Today, it was off to the Indiana State Fair. We arrived about 9:30am and went directly to the grandstands where the Chelsea House Orchestra was playing. This was a highschool group from Michigan and they
played Gaelic style music. They were very good and was much appreciated by those watching.
At 10am they started the annual Farmers Day Parade. This is a parade of old farm machinery, tractors and all types of equipment. There were also two team of Oxen and one 1917? Stanley Steamer automobile as well as old fire trucks and police cars. The tractors date from about 1910 with a Rumley Oil Pull tractor. A huge tractor that produced 17 hp, if memory serves me correctly. Lots and lots of John Deere tractors from the early 30's, many in mint condition. Lots of Farmall tractors as well as Allis Chalmers and many lesser known brands. A couple of steam engines that were used to power thrashing machines and other apparatus There were even some miniature tractors that had been made by those with the skill to make them. They of course were to scale and were quite remarkable to see and watch operate.
As the parade was winding down we saw a huge black bus and trailer come in. It was the Oak Ridge Boys as they were doing a concert tonight at the grandstand. We did not see them, but they were in the bus, I am sure. The help was installing lights and platforms, etc. that they had taken from the large trailer. We saw them a couple of years ago and they really put on a great show.
We had the opportunity to see a Delcimer band from the Lafayette, IN area. There were several mountain delcimers and one hammer delcimer as well as spoons and other rythem instruments as well as a Penny whistle.
Of course we had to see the swine barn with the largest pig at the fair. He weighed in at 1175 lbs. What a big pig. Sure would make a huge side of bacon. Also there was one of the first litter of pigs born at the fair. Of course, it is lunch time for them and they seemed to be enjoying what mother had for them. We did not get to the horse of cattle barn this year, nor did we get to the Coliseum to see the horse pulls that were being held this afternoon and this evening.
Naturally, we had to eat. My favorite is an Itilian sausage with onions and peppers. I found a stand near the DNR building and the sandwich was quite tasty and quite generous in size. And, as usual we had to have one of my favorites, a Pineapple Whip cone at my favorite stand near the Manufacturers building run by one of my schoolmates from grade school at Castleton Grade School that sat where the north west part of the intersection of 82nd street and I69. We see one another once or twice a year at different functions.
All in all, a very nice day at the Indiana State Fair with only one rain shower that found us inside the FFA building and we stayed dry.