I get fatter thinking about it.

This past weekend She and I went to my hometown, Evansville, IN. It's just a humble little town about half the size of Toledo in Southwest Indiana. There is not alot to speak of down there other than a few colleges and some buildings that will one day be landmarks purely due to some association with yours truly. Uhhhh... anyway...
This all ceases to be true come the first full week of October. This, my friends, is the week of the Fall Festival.

What is the Fall Festival you ask? Only the second largest street festival in the nation, after Mardi Gras. It may be the largest now. Evansville stays largely above water, you see. The FF features close to 200 booths (some seen above) of greasy goodness, run entirely by non-profit organizations in the area. In the distance, after one has waddled through fatman's row, is a large grassy knoll featuring the finest rickety rides and cheatyou games money can be thrown at. An area perfect for the stupid, the semi-drunk, and those who have to prove their worth by spending $15 to win a $3 cupie doll. Oh, and there's goldfish. What's a festival without $.25 goldfish in a bag?

I digress. The FF celebrated its 85th year this year. 85 years of community spirit, friendship, games, and most importantly, DEEP FRIED GOODNESS. Said 200 booths feature such common and, uhmmm, uncommon things as: Aligator Jerky, frog legs, fried green tomatoes, deep fried: twinkies, oreos, and snickers, brain sandwiches, Icky licky suckers (sucker with bugs, like a scorpion, inside), Chocolate covered crickets, fresh squid, elephant ears, monster ears, funnel cakes, french waffels, corn dogs, fresh cider, deep friend cookie dough, tenderloins, sausages, tamales, kuchens, coffee cakes, fresh cobblers, and my most favorite.... pronto pups. What's a proto pup? A corn dog made with pancake batter instead of corn batter. Nevermind that ANYTHING on a stick tastes better (Newton's little known 10th and a half law of physics), it's PANCAKE batter. I just got fatter imagining it. Not kidding.

If you are so inclined, ask Her about it. She now knows. No picture, no story, no explanation can do the FF justice. The people come in all shapes and all sizes. One can a tenderloin prepared in one of no less than 10 different ways???? That friends is America. That is the midwest. That is my hometown. It's the social event of the year. It's the social gathering of my siblings and their spouses and families. And I have already started fasting for next year.