Grange Displays

Day 331: Another feature of the Fair which I always try to see before the crowds arrive is the vegetable displays put on by the various granges in the area. These are housed in the Floral Building, and this year, they had improved the lighting substantially. A lot of work goes into the arrangement and maintenance of the produce during the Fair's three-week run.

To me, agriculture is the soul of any county or state fair. Unfortunately, the Puyallup Fair seems to be shoving it farther and farther into the wings each year, especially since becoming the Washington State Fair. The trend is toward commercialism, and I'm not talking about $5 cones of cotton candy and $4.75 caramel apples. Even the unique vendors (sellers of lavender products and orchard honies) are being pushed out by soulless mega-corporations like Verizon. What few merchants aren't hawking hot tubs and mattresses are pushing the same cheaply made products from three or four booths in different locations around the venue. Once around the Fair was enough for me. I'll visit the critters again, but as far as I'm concerned, they might as well close the doors on the Multiplex.