Our State Fair is a Great State Fair

It's that time of year again - the "great MN get together" is upon us. I am not (to put it mildly) a fair fan. It seems like all of the midwest descends on my 'hood, traffic is awful, and I find all the hoopla irritating (I'm kind of a crank pot, but it's cool. I've made peace with that). I've already decided that I'm leaving town next summer on the opening day of the fair and not returning until Labor Day!

I may loathe the real fair, but I do love me the 1945 version of Rogers & Hammerstein's State Fair (I have never seen the original 1933 version, but I can say with utmost confidence the 1962 version is pure and utter drivel. Do NOT waste your time. Seriously, I love musicals and I couldn't stand it). 

I remember first watching this movie when I was very young. I immediately fell in love with it. It wasn't particularly action-packed, dramatic, or even that funny, but I found something so charming about it (maybe it was just my love for the clothes and hairstyles!). The overall message that anything can happen if you open yourself up to the possibilities is one that has stuck with me throughout the years.

Musicals from this era portray a pretty significant gender equality gap, but I am able to overlook that. I see and appreciate this movie for what it is - the opportunity to look into the lives of people in a different time and place. I'm able to enjoy the story, the music, and come away feeling incredibly thankful for the strides we have made toward gender equality! And despite my feminist hackles rising at certain points, there were parts of life from that time I envy. It wasn't an easy time (the movie came out around the end of WWII), but the feel of life was so different. People didn't rush about so much. Everyone worked hard, but also played hard. I love that people had appreciation for small joys and gestures, instead of a constant feeling of entitlement. Sometimes I find the world I live in so exhausting. I love my iPod and the invention of FaceTime as much as the next girl, but there is something to be said for living a little more simply. It makes me appreciate my frequent jaunts from the city up to the northwoods in a new way - time is different up there. I am able to slow down, "unplug", and take time to really be present.

Here are a couple of my favorite scenes from State Fair. I'm thinking I should try out the Iowa fair - they seem like my kind of people! :)