Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — Fried Oreos? Check. Fried candy bars? Check. Cotton candy? Check. Goats, cows and pigs? Check, check, check!
The Utah State Fair is in full swing again, filled with the smell of fried foods and barnyard animals. The theme of the fair this year is "Dream Makers: Where Dreams Come Alive."
As patrons walked through Friday, they were treated with dozens of fried-food kiosks, buildings filled with intricately handmade quilts, sculptures and paintings, screams coming from brightly colored carnival rides, and prize-winning livestock, including a 1,300-pound 6-year-old hog named Brutus.
"It's a great family venue," said Landon Reeves, who came to the fair for the first time this year with his wife and two small children. "I definitely see us coming back."
Among the award-winning arts and crafts is this year's butter sculpture, an old-fashioned airplane soaring upwards with animals of all kinds clinging to it.
Desiree Santiago and Olivia Longoria, who travel around the country to do face-painting at fairs, said the Utah State Fair is their favorite to work. "I like the people. They're really friendly and excited to be here," Santiago said.
With plenty to see, patrons can walk through a building lined with shiny classic cars and end up in barns filled with sheep raised to win a prize.
Eagle Mountain resident Shanyse Anderson, who graduated from Cedar Valley High School this year, has been raising her two now 8-month-old lambs in hopes of winning an award.
Anderson has won awards at junior livestock shows but not yet at the state fair, hoping this year is the year. "That's always the hope. We've always worked hard to try for it," Anderson said.
In the first week of the fair, the lambs are being graded on their genetics: straight legs and a large frame. In the second week, the lambs will be graded on their market readiness: their muscle.
"Raising livestock is a really good experience for all ages, and I totally recommend it," Anderson said.
Nearby the barns is a small enclosed arena where the bleating sheep and mooing cows are taken to be shown off for judging, being led by a rope around the floor of the arena.
Before leaving the fair, be sure to try at least some of the food. Reeves' recommendation: "Deep-fried anything."
The fair has an average of over 300,000 patrons each year, Visit Salt Lake's website said. Tickets, daily schedules, a list of food vendors and fair FAQs can be found at the fair's website.
