View Full Version : Great State Fair of Oklahoma or just Ok County Fair



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okcboy
09-12-2012, 10:39 PM
The faigrounds is Hotel Motel tax funded as well as MAPS 3 funded and it still doesn't provide the OKC citizen's what they want all because they want more $$$$. Pay Parking, Higher Admission, Higher cost/ Restrictions for vendors thats past on to the consumer including mandating purchase of all Food/Beverage/ICE product from approved suppliers at inflated prices, and basically no attractions (No Space Needle, No Monorail, No Grandstand, No Full Rodeo, class B concerts at best, elvis impersonators, Oklahoma Opry, racing pigs, birthing farm animals, and the Disney on Ice. Is it really a great state fair or a OK County Fair. Talk to your council person.

ljbab728
09-12-2012, 10:53 PM
Sounds to me like you just shouldn't go then.

okcboy
09-12-2012, 11:03 PM
Sounds to me like you just shouldn't go then.

I don't go anymore. I just remember a great fair we had and over the last ten years it has gone way down hill with no foreseeable plan to bring it back like it was. Maybe fairs are the thing of the past and city leaders are killing it off. Who knows. Just feel if we are going to do a fair it should be a top 5 one. Tulsa's is now better than ours. Sad to see it continue to go downhill.

catch22
09-12-2012, 11:33 PM
Ah the Tulsa State Fair....

Makes me laugh everytime. The State of Tulsa.

Fantastic
09-12-2012, 11:40 PM
The faigrounds is Hotel Motel tax funded as well as MAPS 3 funded and it still doesn't provide the OKC citizen's what they want all because they want more $$$$. Pay Parking, Higher Admission, Higher cost/ Restrictions for vendors thats past on to the consumer including mandating purchase of all Food/Beverage/ICE product from approved suppliers at inflated prices, and basically no attractions (No Space Needle, No Monorail, No Grandstand, No Full Rodeo, class B concerts at best, elvis impersonators, Oklahoma Opry, racing pigs, birthing farm animals, and the Disney on Ice. Is it really a great state fair or a OK County Fair. Talk to your council person.

I have NEVER paid to park at the Fair... Yes, there is paid parking, but honestly I would rather not pay and walk. And don't get all whiny about how far away free parking is from the gate. "Whaaa... It's SOOO far to walk! boo-hoo!" Not any farther than walking to the entrance at the mall in mid December because you had to wait for a bonus check before you could buy the sports cards at On Deck for your mom's annual addition to her OU collage. But then again, I don't mind that walk either.

I agree with ljbab. Just don't go. I have gone every year since I was a kid, and yeah, ALOT has changed (some for the better, some for the worse), but my family and I always have a good time, probably because we are not the kind of people who are constantly looking for something to complain about, or for some reason why this or that USED to be better. We just go and have fun. Some years are better than others, but even in the worst years of the fair we somehow find a way to enjoy it rather than somehow finding a way to hate it.

BBatesokc
09-13-2012, 04:03 AM
I'm with OKCboy in as much as I agree that our fair isn't an event that is worth getting excited about or making plans around. The wife and I haven't gone together since our son moved out, 3 years ago. The last few years we'd spend $100+ and only be there a couple of hours. We always left realizing we wish we'd spent our money and our time somewhere else. I had to go last year for work and told the wife it hadn't changed, so we didn't go, and have no plans to go this year. We've actually gone to some county fairs around the state and in Texas and definitely find those more appealing. I'll save my time and money for some of the fall festivals (Greek, Octoberfest, etc.) and pass on the (not so)Great State Fair of Oklahoma.

Jesseda
09-13-2012, 07:56 AM
I'm with OKCboy in as much as I agree that our fair isn't an event that is worth getting excited about or making plans around. The wife and I haven't gone together since our son moved out, 3 years ago. The last few years we'd spend $100+ and only be there a couple of hours. We always left realizing we wish we'd spent our money and our time somewhere else. I had to go last year for work and told the wife it hadn't changed, so we didn't go, and have no plans to go this year. We've actually gone to some county fairs around the state and in Texas and definitely find those more appealing. I'll save my time and money for some of the fall festivals (Greek, Octoberfest, etc.) and pass on the (not so)Great State Fair of Oklahoma.

totally agree on everything you said, my wife and I took the kids a couple years ago to the fair and it was way overpriced (which was expected) and the fair seemed to be unorganized. The fair now is a complete mess to what it was a decade ago, instead of the fair this year we took the kids to Frontier City the new owners have cleaned it up and it looks a lot better then it did 10 or so years ago.

