The Great State Fair:....what do you remember???

[lt14life]

Does anyone remember an anti-drug exhibit from around 1970...it was a trailer that had a catwalk along the side to look in through the windows at a man who had abused drugs (so they said anyway--amphetamines, as I recall) and because of it--his body was like silly putty and he was spread out all over the bed he was laying in...it was shocking and very strange. It was more intense than any freak show they ever showed at the Fair...and this was a sort-of "public service" exhibit...

Yes I remember the drug exhibit, it was pretty cool. Also does anybody remember the so called Bonnie & Clyde death Car ??

[jmarkross]

Yes I remember the drug exhibit, it was pretty cool. Also does anybody remember the so called Bonnie & Clyde death Car ??

Oh yes...the car with all the bullet holes...don't recall whether it looked real or not. Glad someone remembered Silly Putty Guy...was not sure if I had dreamed that once when I had too much Tequila...God--I miss the old grimey fair...a walk through the real world of carneys and hucksters...rides that you thought my well fly apart as you rode them...ha!

[papaOU]

I went this afternoon with my dad. Pork chop sandwich for him, and Italian with grilled onions and peppers.Took forever to find that. Many had the sandwich but not the meat, onions, and peepers grilling as one. The fair seems to also have the best meat of anywhere around, even the bella vista in okc. Strawberry crepe.

[papaOU]

Oh yes...the car with all the bullet holes...don't recall whether it looked real or not. Glad someone remembered Silly Putty Guy...was not sure if I had dreamed that once when I had too much Tequila...God--I miss the old grimey fair...a walk through the real world of carneys and hucksters...rides that you thought my well fly apart as you rode them...ha!

Most of the bullet holes were decals.

[Generals64]

I went this afternoon with my dad. Pork chop sandwich for him, and Italian with grilled onions and peppers.Took forever to find that. Many had the sandwich but not the meat, onions, and peepers grilling as one. The fair seems to also have the best meat of anywhere around, even the bella vista in okc. Strawberry crepe.

Ah yes, the Bella Vista.....Most of you Northsiders don't even know about Bella Vista....about 57th and South Western.....Spaghetti and Meatballs or the Lasagne....super good....Oh, we're talking about the fair....Today is "Old Folks " Day. Guess I better get ready to go again sheesh....

[jmarkross]

One thing I really miss...is the sleazy people hawking the games...obvious alcoholics with an amazing vocabulary of phrases and pronunciations...and lots of BIG TATTOOS--before they were trendy--they were so much fun to just sit and watch as a kid. They were not your everyday people you would see in real life...and the games...mindless and hopelessly hard games--like throwing a quarter to land and stay on a glass cake stand...ha!

"Come on! Come on! Come on! Showtime! Showtime! Showtime!"...at Club Lido...with dreadful old broads who were as worn out as their burlesque outfits...a festival for a young kid's eyes...a side of life you just never saw anywhere else...

[papaOU]

One thing I really miss...is the sleazy people hawking the games...obvious alcoholics with an amazing vocabulary of phrases and pronunciations...and lots of BIG TATTOOS--before they were trendy--they were so much fun to just sit and watch as a kid. They were not your everyday people you would see in real life...and the games...mindless and hopelessly hard games--like throwing a quarter to land and stay on a glass cake stand...ha!

"Come on! Come on! Come on! Showtime! Showtime! Showtime!"...at Club Lido...with dreadful old broads who were as worn out as their burlesque outfits...a festival for a young kid's eyes...a side of life you just never saw anywhere else...

How about the dancers performing atop the Roadrunner Club?

[papaOU]

I found out that the large home that was on the fairgrounds was removed because the maintenance and upkeep was too expensive (sound like urban renewal). Now I have two stories as to the home itself. I always thought it was the "Shepard's" home. From the area where Shepard's Mall is and the surrounding area. Were the last survivors two sisters, twins?

The other building was moved from N.E.4 and Walnut. I remember it being moved but not sure where to.

The building, whichever is located out on N.E. 23 in Nicoma Park. It sits upon the north side of 23 on top of a very large hill.

I am speculating about which building is which.

[jmarkross]

Was there once a "night club" years ago on 10th near the fairgrounds named the Krazy Kat?

