Last Friday, they flipped on the light switch at the Arizona State Fairgrounds and the sprawling lot off Interstate 10 and 19th Avenue in Phoenix came alive in a flutter of twinkling lights.
The 2014 Arizona State Fair officially started at noon last Friday and runs through Nov. 2. It’s three weeks of terrifying midway rides, win-me-a-stuffed-animal games of chance and pretty amazing concerts — you get in free with fair admission, which is the best live entertainment bargain going this time of year.
Don’t get us started on the food. Anything that you imagine might taste good or even interesting fried is tossed in a vat of boiling oil. That includes some things that defy the imagination — reportedly one vendor is frying coffee. And expect to see bacon in a starring role just about everywhere.
Here are just a few reasons to make the 90-mile drive from Tucson.
People are also reading…
Free concerts:
Weezer today; Wiz Khalifa Friday; John Fogerty Saturday; Fifth Harmony Sunday; Barenaked Ladies Wednesday; Colbie Caillat Oct. 24; Dave Pratt’s 1980 Something with Berlin and John Waite Oct. 25; Josh Turner Oct. 26; Afrojack Oct. 29; Queens of the Stone Age Oct. 30; Old School Jam Nov. 1.
4-H Horse Show:
Some of the state’s finest riders show off their talents in Western and English riding, as well as participate in the show’s annual roping and gymkhana events Friday through Sunday.
All-Indian Rodeo:
Events including steer wrestling, calf roping, bareback bronc riding and barrel racing is at 2 and 7 p.m. Oct. 24 and 2 and 6:30 p.m. Oct. 25.
The rides:
There are two sure indicators of how scary a ride is: The length of the line waiting to get on and the number of ride tickets it will cost. Speed and Mach 1 at 20 tickets per person rate as the scariest and costliest rides at this year’s fair. And then there’s Insanity, where you plunk down 16 tickets to be strapped into one of three or four seats to a row and catapulted in the air, whisked upside down as it teasingly attempts to hurl you in a full circle before jerking you back around and then flipping you full circle.
You might want to hold off on the turkey leg and Indian fry bread for a bit.
