Clark County Fair and REO Speedwagon!

Sometimes you just have to give in and enjoy a county fair and a classic rock band. That’s what Smartz and I did this past weekend.

The Clark County Fair played host to REO Speedwagon. I know, it sounds like something the hipsters would do just for whatever they call giggles, but I actually like fairs and Smartz likes REO Speedwagon.

Getting to the fair a few hours before the show, we had a chance to walk around. We saw a large display of vintage fire trucks (I got a bunch of pics for Smartz’s dad), a bunch of rides that I didn’t ride, and some really weird people.

We ate some amazing kettle corn and some so-so cotton candy. We saw cows, sheep, bunnies, chickens and even cats (thanks to the local 4-H Club).

Wondering what to do, we checked the schedule and saw that there was some Renaissance Festival jousting thing, so we found it and planned on enjoying the event. Ohh we did!

While the jousting was the main event, there was some business to take care of before then. A large castle was erected and used to introduce a couple of beauty queens (including a traveling bee queen from Pennsylvania). Scholarships were also awarded and, right before the jousting, the National Anthem was sung (for some reason) and then a really strange bald man in an almost British accent brought out the knights.

There were for. One from Ireland, Spain, England and France. They strutted around and finally got to the competition. First they snatched hoops from a hoop holding thing, and then they sliced watermelons with swords as they rode on by. Finally came the actual jousting.

This was pretty intense, actually. They knocked each other off their horses and eventually fought each other “to the DEAAAAATH!” with swords.

Things like this are hard to describe. Check out the pictures.

It was then time for the REO show. We found out that there was an opening band and we tried to miss them, but unfortunately we weren’t late enough. This band was… well… I never imagined that I’d ever wish for REO Speedwagon to take the stage so badly!

But when REO finally did, they put on a good show. The crowd was mostly trashy women in their 50s, but still. There was one guy in front of us with a mustache and Hawaiian shirt who played a LOT of air guitar. Once, he pumped his fist in the air and yelled out “YEAH! I LOVE 70s ROCK!” It was freaky.

I guess all of this doesn’t sound too terribly interesting. But we had a great time, I promise.

You can check out the photos here, if you like.