The Missouri State Fair is still a few months off, yet I wanted to ask you what your tips are for a great Missouri State Fair experience. I got some great answers and a little more than I bargained for when I posed that question on Facebook.

The two biggest pieces of advice that many folks shared were: Go early in the day and stay hydrated. Those are two great pieces of advice. The fair from about 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM is fairly quiet and definitely less crowded. If you're going mainly to see the exhibits, some of the shows that run all day, or just looking to get out of the house this is the perfect time to visit the fair. It's also cooler earlier in the day.

The second. Drink lots of water. This is good too. If you let yourself get dehydrated you're just not going to feel well. Being at the fair and not feeling well is not a fun experience. If I get dehydrated one of the first symptoms I get is a headache, and at that point, it's game over for me. So staying well hydrated regardless of whether it's nice summer weather, or high 90s with humidity off the charts is important.

Here are some tips folks posted on our Facebook page in response to my question that I think will help you have a great fair experience:

"Wear walking shoes. Plan your day before you arrive around shows you want to see and what you want to eat." - Jessica Pyle 

"Wear shoes that cover your toes!.. Bring a backpack with you to stay hands-free.. And save your lemonade cups for refills!" - Rebecca Maleta

"Don’t get in a fight/arrested on Friday. Cause you’ll be sitting there til Monday." - Kaytlin Marie VanSteenburgh

"Go on discount day. Plan your route. You don't have to spend a lot of money if you don't want to. Take or buy a bottle of water, crackers for snacks or get a wristband on the way out, stop by McD then for food then you can go back and enjoy the evening! I like the exhibits." - Maybelle Koeller

"Go on Sedalia day eat a few discounted items, walk the buildings, and stay home the rest of the time unless there may be a concert you want to see." - Bob Holloman

"Go check out the free entertainment thru the grounds." - Doug Sokolowski

What I didn't bargain for was the amount of bellyaching some people were doing about the fair. I knew there would be that chorus of people saying stay home, too expensive, they can do better. There always are.

I was somewhat surprised by how many folks decided to chirp up and express that viewpoint on this post. Don't get me wrong, we offer plenty of opportunities for folks to air their gripes about the fair and even share some of our own. I was just hoping my question would be specific enough that the hate the fair crowd would scroll on by.

So I'll leave you with what Rachel Grimes said after reading through what some of the stay-home crowd was saying, "Don't listen to any of these boring folk. Get out have a good time make your own fun."

If you go, hopefully, some of these tips will help you have an even better time at the fair.

My advice, check out the giant cookie/cinnamon roll guy across from the grandstand. The giant cookies are affordable and tasty, one of the best fair treats you can find. Not to mention, picking up some cinnamon rolls after a Friday or Saturday night concert and taking them home for breakfast the next morning is a perfect way to cap off a night at the fair.

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The best way to experience the Missouri State Fair is to go to the Missouri State Fair. Eat the food, enjoy some cold beverages, ride the rides, see the shows, go to the concerts. The second way is through the smiling faces and photos of the people there. During the 2021 Missouri State Fair, I asked you on Facebook, to post your state fair photos. What struck me most about your photos were all the smiling faces. Here's the collection of the photos you posted on our Facebook page.

Gallery Credit: Rob Creighton

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Last weekend on our Facebook pages we asked you to share your 2022 Missouri State Fair photos with us. So here are your selfies, crowd shots, and more!

Gallery Credit: Rob Creighton

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