It’s state fair season, y’all. Play along with us and imagine there’s a chill in the air — we promise it pairs better with sticky cotton candy fingers, tilt-a-whirls, and balloon pops (or whatever game gets you the biggest teddy bear).
The South Carolina State Fair kicked off yesterday and runs through Oct. 22 at the State Fairgrounds in Columbia. According to Columbia’s WLTX, there are new food selections this year (that’s why we go, isn’t it?) including Southern catfish sundaes and fried bologna burgers. The sundaes, served by DeAnna’s Concessions, are your typical deconstructed catfish sammy basket, with fried catfish served over french fries and topped with a spicy remoulade and tarter sauce. The fried bologna burgers, which you can find at Timmons Concession, feature angus patties with pimento cheese, fried bologna, and chili. Holy.
In addition to the food, the fair has a lot more to offer, from the unfortunately named BulletTrain, a 33-foot tall roller coaster of sorts (peep the full ride list here), to live music from country acts like Chris Young and the Brothers Osborne as well as ZZ Top and Sabrina Carpenter.
On the heels of the S.C. state fair is the Coastal Carolina Fair (CCF), held at Ladson, S.C.’s Exchange Park from Oct. 26-Nov. 5. Like all good fairs, the CCF is chock-full of rides (over 64), live entertainment, including ventriloquist Kevin Johnson, and, of course, a petting zoo. Adult rides include the Mega Drop (gulp!), Crazy Mouse, the Vertigo (again, think major drops from high to low), the Wave Swinger, and more. Kid rides include the Dizzy Dragons, the Frog Hopper (a mini drop for young fans), Hog Wild, and the Super Slide.
Attendees can look forward to live music from Deana Carter (of “Strawberry Wine” fame, of course), Ricky Skaggs, Collin Raye, and more. And pageants? You can bet there are a fair share of pageants at CCF. From preschooler to preteen, every aspiring child model has a shot at stardom at this fair.
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