by Denise Calaman

Created on: April 09, 2009   Last Updated: October 23, 2010

It's late September and everyone in town is excited because the annual fair has come to town! There are many activities that we all enjoy at the fair, riding the rides, petting the animals and playing games. But for me, the fair is all about food. As soon as I walk through the gates of my local fair, the smell hits my nose and my mouth starts to water. I smell onions and peppers over here, caramel melting over there. If I let my nose lead the way, I would get nowhere. I'd just be spinning in circles. Everywhere I look, I see people laughing and smiling as they order up their favorite fair foods.

I have so many favorite fair foods that I have an annual gameplan so that I can sample all my favorites. First, the smell of onions and peppers are pleasantly overpowering and my taste buds won't stop quivering until I feed my craving with a sausage sandwich. I watch with tunnel vision as my sandwich is prepared, my eyes never leaving the Italian roll that was just coated with olive oil. The thick Italian sausage is suffocated with onions and peppers two inches thick, and just as my mouth can take it no longer my sandwich is handed to me.

By the time I hit the midway, my sandwich is history and I am ready to wash it down with orangeade. I follow the smell of fresh squeezed oranges to Kohr's Brothers. To be honest, I'm not sure if every fair in the country has Kohr's Brother's orangeade, but they should. I'm not sure how they get the unique flavor of their orangeade, not sweet like store bought, but frothy and mild.

Now that I've had my dinner and quenched my thirst, I'm ready for dessert. I am craving something fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Here in the east, we call it funnel cake. Every year I find myself at the same funnel cake stand ordering pumpkin funnel cake. While vanilla funnel cake is good, ever since the pumpkin funnel cake stand has graced our local fair, I've become addicted! I watch as the funnel cake artist squeezes the batter into the hot oil and watch as my funnel cake crisps on the edges. It seems like an eternity until it comes out of the oil and while it is still dripping with oil gets laid on a paper plate and sprinkled with powdered sugar that melts instantly with the warmth of the cake.

Just as I can eat no more, the daylight is fading and it's time to head for home but not before I grab my favorite take home snack foods. Everyone usually takes home cotton candy and I too, am still fascinated by this melt in your mouth sweet treat but I cannot head home without getting a box of popcorn. Not one kernel of fair popcorn escapes butter and with the perfect amount of salt, it simply melts in your mouth. While it tastes best while it's warm, it still satisfies the next day. Almost at the gate I have one more stop and it's at the caramel apple stand. Some people prefer candy apples but in my opinion there is nothing that tastes as good as the mixture of Granny Smith apple and caramel on my tongue. Of course I have to get a peanut topping.

Stuffed and exhausted, my cravings are temporarily satisfied. However; not even a week goes by until I find myself looking to next September. . .

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