GaryOKC6
09-13-2012, 08:37 AM
We take the kids to Disney on Ice every year and are going this Saturday. My youngest daughter (5) has a ball and I still enjoys everything there. I love the food and people watching. I think I have the most fun watching my daughter on the kiddie rides. The fair has always been expensive but so is going to an OU game that you can watch on TV for free. I still go anyway. Nothing is free anymore and things are getting more expensive all the time. I expect to have to pay. When it gets too expensive for me I will not go.

BBatesokc
09-13-2012, 08:43 AM
The expense never bothered me, other than gate admission, you have total control over what you spend. To me it was this overwhelming sense of too many missed opportunities for fair organizers. When I go to a county fair my expectations are on another level. When you go to the 'State Fair' the bar should be higher and they continually miss that bar.

GaryOKC6
09-13-2012, 09:03 AM
The expense never bothered me, other than gate admission, you have total control over what you spend. To me it was this overwhelming sense of too many missed opportunities for fair organizers. When I go to a county fair my expectations are on another level. When you go to the 'State Fair' the bar should be higher and they continually miss that bar.

I guess it all depends on each individuals expectations. I personally get all that I expect from the fair. I mainly go for the Disney on Ice, food, and to walk the buildings. This year I am also going to shop for a new metal building. I will go twice. Once with my daughter for the kids rides and Disney and again for looking at the vendors in the buildings. Oh and did I mention the food. Nothing like funnel cakes cinnamon rolls and "greasy" corn dogs. It keeps the cardiologists in business.

SoonerDave
09-13-2012, 09:53 AM
I don't go anymore. I just remember a great fair we had and over the last ten years it has gone way down hill with no foreseeable plan to bring it back like it was. Maybe fairs are the thing of the past and city leaders are killing it off. Who knows. Just feel if we are going to do a fair it should be a top 5 one. Tulsa's is now better than ours. Sad to see it continue to go downhill.

That's the decision our family made. We used to love going to the fair. Then they ripped out all the things that made it worth attending. And then they jacked up the price for, well, everything.

My personal opinion is that TPTB ultimately would be just as happy to kill off the OK State Fair entirely, tear down what's left, and build more horse barns. They use strawman reasons to remove popular exhibits and features, then they can claim attendance is down, decry decreasing revenue, and then just kill it off entirely. I just wish they'd be more honest and up-front about their motives.

I miss the State Fair that had Junior Hospitality subs, the monorail, cannas, the space needle, and the original "Made in Oklahoma" exhibit, not this idiotic Agtropolis that reminds me of some perverted Disney on Acid nightmare. Good stuff is: Gone, gone, gone, gone, and gone. Why on earth would I dump $50+ for my family just to get in the door??

And anyone on this forum for a few years has very possibly already seen my (lengthy) rant on how the fair was destroyed, so I won't repeat it here...

okcboy
09-13-2012, 09:56 AM
Welcome to the Minnesota State Fair (http://www.mnstatefair.org)

Jesseda
09-13-2012, 10:48 AM
That's the decision our family made. We used to love going to the fair. Then they ripped out all the things that made it worth attending. And then they jacked up the price for, well, everything.

My personal opinion is that TPTB ultimately would be just as happy to kill off the OK State Fair entirely, tear down what's left, and build more horse barns. They use strawman reasons to remove popular exhibits and features, then they can claim attendance is down, decry decreasing revenue, and then just kill it off entirely. I just wish they'd be more honest and up-front about their motives.

I miss the State Fair that had Junior Hospitality subs, the monorail, cannas, the space needle, and the original "Made in Oklahoma" exhibit, not this idiotic Agtropolis that reminds me of some perverted Disney on Acid nightmare. Good stuff is: Gone, gone, gone, gone, and gone. Why on earth would I dump $50+ for my family just to get in the door??

And anyone on this forum for a few years has very possibly already seen my (lengthy) rant on how the fair was destroyed, so I won't repeat it here...

To me I thought the Monorail, the the fort, the planes everything the fair had 10 or so years ago made the Oklahoma fair unique, I cant think of any other state fair that has a monorail. Why did they tear all these down when it was the highlights of the Oklahoma fair ?

