This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to the winner, Nina B!

(It’s Indiana’s Family of Farmers Week on Just Like The Number!!  Not really, but I have been working on some fun stuff with them.  Stay tuned for a super fun giveaway in a few weeks just for my fellow Colts fans!  Next week we’ll return to regular programming with video highlights of me getting mulch in uncomfortable places and Elena rocking it out on the big stage.)

Our state fair is a great state fair,
Don’t miss it, don’t even be late.
It’s dollars to donuts
That our state fair
Is the best state fair in our state.

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s State Fair

It’s that time of year again, finally! It’s Indiana State Fair time.  The kids and I love the fair, and have been known to go several times during its running.

Now, I’ve connected with many people in the last 6 years that we’ve lived in Indiana and I’ve met a few who claim to not enjoy the fair. As much as it shames me, I harbor one of these very people in my own house.  Yes, my husband is not a fan of the fair.  Had I known about this and his strong feelings about coffee … well, let’s not even go there.  I love him and I’ve made it my annual  mission in late July/early August to convert him and other poor, unaware souls into fair believers.

While there really isn’t a part of the fair that I don’t like, I know other people might need convincing that there’s something at the fair that will appeal to them.  One of the best things about the Indiana State Fair is that it manages to hold on to beloved traditions while continually offering something new.  I’m a firm believer that somewhere along the way even the most stubborn city slicker can find something to love about our state fair.

I might not be able to convince you that the amazing view of the city from the ferris wheel is worth the trip.

Maybe the animals aren’t your thing.

Perhaps your homemaking skills won’t earn you any ribbons.

But the food.  Oh, the food.  If you can tell me that you simply don’t enjoy food?  Well, then, I guess you’re off the hook.

I dream about the food all year long, and it’s a big reason we have to visit more than once.  My poor stomach simply can’t manage to eat everything I want to eat in one day.

There are the old faithfuls, the food that’s always going to be there.  Lemon shake-ups and lamb kebabs.  Grilled cheese and milkshakes from The Dairy Barn.  Giant cream puffs from Taylor’s.  Elephant ears.  Deep-fried anything.

And then there are the new foods you just have to try.  Spaghetti Ice Cream (this year’s Signature Dish) or, heaven help me, Deep Fried Samoas.

Along the food theme, there’s a new addition this year that I’m really excited about: the DuPont Food Pavilion.  For the first time in the fair’s history, there will be a 16,000 square foot exhibit dedicated solely to Indiana food – the farmers who grow it, the chefs who prepare it, the artisans who craft it, and the issues connected to it.  The Pavilion will also feature a retail store selling more than 30 Indiana-made specialty items.

As much as I enjoy eating and talking about food, there’s also a serious side – the issue of hunger.  In this difficult economy, many people are struggling to put food on the table, and food banks are having a hard time keeping up with the need.  This year Indiana’s Family of Farmers is partner with Feeding Indiana’s Hungry in a unique way to address the problem.  For each fairgoer who visits all 8 stops on the Indiana’s Family of Farmers Recipe Trail, one pound of food will be donated to food banks across Indiana.

As if you needed any more enticing from me to get yourself to the fair, Indiana’s Family of Farmers has given me 2 State Fair tickets and a set of coupons for the Dairy Barn (which includes 2 milkshakes, 2 grilled cheese sandwiches and 2 kids’ meals) to give away.  Tickets can be used anytime during the 2012 Indiana State Fair (August 3 – 19). Here’s how to enter:

1. Leave a comment telling me about your favorite fair food or a fair food you can’t wait to try.
2. For an additional entry, tweet or share this giveaway on Facebook, leaving an additional comment for each telling me that you did so.

The contest will run through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, July 31st.  Winner will be notified via email and have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.  Thanks and good luck!

Disclosure:  As an Indiana’s Family of Farmers Ambassador, I was compensated for this giveaway.  All opinions are my own.