As children we all grew up going to the Maryland State Fair every year. We enjoyed all of the rickety old rides because at the time we were too carefree to realize how much of a deathtrap some of them really are. We liked the funnel cakes and the cotton candy. Maybe in middle school we even got dropped off by our parents to meet up with a girl and hold her hand on top of the Ferris wheel. But once we reached upper school we were too cool and in college we would leave Baltimore in mid-August and somewhere along the line we simply forgot about the fair. I am coming to you now to remind you about the fair and all of the things it can offer to recently graduated Baltimorean.
My new favorite part of the fair has easily become the horse racing. When I was a kid I never even realized races were going on, but now I can’t get enough. Getting into the track is only the price of admission to the fair. The track is BYOB so you can save money to use towards betting on the horses. The grandstand is only about half full and is covered for shade making it a great place to spend a summer afternoon with some friends and Bohs. I don’t know anything about horse racing so I just bet on the horses with the best names. In my two year experience at the Timonium track I have only won once, but it sure makes for some excitement on an otherwise lazy August afternoon.
Believe it or not, it is not only the track that is BYOB. The entire fair is BYOB. This means that you can take your case of Boh all around the fair checking out the different exhibits. The exhibit hall provides all kinds of interesting demos, the best being the ShamWow booth. If you lost a lot of money on the real horses then go to the Maryland Lottery booth to win it all back on virtual horses. I no longer have the same sweet tooth for cotton candy and funnel cakes, but the local food tent offers a large variety of Maryland’s best homegrown food. Sidle up next to a senior citizen at the bingo tent. For only $1 per card you get the chance to win an assortment of prizes that are probably left over from fairs in the 90’s.
Don’t think of the fair as only being for kids. It has plenty to offer for people of all ages. Just hop on the Light Rail up to Timonium. It drops you off just a short walk away and you won’t have to worry about how many Bohs you had at the track celebrating your $10 payout when your horse shows. Afterwards you can even walk right next door to enjoy the deck and live music at High-tops.
One Comment
The Fair was as fantastic as always this year. Bohs and O’s staffers spent Saturday in Timonium enjoying all everything offered and even though we came home with lighter wallets after a few hours at the track it was a unanimous success.