GaryOKC6
09-13-2012, 10:56 AM
That's the decision our family made. We used to love going to the fair. Then they ripped out all the things that made it worth attending. And then they jacked up the price for, well, everything.

My personal opinion is that TPTB ultimately would be just as happy to kill off the OK State Fair entirely, tear down what's left, and build more horse barns. They use strawman reasons to remove popular exhibits and features, then they can claim attendance is down, decry decreasing revenue, and then just kill it off entirely. I just wish they'd be more honest and up-front about their motives.

I miss the State Fair that had Junior Hospitality subs, the monorail, cannas, the space needle, and the original "Made in Oklahoma" exhibit, not this idiotic Agtropolis that reminds me of some perverted Disney on Acid nightmare. Good stuff is: Gone, gone, gone, gone, and gone. Why on earth would I dump $50+ for my family just to get in the door??

And anyone on this forum for a few years has very possibly already seen my (lengthy) rant on how the fair was destroyed, so I won't repeat it here...

I guess this means that I won't be seeing you there this Saturday dave.

Larry OKC
09-13-2012, 10:58 AM
As far as the Monorail, IIRC part of it was in the way for something they wanted to add/expand. That and as the Monorail aged, it was becoming more expensive to find replacements parts etc. I take it that the Space Needle is still not fixed? With todays heavy rain it probably got flooded again anyway. Sigh

They used the money issue as the excuse to tear down the Grandstand (although it cost them more to tear it down than the estimate was to fix the "issues"). But they had to have a reason so they could make way for the new building funded in MAPS 3.

Big Sigh

GaryOKC6
09-13-2012, 11:02 AM
I loved going to the races at the Grandstand and wish they would have built a new one. Was it also the noise issue? I live in crown heights and could hear the races at my house on fiday nights. I kind of miss that as well.

SoonerDave
09-13-2012, 11:21 AM
I loved going to the races at the Grandstand and wish they would have built a new one. Was it also the noise issue? I live in crown heights and could hear the races at my house on fiday nights. I kind of miss that as well.

The real issues were that what I call the "tea and crumpets" influence within city government saw the Grandstand as ultimately redneck and, to them, embarrassing, and hence engaged in a strained effort to construct a strawman argument to rationalize tearing it down. Same reason they tried to do "tea rooms" at the fair (no, I'm not kidding) in an effort to overcome what one city leader said was the "funnel cakes and corndog image" that State Fairs have.

Its been a steady war against the fair for some years now.



I guess this means that I won't be seeing you there this Saturday dave.


I guess not, LOL :) :)

metro
09-13-2012, 12:31 PM
totally agree on everything you said, my wife and I took the kids a couple years ago to the fair and it was way overpriced (which was expected) and the fair seemed to be unorganized. The fair now is a complete mess to what it was a decade ago, instead of the fair this year we took the kids to Frontier City the new owners have cleaned it up and it looks a lot better then it did 10 or so years ago.
Goes to show private vs. public run organizations.

RadicalModerate
09-13-2012, 12:47 PM
At least The Fair t' Middlin' Sorta OK Semi-Mediocre Neo-Elitist OKC Fair always brings us a little rain . . .
Rain that falls on the just and the unjust privates and publics in a collective way.
Ya' gotta give 'em that . . .

RadicalModerate
09-13-2012, 12:52 PM
Welcome to the Minnesota State Fair (http://www.mnstatefair.org)

Thanks for the accuracy in media vis-a-vis State Fairs.
(So . . . Can you explain the difference between a Pronto Pup and a Corn Dog? =)
(Or how it is possible to have Walleye with Spaghetti on a stick? =)

Amazingly, The Great State Fair of Minnesota was ranked only 10th in a recent survey of Great State Fairs. How fair is that?

UnclePete
09-13-2012, 01:18 PM
The Iowa State Fair is my favorite and has been for a number of years. They actually have farm animals to look at and they stay for the entire run. Seems like the Oklahoma State Fair is for people to sell stuff (that you really don't need), and for people to have a lot of opportunities to buy beer, and a lot of opportunities to get thrown in jail; and for a lot of policemen to get extra work. The Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson is also great.




Thanks for the accuracy in media vis-a-vis State Fairs.
(So . . . Can you explain the difference between a Pronto Pup and a Corn Dog? =)
(Or how it is possible to have Walleye with Spaghetti on a stick? =)

Amazingly, The Great State Fair of Minnesota was ranked only 10th in a recent survey of Great State Fairs. How fair is that?

