let my daughter stay until the Midway lights came on in all their glory? It was way, way past her bedtime but it's a vivid summer memory for her now.


A full schedule of daily activities can be found here.

The Maryland State Fair runs through this weekend at the Timonium Fairgrounds Times, prices and more can be found here (and also on the (cool) progeny calendar on the right!).

And fear not, if you miss this weekend, you can still venture to a few regional fairs and embrace American nostalgia later this month. The Anne Arundel County Fair runs September 15-19 in Crownsville and the Frederick County Fair runs September 17-25 in Frederick.