I'm not sure about all of you, but when I grew up in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, there was a fair that came through town every year. In my case, it was always the week before back-to-school (which is early September for us Canucks) which made it a bitter/sweet time of year. The upside: the FREX ("FRedericton EXhibition") was in town for the week! The downside: back to school. Yawn.
Two weeks after my arrival in this part of Australia, The Cairns Show (a.k.a. "The Show") was in town. Aside from taking in a few rides, and wolfing down an armload of junk food, admitedly I was quite curious to know how similar The Show would be to The Frex. Would there be wild new rides? Would rides be called by the same names? What sort of trashy junk food do Aussies eat?
Happy to say, most things were very much the same:
- "The Hurricane" (pictured above-left) was still one of the main draws. I l-o-v-e-d this ride when I was a kid (vivid memories of getting smushed to the outside of my seat as the ride went faster and faster and ... ). Most of the rides I remember from being a kid were there; apparently there have been relatively few innovations in the small-town-rides industry over the last 15 years.
- Stuntmen were there performing "death-defying" tricks for the crowd. I saw a stunt rider at The Show launching his motorbike into the air over-top of a helicopter's rotating propellars ... truly dazzling.
- Fair culture, and its people, are still the same. Mullets, "big hair" and heavy metal t-shirts are still the norm. "Roadies" are just as roughneck as they were back at home. Truly, it was like going back in time.
A few things were different:
- "Bumper cars" are known as "dodgem cars". (I like their name better)
- "Cotton candy" is known as "fairy floss". (I like our name better)
- The Gravitron was sadly nowhere to be found! (Does everybody remember what I'm talking about? I was totally prepared to hang upside-down and everything. Awww, maaan!)
Naturally, we were all treated to a small-town style fireworks show, meaning: very basic fireworks, no more than two going off at once, and one (read: ONE) big bang at the end! (THAT'S the one the fireworks committee blew the budget on) Who doesn't love that?!
I definitely pigged out on food at The Show. After having explored some unknown food creations (highlighted by a "Chiko Roll" - a thick, spring roll-like tube of battered and deep-fried vegetable), I searched out what one would expect to find: hot dogs, fudge, cold sugary drinks, cotton candy, candy apple, caramel popcorn ... most of which I found (and devoured).
Sad to say, I couldn't find any caramel popcorn ("Sorry mate, you're looking for what?"). I've made it at home before, and it's definitely worth the effort. I'll also share Mom's tasty (and easy) 5-minute fudge recipe. Canuck buddy Alex has also agreed to share his homemade lemonade recipe with y'all.
Kevin's 3-for-1 recipes for today:
** Homemade Lemonade - Ingredients and Method: (c/o Alex)
Dissolve 1 1/2 cups white sugar in boiling water
1 1/2 cups lemon juice (about 6 good sized lemons)
"Top up to 2 litres with water depending on how sweet or sour you like it, adjust the sugar. Maybe start with 1 cup and add more dissolved sugar until you find the perfect proportion. And for a great afternoon nap in the sun, swap regular water for carbonated water and pour the lemonade over a shot of vodka (or two). "
** Caramel Popcorn - Ingredients and Method:
... soon to come.
** Mom's Homemade 5-Minute Fudge - Ingredients and Method:
... soon to come. Waiting for Mom to email the recipe.
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