BBatesokc
09-13-2012, 02:29 PM
The moment the best thing they could think of to market was 'Clean Bathrooms' and they should have realized they had a problem.

GaryOKC6
09-13-2012, 02:40 PM
The moment the best thing they could think of to market was 'Clean Bathrooms' and they should have realized they had a problem.

I would agree but my wife on the other hand......the "clean bathrooms" were the BEST thing that ever happen out there according to her. Didn't much matter to me. i guess it is a guy thing.

RadicalModerate
09-13-2012, 02:44 PM
The moment the best thing they could think of to market was 'Clean Bathrooms' and they should have realized they had a problem.

How much do they charge for that ride?


The Iowa State Fair is my favorite and has been for a number of years. They actually have farm animals to look at and they stay for the entire run. Seems like the Oklahoma State Fair is for people to sell stuff (that you really don't need), and for people to have a lot of opportunities to buy beer, and a lot of opportunities to get thrown in jail; and for a lot of policemen to get extra work. The Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson is also great.

The only problem with the Iowa State Fair is that you have to cross the border into Iowa to attend it.
Yet, the same holds true if you wish to drive from Oklahoma to The Great State Fair of Minnesota so I guess it's a wash.

I did notice that the ramp up to the [St. Paul] Fair Grandstand wasn't up to ADA or EPA "standards" so I guess it will be next on The List . . .
(not 1 in 12 / too much lead paint and grease from the doughnut stands in the air and on the non-compliant handrails . . . but should you "venture" up there, there's Advil on a Stick at the other end. =)

SoonerDave
09-13-2012, 02:48 PM
How much do they charge for that ride?

Ride? Heck, no. It's a game on the midway. You win if you clean them all in under 2 hours :)

RadicalModerate
09-13-2012, 03:10 PM
Maybe Mayor Mick (and The Grandstand Hatin' Cabal of Major League Cityans) can move The OKC Fair downtown and have contestants work on Cleaning Up Bricktown and The Canal.

It would actually be closer to The Original Location over there on Eastern that was replaced by a school.
And is closer to The Ballpark and Other Entertainment Venues.

(just kidding . . . geez. really. OKC is 1000% better than it was in '73. =)

Still waiting for the definitive difference between a Pronto Pup and a Corn Dog . . .

Achilleslastand
09-13-2012, 07:44 PM
I bet our city fathers would find a way to make the fair better if it were in bricktown.
Until then its second rate.........

BlackmoreRulz
09-13-2012, 09:24 PM
Dang, I guess I'm not the only one.....thought I was just getting old.....

Roadhawg
09-16-2012, 05:10 PM
The Iowa State Fair is my favorite and has been for a number of years. They actually have farm animals to look at and they stay for the entire run. Seems like the Oklahoma State Fair is for people to sell stuff (that you really don't need), and for people to have a lot of opportunities to buy beer, and a lot of opportunities to get thrown in jail; and for a lot of policemen to get extra work. The Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson is also great.

The Nebraska State Fair is the same way. I just haven't been too impressed with the OK State Fair.

Easy180
09-16-2012, 05:22 PM
Went today, great weather, good food, cold beer and came home with bloody mary mix...Love me some fair

SOONER8693
09-16-2012, 05:29 PM
It's a joke. Add to the list of things gone, the Cottonwood Post. Compared to the State Fair of Kansas, Texas, Iowa, ours is a pathetic joke. Didn't used to be.

MadMonk
09-16-2012, 05:52 PM
Went last night. Same ole same ole; it was crowded, but the mob wasn't unruly. All in all a pleasant night. The highlight was all the Okla. wineries in one place and doing a lot of tasting.

I also learned that my tolerance for spinning rides gets lower every year. :dizzy: Guess I'll stick to the ferris wheel and the ski lift ride from here on out. ;)

Easy180
09-16-2012, 06:18 PM
It's a joke. Add to the list of things gone, the Cottonwood Post. Compared to the State Fair of Kansas, Texas, Iowa, ours is a pathetic joke. Didn't used to be.

So you are saying it is worse than 3 other fairs which means its on par or better than the other 46....Sounds good lol

rcjunkie
09-16-2012, 06:36 PM
It's a joke. Add to the list of things gone, the Cottonwood Post. Compared to the State Fair of Kansas, Texas, Iowa, ours is a pathetic joke. Didn't used to be.

