Festivals, Carnivals and Fairs, oh my!

confession:

i love festivals.

and carnivals.

not just because they rhyme...

and therefore could be incorporated into one kick-butt rap song.

i love them because no matter how much people scoff at them,

every year they come back around.

and they're super hokey.

they remind you that it's time to get outside.

it's time to marvel at wild and crazy things...

like adults participating in a pie eating contest.

or the fact that parents guard their kids from all foreseeable danger

yet allow them to ride on rickety carnival rides because hey, when someone sets up a deathtrap right at the end of the street you've GOTTA try it out! 

and of course it's time to eat the food that we love but only can find when the right event rolls into town.

so when i received a text from a friend at 8:30 on a saturday morning 

(yes, of course i was up already)

 inviting me to the strawberry festival in peddler's village, 

i thought:

"wait, what?! a strawberry festival?! 

it's the beginning of may, 

it's not strawberry season!"

ha no, my mom thought that, 

i just thought

"YIPPEE!! A FESTIVAL! I'M IN!!"

so we went.

and we ate everything strawberry.

and we marveled at the people selling their wares.

and gawked at the people wearing crazy hats.

and in my mind i was as excited as a small child 

and probably would've acted exactly like one

...you're never too old for a balloon animal...

but since she actually has a very adorable small child,

i let him do all of the small child things instead.

i didn't even fight him for his pretzel :).

oh yea,

and i love fairs too.

preferably quaint county fairs.

but that didn't rhyme so i saved it 'till the end.