You should know something right up front: our family is unapologetically a fair family. We love carnivals, festivals, fairs, street food, rides, fried food, winning fish by throwing balls, roller coasters, dangerous rides, bright lights, expensive drinks – we love ALL OF IT. Every single last bit. Except for maybe the inevitable long walk back to the car in the middle of a field while fighting fatigue and extreme sweat. Except for that :). BUT! All other aspects of fairs? We are HERE FOR IT.

Late last week Sam told me, “Hon, we are GOING TO THE STATE FAIR this weekend!” very excitedly and suddenly those were our most important weekend plans. Simon unfortunately had to work all day but we packed the rest of us plus Sophie’s bestie Natayla into the car and up to Sacramento we went. The forecast was for high 80’s-low 90’s but we got there early in the day and for the most part beat the worst of the heat. This was our first time at the huge State Fair and It. Was. AWESOME. Start to finish we had a ball. There was something for everyone spread out over the huge fairgrounds and Cal Expo Center of Sacramento.

We found and ate all of the food we could get our hands on:

OK I need to talk to you about the most extraordinary ice cream experience I have ever had. It was THIS incredibly over-the-top milkshake from a food truck named Fabe’s and every single thing about it was incredible. The cake (yes there was a piece of chocolate cake ON TOP of the milkshake) was super high quality. The whipped cream did not taste like ordinary whip cream – it was divine. The actual ice cream in the milkshake was unbelievably delicious and chocolatey. And finally, the whole rim of the mug was coated in syrup and sprinkles and THEN you got to keep the mug. All for the princely sum of $13 which is probably the most expensive milkshake I have ever consumed and IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY. I was unable to finish it but everyone else took multiple sips and agreed it was out of this world. Sam and I are still talking about the wonders of this Fabe’s milkshake. If you ever come across this completely ridiculous creation just do the right thing and empty your wallet and buy it. You’re welcome.

We bought so many tickets and parceled them out among the kids. The teens blew through theirs incredibly quickly but a great time was had by all…

There was a large Army exhibition in part of the fair and Sebastian, who is obsessed with all things military, was SO excited. We spent some time with these incredible Green Berets and were grateful for the time they took with us and with our kids. It felt good to shake their hands and thank them for all that they do on behalf of our country. Also, one of the guys legit looked like a blond Tom Cruise and not gonna lie, I took a few photos of him…

After finishing with the military we stumbled upon a big exhibition of spa pools and Sam and I got REALLY interested in these. Maybe it was being overheated, maybe it was from the overall joy of the fair but all of the sudden we were both talking prices and negotiation and installation fees and had to STEP AWAY for a minute before we accidentally bought a 30K pool on the fly! The Stubberts are dangerous at a fair! On our way out of the fair we came across a motocross exhibition and stayed to watch that for awhile. I’m pretty sure it gave our youngest some ideas about what he wants to do with his life: between the military and motocross he has some grand plans.

We spent 4 1/2 hours at the State Fair and only left because we were starting to fade from the heat and all of the walking. Next year when we go we plan to go a little later in the day so that we get the evening breezes and bright lights. We loved all of the fair food, the rides were fun, the crowd was clean and we felt completely safe and at ease. The California State Fair runs for three weeks so there is bound to be a day in there that will work for you and your family/friends. GO! It is totally worth it!