The Napa Town & Country Fair Part 2

Well folks, it's a tad belated but today I bring you Part 2 of our epic Napa Fair experience.  But first, a programming note.  You've probably noticed that it's been a while since we've posted a new recipe.  I wish I had something new to share with you every day, or at least every week, but I also think it's important to keep it real.  And the reality is that all of our cooking and baking that we post here takes place in our day to day lives, and my life right now is taking a lot out of me.  I think even the most passionate cooks can relate to those days (or weeks or months) when the best thing you can do for yourself is heat up a frozen pizza and pour yourself a big glass of two-buck Chuck.  So I hope you forgive and bear with us, and I promise that we will have lots of great recipes in the future.

For now, please enjoy these baked goods that someone else created!  Today's photos come to you from the Home Arts Exhibition at the Napa Fair.  These were all made by amateurs like us and judged by some really sweet looking old ladies in matching yellow shirts. 

This cake was entered in the decorative division.  It's sweet and festive, but it was the entry card that caught my eye.

Notice anything on the entry form? 

I'm not sure if "special people" is the politically correct way to group them, but I think it's awesome that Napans with developmental disabilities are getting in on the action.

We went to the fair on a Saturday.  The baked goods had to be submitted for competition on Monday.  You can do the math on how long these cakes had been sitting out.  Some entries held up remarkably well...

Others had a more difficult time.

The home arts exhibition also featured some amazing quilts.  You can't see it here, but this quilt has the name of a state and its state flower in each square. 

There are 49 squares in the quilt.  America has 50 states...  Texas is missing.  I have no explanation for this whatsoever...

This was an entry in the "tablescape" division.  Allison could sweep the tablescape category, I'm encouraging her to start brainstorming concepts for next year. 

This is a flower arrangement in some little kid pants.  I can't help but feel disturbed by this one.

The people in charge of the fair were very excited about their new laser lights.  They were quoted in the local paper saying that they would "blow some people away."  Don't these look like the faces of people who are blown away?

After looking at all those cakes and pies, we needed something sweet to cap off the night.  That's a plastic chocolate dipped banana over the cash register.  And that's all I'm going to say about that.
 

Chocolate.  Dipped.  Soft.  Serve.  Yes.

This is Foreverland.  They are a Michael Jackson tribute band, and they have approximately 42 members.  At least that's what it looked like from the audience.  They sang "Black or White"...

And we got down with our bad selves, ice cream cones in tow.

What have y'all been up to this summer?  Any fun fair adventures to share?