We always try to go the first couple days that the Evergreen Fair opens. Everything is fresh & new - the vendors are friendly, the food is outstanding & it's usually not overcrowded. I left from up north, Butch from Ballard & Monroe was about in the middle - but Butch had the wait for the train. Now parking is $10. We used to complain when it was $5. Entry was free though if you brought 3 cans of food each - & we did.
Behind the scenes~
It's great touring the horse barns! First to see all the 4-H Clubs with their stall decorations, informative posters, curtains, horses etc. The kids are always so bright, courteous & friendly! Every kid we saw asked if we had any questions! We did & they were quick to answer :-) There was even one poster on "Endurance Riding"!
In the draft horse area, we loved visiting with the owners of the Spotted Drafts! Such beautiful animals! The one above was a rescue from an Amish farm. He would shake like a leaf when touched anyplace below his mid-line. This made working with his feet, grooming etc. very difficult. He was especially afraid of men. Over time, he's now a much happier horse & enjoys his work without fear.
Prince
This photo does Not do Prince justice! He has the most beautiful head, hands down of ANY draft I have ever seen! Not only a handsome head, but nice eyes & the Look of Eagles - which is how he got his name! To see him in harness at a full trot - is a thrill!
The six-horse hitches are the highlight of the show. This year was no exception. The work that goes into showing these large teams is immense in every way!
Harness shined & ready~
The harness for each horse weighs over 80lbs! We entered the drawing for a free yearling! :-) Before the show, about 12 of the 4-H kids - rode into the arena bareback for a "Bucket Race". Also, one guy on a Percheron! When the music stopped, there was a dash to reach a bucket, dismount & stand on it! Each round a bucket was eliminated - along with a rider. Finally it was down to one bucket - a girl on a paint & the guy on the Percheron. The music stopped - both horses were flying at the remaining bucket! Seeing that huge horse coming at him head on - the paint wisely gave way & his rider retained her seat! :-) Guess who won? :-)
Our favorite stop for food is Kaleenka's - where the stuffed bread is the best thing at the Fair, next to the Indian Fry Bread! For many years we'd occasionally drive down to Seattle on a Friday night for dinner at the restaurant. In/dinner/ back home all within just a couple hours. Can't be done now with the traffic...
Carved Bench
As is the case every year, I plead my case for the wood carved horse bench :-) It would look amazing in the entry of a huge house with high timber ceilings. So maybe the house first? :-)
We came home with new pillows & a Helios Heater. I'm not really giving the product much of a plug - it does get hot & stay hot for quite a while, but to re-generate the crystal liquid inside - you have to boil the pad in a towel, in a pan of boiling water for 12-15 min. That's pretty energy wasteful. Even so - it's soft, pliable & makes my neck & shoulder feel good! :-)
We had a great time, talked to some nice people & really enjoyed our visit. If you don't mind the time in lines of traffic to get in - it's a great place to enjoy a late Summertime day!
What a gorgeous day to go to the Fair! Some of the best weather we can remember having on Labor Day weekend! We made the "rounds" to all of our favorite places, starting at the historical exhibits & displays. Stories, photos & effects of the pioneers from Monroe's history. I've always found old pictures to be so intriguing! A snapshot of a life & time long gone. What amazing stories these photos tell & history is preserved - all by the snap of the shutter!
Horsepower here!
Racing the Iron Horse!
We really enjoyed the displays of antique farm equipment & household appliances.Some that we actually could remember from visiting our Grandparents!
My Grandmother had one of these~
All you needed in a well stocked kitchen!
On the upper left cabinet doorwas this helpful chart!
Next we headed to the barns of exhibits. The quilts & handcrafts are my favorites!
Easy to see why this was a winner!
It took us several hours to make our "rounds" & not miss any favorites. Of course we got hungry & Had to have the stuffed bread from Kaleenka's!
Lake Stevens Grange
Considering the weather this year, the amount, variety & quality of the produce was outstanding! The way the display was arranged was well organized, but interesting, informative & diverse! the logging demonstrations were Great as usual! I could have easily taken home about any of the carvings, but below are two that are on my list! :-)
Horse Carving
Amazing bench~
I always look forward to the Rodeo, but we were both disappointed overall. The "High Valley Riders" Drill Team was Great! They rode fast & were exciting! But when it came to the Bronc riding, Bull riding, roping etc., there just weren't enough entries to keep the action going or maintain any excitement. The announcer was a bit loud, blamed the traffic & didn't give much information about the contestants that Did compete. (The "Clown" was even on crutches.) The "highlight" for us anyway - - was the cute little 3-year old girl, who was in the Barrel Racing! :-) A perfect run & she rode like crazy! Bet her parents were Proud!
3-year old barrel racer!
We ended up our day with Elephant Ears! Enjoying the sights & sounds of the carnival!