The Cottonwood Post has been gone for 5--6 years.

adaniel
09-16-2012, 07:27 PM
I have been in OK for 7 years now and I just got a chance to go to the fair for the 1st time this Saturday. I can only compare it to the TX fair (which I went to as a kid growing up in DFW) and the GA state fair. IMO I would put the fair here way above the one in GA and just a few notches below TX. The fair in Dallas is superior only because its a bit bigger, and I loved going to the car show. Other than that I had just as much fun at the fair here this weekend. I also found the OK fair is way cheaper than the one in Dallas. To get into the gate down there its $16. Plus everything is bought with tickets, but a corn dog is now like $10 worth of tickets and they are not nearly as good as they use to be.

Definitely saw the "fair people" some have alluded to including some pretty sweet mullets lol. It was all good fun though and I can guarantee those types of folks exist at every fair. Also, loved me some indian tacos.

My one and only complaint is would it kill them if they threw some gravel in the free lots? NW 10th street was a muddy mess, and the parking lot was a joke. Cars slipping and spinning all over the place. I'm sure it was a total fiasco on Thursday when it rained, although I'm sure the tow truck drivers made a killing pulling people out of the mud. I just coughed up the money and paid to park in a nice, paved lot.

Other than that I had a great time!

RadicalModerate
09-17-2012, 08:17 AM
The Cottonwood Post has been gone for 5--6 years.

The beginning of the end of the "Great"-ness for the OKC Fall (State) Fair.
Is it true that They installed a Starbucks at the former location of The Goodholm Mansion?

GaryOKC6
09-17-2012, 09:28 AM
I took the kids on Saturday. I thought that this year’s Disney on Ice was one of the best. They loved to. We walked the whole thing and sampled the food. The kids rode the rides until they were all too tired to carry on. I took them to the games on the midway and let them win some of the overpriced crummy prizes which was worth the enjoyment. I spent about 140.00 and thought that it was well worth it for a whole day of entertainment for the Family. (also considering that the beer was $6.00 each). It was what I expected, nothing more/nothing less.

metro
09-17-2012, 09:38 AM
What's new on the food scene this year?

GaryOKC6
09-17-2012, 09:51 AM
What's new on the food scene this year?

Well there was certainly a lot of food to choose from. I am a traditional guy in that I have to have a greasy corn dog and an ear of raosted corn. We all sat at the picnic tables under the space needle ant there was a ton of food vendors there. One of the kids got something caled tornado fries. It was basically fresh cut potato chips fried in a huge clump with seasoning on it. They a little too greasy but were really good. My wife and daufgter got the worst item of the day. Fried cheese. I looked like a corn dog only with cheese inside. Not very good at all.

RadicalModerate
09-17-2012, 10:38 AM
You had me at Roasted Corn. =) I think The Great State Fair of Minnesota mastered The Art of Fried Cheese (curds) back in the late 1940's and wisely decided not to attempt the impaling of them on a stick, like sort of a "CheezKurdKabob" or whatever. However, I see no problem with giving a patron two sticks, some cheeze curds and a little Hoisen dipping sauce for an Oriental Flair.

So . . . Were the Traditional Giant Cinnamon Rolls or Indian Tacos as good as always? Or better? I wonder if anyone has thought of making "Indian" Tacos the same way, except with some easy "Curry Sauce"? Were the "Tornado Fries" a New Improved Version of those FABULOUS Hand Drill With a Spiral Jig Cut Fresh Potato Fries that appeared one year?

Frankly, I'm surprised that they didn't put in a Designer Cupcake or Muffin Top Vendor next to the Starbuck's where the Goodholm Mansion used to be.

All joking aside: I am sincerely happy that you and the kids had a good time at the Fair.
That is what it is all about. Sometimes Nostalgia (usually faulty/less-than-perfect) gets in the way of remembering this.

(Edited to Add: I hope The Peruvian/Inca Flute Band was invited back . . . or is that now passé?)

GaryOKC6
09-17-2012, 11:57 AM
You had me at Roasted Corn. =) I think The Great State Fair of Minnesota mastered The Art of Fried Cheese (curds) back in the late 1940's and wisely decided not to attempt the impaling of them on a stick, like sort of a "CheezKurdKabob" or whatever. However, I see no problem with giving a patron two sticks, some cheeze curds and a little Hoisen dipping sauce for an Oriental Flair.

