We recently took our kids to the York Fair. Having grown up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, I did not frequent such fairs as a child. While I recall my family talking about a park fair that sounded akin to a traditional county fair, I’d never experienced one until I moved farther east, where sprawling farmland abounds. Here are my 5 Favorites from our experience:

We strode up and down aisles of cows and goats. We marveled at the hours-old piglets. And my three youngest lapped up the soft, furry cuddles at the kids’ petting zoo, where they held kittens, rabbits, and guinea pigs for the first time in their lives.

(As a side note, am I the only (formerly) nursing mama whose heart pangs with empathy when I see a sow conked out while a dozen babies clamor for her teats? Or whose chest aches when I notice a cow’s udder dripping milk? I wanted to scream for someone to relieve the poor bovine posthaste.)

Continue reading →