Growing up in Sonoma is much like any {small} town: traditions are formed and maintained year to year. One of the biggest Sonoma County traditions is day at the Sonoma County Fair.

The fair is the place to go to people watch, see the horse races, eat the greesey garlic fries and the jumbo corn dog, ride the swings, watch people fall off the mechanical bull and walk through the beautiful “Hall of Flowers”. The fair has something cool, nostalgic and fun for everyone.

I remember heading to the fair as a child and teenager with my best friend. The zipper and kamikaze were of course our favorite rides because what child doesn’t like to have the corn dog shakin’ out of them in the middle of their afternoon at the fair?

As we grew older we couldn’t wait to get ourselves in the photo booths and take as many goofy looking photos as we could. Looking back on those is probably one of my most cherished memories of the fair.

Now, as an adult going to the fair it was hard to resist the rides. I felt like a kid again, racing through the dusty lot only to wait in line to get onto the swings where the best thing ever is to kick off the flip flops and ride barefoot. Of course it would not have been a complete day without riding the hang glider and posing like Superman as we flew around in a circle. Makes me laugh every time. Its awesome how the simple things makes us so happy and the fair brings those simple things out constantly. It’s a warm and fuzzy feeling kind of place to be.