So . . . Were the Traditional Giant Cinnamon Rolls or Indian Tacos as good as always? Or better? I wonder if anyone has thought of making "Indian" Tacos the same way, except with some easy "Curry Sauce"? Were the "Tornado Fries" a New Improved Version of those FABULOUS Hand Drill With a Spiral Jig Cut Fresh Potato Fries that appeared one year?

Frankly, I'm surprised that they didn't put in a Designer Cupcake or Muffin Top Vendor next to the Starbuck's where the Goodholm Mansion used to be.

All joking aside: I am sincerely happy that you and the kids had a good time at the Fair.
That is what it is all about. Sometimes Nostalgia (usually faulty/less-than-perfect) gets in the way of remembering this.

(Edited to Add: I hope The Peruvian/Inca Flute Band was invited back . . . or is that now passé?)

I thought about the cinnamon rolls until I saw that they were 9.00 each. I just can bring myself to pay that for a cinnamon roll. Opted for another 6.00 beer instead. :)

Fantastic
09-17-2012, 12:59 PM
the worst item of the day. Fried cheese. I looked like a corn dog only with cheese inside. Not very good at all.

I will respectfully disagree. Fried cheese on a stick is my ABSOLUTE favorite thing at the fair. Every year it is the first and last thing I get at the fair.

I usually fast for a day or two before the big fair day and my family and I go from open to close (though probably not this year due to my work schedule). I enjoy a fried cheesburger, indian taco, chicken on a stick, really mad turkey nads (yep, exactly what it sounds like), fried twinkie, fried cheese cake, fried mashed potatoes, and at least two to three other random food items. Ok, I know that sounds like alot, but my wife, son and I share most of these except the fried cheesburger (wife gets a fried PB&J instead) and the turkey nads (even though she's had lamb fries before, and liked them, she just can't do turkey for some reason)

Seriously, I love the fair, and I'm perfectly fine with the whole "selling you things you don't need" thing. It's just part of the fun of it. We usually blow about $200 dollars each year at the fair (I take $300 just in case), and I think it's perfectly worth it. And it's not that much more expensive than what we would do on a normal family day.

ExtremistPullup
09-17-2012, 03:16 PM
Michael so wants the space needle to open again. we saw a pig race and animals about to give birth.
I did get a free shirt from the Marines for dong 34 pull ups my name is still on there board.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9BdLhRTBR8

BBatesokc
09-17-2012, 06:51 PM
That's awesome. I'm trying to get to just 10 pull ups as part of my training for the tough mudder. I'm dead at 7. The only thing I know to do is practice with the pull up assist machine at the Y. Any other suggestions?

Achilleslastand
09-17-2012, 08:21 PM
That's awesome. I'm trying to get to just 10 pull ups as part of my training for the tough mudder. I'm dead at 7. The only thing I know to do is practice with the pull up assist machine at the Y. Any other suggestions?

Agreed that is awesome.....
Back in the day at least as far as pull ups go if you wanted a perfect score on the USMC pft you had to do 20.
Might try a lat pulldown machine ...also might try to reverse your grip you might be able to eek out a few more.

BBatesokc
09-18-2012, 08:12 AM
Completely stupid! "Some Oklahomans Take Out High-Interest Loans To Go To State Fair (http://www.news9.com/story/19568158/some-oklahomans-take-out-high-interest-loans-to-go-to-sta)"

RadicalModerate
09-18-2012, 08:25 AM
Completely stupid! "Some Oklahomans Take Out High-Interest Loans To Go To State Fair (http://www.news9.com/story/19568158/some-oklahomans-take-out-high-interest-loans-to-go-to-sta)"

Don't you know that The Games of Skill Concessionaires on The Midway love to see those other folks strolling up to their booths?
("Yeah . . . I'm still a-payin' fer this here life-sized stuffed anaconda, but I won it fair and square . . .")

Suggested Reading: "The Mark Inside" Amy Reading (spec. ref.: definition of "humbug")

GaryOKC6
09-18-2012, 08:44 AM
Completely stupid! "Some Oklahomans Take Out High-Interest Loans To Go To State Fair (http://www.news9.com/story/19568158/some-oklahomans-take-out-high-interest-loans-to-go-to-sta)"

This does not make much sense to me either. If you can not afford to go to the fair then how can you pay back a high interest loan. As much as I love the fair, i would cut it out of my plans if I were struggling to pay my other bills.

