Carnivals, fairs, festivals and the like

are overpriced.

I knew this at the outset, but we needed something distracting today, so I took my boys to the Trumansburg Fair.

I forked over $4 just to drive in the entrance, knowing that most everything post-entrance would also cost something.  $2 for one kiddie ride.  $3 for a small cotton candy.  $3 to look under one rubber duckie.  $18 for unlimited rides.  You get the idea.  It adds up.  As your wallet empties, you think We should have gone to Six Flags.

But the Trumansburg Fair is right downtown, so I guess you pay for the convenience and it turns out $4 will pay for more than just the entrance.

We...
    interacted with goats, cows, and their babies
    saw black leopards, lemurs, kangaroos, and their friends
    filled our Redneck quota for the year.  Maybe the decade.
    watched German Shepards roll over and jump through rings
    attended a show featuring "affectionately trained" black bears


A discussion of favorites on the way home:
Nolan most loved the train ride.
Gerret's favorite was the cotton candy.
I was amazed by the black bears.  Really!  They danced, clapped, climbed ladders, sat on tall barrels, and balanced on their hind legs while drinking from a bottle, all on command.  I would pay $4 for that any day.  (If I wasn't so enthralled, maybe I would have taken a picture)
Gerret concurred and added that he liked the dogs.

The Trumansburg Fair = An Expensive Success