RadicalModerate
09-18-2012, 08:49 AM
You pay at least "the vig" on a high interest loan, taken out to win a stuffed anaconda, by going to a casino and playing the slots. You do so because of the "message of hope" delivered by the "humbug" in your metaphorical ear. ("Humbug" didn't always have a negative connotation.)

kevinpate
09-18-2012, 09:18 AM
This does not make much sense to me either. If you can not afford to go to the fair then how can you pay back a high interest loan. ...

The thought process, such as it is, runs like this.
S/he lacked the discipline over this past year to set aside 15-20 a month to save for the fun outing at the fair. But still wanting to have fun, s/he decides to just borrow the money and then pay it back over the coming year. And then next year, having shown that s/he can handle the payments, s/he repeats the process next year and goes again. Saving in advance doesn't tend to be a part of the equation.

On a somewhat higher scale, it's why places that rent computers, tv's, appliances, etc. find it easy to stay in business.
On a still higher scale, roughly the same thought process helped create the market for 6+ year car loans, and so on.

RadicalModerate
09-18-2012, 09:55 AM
That same thought process is what actually built the Trans-Continental railroad. And, before that, The Free American Formerly Colonial Banking System. It's all about Hope and Confidence (with the help of The Humbug a.k.a. advertising =).

I just realized that The Average State Fair of Oklahoma is Greater than I thought it was.
(mr. loan buyer for stuffed anaconda is the backbone of our economy! ignore the subliminal reference to mining and its connection with the oil industry. thank you.)

BBatesokc
09-18-2012, 10:01 AM
But did any of those examples come with a 206% interest rate? Tickets and the food at the fair are expensive enough - I can't imagine paying double!!!!!!

RadicalModerate
09-18-2012, 10:48 AM
An $18 Cinnamon Roll . . . Imagine that.
And a $12 draft beer. Dang.
(but factor in the extra "created value" that greases the wheels of the economy . . . just be careful not to step in it. =)

Stew
09-18-2012, 04:15 PM
Completely stupid! "Some Oklahomans Take Out High-Interest Loans To Go To State Fair (http://www.news9.com/story/19568158/some-oklahomans-take-out-high-interest-loans-to-go-to-sta)"

Lol, that's putting it lightly. But I think the same when I see people finance a 40k SUV for 7+ years. But eh who's the say its not the same ones. Yikes.

ExtremistPullup
09-20-2012, 10:17 PM
That's awesome. I'm trying to get to just 10 pull ups as part of my training for the tough mudder. I'm dead at 7. The only thing I know to do is practice with the pull up assist machine at the Y. Any other suggestions?

ya don't use the assist machine. If you are dead at seven do sets with a normal rest period until you can only do one. Do that three times a week example could look like 7,6,4,3,3,2,1. After two weeks evaluate your progress and do a new routine. let me know what you can do by week two and I can suggest something.


If you have weight to loose that will help.
I'm at 206 lbs 6ft If I got down to 196 I believe I could have gotten 40.

SoonerDave
09-21-2012, 07:56 AM
That's awesome. I'm trying to get to just 10 pull ups as part of my training for the tough mudder. I'm dead at 7. The only thing I know to do is practice with the pull up assist machine at the Y. Any other suggestions?

Good grief, I'm a desk-bound computer nerd and I don't think I could even do ONE....how on earth would I even start to train for even that modest an objective??? Lost quite a bit of weight in the last year with mostly increased general activity (lawn mowing, walking, outside projects, walking at work, etc), but very little in the way of muscle-toning... :(

Clock4869
09-23-2012, 01:03 PM
Is there anything going on at the fair today or are they pretty much closing down? I havne't had a chance to go this year, but I'd like to go today unless they are more or less closing down all the food and activities---does anyone know? How long will they stay open today if things are still going on?

Easy180
09-23-2012, 01:48 PM
Is there anything going on at the fair today or are they pretty much closing down? I havne't had a chance to go this year, but I'd like to go today unless they are more or less closing down all the food and activities---does anyone know? How long will they stay open today if things are still going on?

It is a full on day as far as I know as they have a concert set after 9:00 I believe

Larry OKC
09-24-2012, 11:46 AM
Maybe they changed things but when I went a couple of years ago, they were shutting things down at 3 pm on the last day...rides...exhibits...vendors etc..25 to 50% of the stuff already shut down or in the process

Mel
09-24-2012, 01:13 PM
We went on senior's day last Wednesday. So so.