[Bigrayok]

I think the Krazy Kat was owned by Bob Tayar who later owned Bonaparte's, Molly Murphy's, TaMolly's, and Tiajuana Tillies.

Bigray in Ok

[gen70]

How about the dancers performing atop the Roadrunner Club?

I remember that.

[jmarkross]

I think the Krazy Kat was owned by Bob Tayar who later owned Bonaparte's, Molly Murphy's, TaMolly's, and Tiajuana Tillies.

Bigray in Ok

Thanks for the info Ray...it was a...shall we say...interesting place in the late 60's-early 70's. Prepared me well for the Condor Club and Miss Carol Doda, when I found myself living in San Francisco some years later...but NOT for the Condorettes...for which there is probably no adequate preparation...

[Generals64]

it's over....and is entirely too expensive to attend.....$3.00 for a Corn dog?.....$3.00 for and ear of Corn?.....Corn Dogs can be bought in bulk for 42 cents each....Ears of Corn are $15.00 for a case of 48 at Sterlings in the Public Market....Think about that. When the booth spaces skyrocketed so did the other prices....$3.00 for a Baked Potato?.....Hmmmmmm....

[Prunepicker]

The Old State Fair she ain't what she used to be...

[jmarkross]

For those who remember the Bearded Lady--good news for her!

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/09/17...Boing+Boing%29

[papaOU]

A comparison from fairs past. Just got home from the Cotton Bowl. For the first time ever (that I can remember) there was no Dr. Pepper to be had on the premises. That's one of the expectations because it is not served at OU's home games.

[jmarkross]

it's over....and is entirely too expensive to attend.....$3.00 for a Corn dog?.....$3.00 for and ear of Corn?.....Corn Dogs can be bought in bulk for 42 cents each....Ears of Corn are $15.00 for a case of 48 at Sterlings in the Public Market....Think about that. When the booth spaces skyrocketed so did the other prices....$3.00 for a Baked Potato?.....Hmmmmmm....

If I ever go again (in a Hoveround most likely) I will go BYOCD....Bring Your Own Corn Dogs...ha! I suspect they have proctors around to stop this...but most old folks generally have a few trump cards to play in these circumstances...

[Generals64]

If I ever go again (in a Hoveround most likely) I will go BYOCD....Bring Your Own Corn Dogs...ha! I suspect they have proctors around to stop this...but most old folks generally have a few trump cards to play in these circumstances...

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A booth space that used to be $500.00 is now $5,000.00. I will never understand the strategic thinking of some people. You sell more if people can afford it. Also, there is a contract for everything out there. If you are a vendor, you have to buy from those people only....Make Sense????

[jmarkross]

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A booth space that used to be $500.00 is now $5,000.00. I will never understand the strategic thinking of some people. You sell more if people can afford it. Also, there is a contract for everything out there. If you are a vendor, you have to buy from those people only....Make Sense????

It used to be a FAIR--a conglomeration of things thrown together willy-nilly, and THAT was the beauty of it. Fortune tellers reminiscent of Maria Ouspenskaya to marvel at. Now, it is all paved, sanitized and politically correct. It is the classic example of things being reduced to the lowest common denominator...then washed clean and prices raised to prohibitive levels. I suspect it will not long endure...it has nothing to offer anymore but rides. Maybe it will become the Traveling Ride-A-Thon with loud discordant truck horns blaring constantly...no more Bobby Vee concerts....

[papaOU]

I went top the Texas State Fair for the Cotton Bowl, something I have done often. Two of the things I look forward to is the Dr. Pepper and brats. Large brats covered with grilled onions and peppers. Not found at the fairgrounds to be had anywhere. Second best place for the sandwich is Arrowhead in KC. Don't think I'll be going there anytime soon. D.P. in the stadium, same at OU. No dang D.P. found anywhere. Realized that D.P. is no longer a "sponsor" of the game or the fair.
What has happened to "tradition"?

[jmarkross]

I went top the Texas State Fair for the Cotton Bowl, something I have done often. Two of the things I look forward to is the Dr. Pepper and brats. Large brats covered with grilled onions and peppers. Not found at the fairgrounds to be had anywhere. Second best place for the sandwich is Arrowhead in KC. Don't think I'll be going there anytime soon. D.P. in the stadium, same at OU. No dang D.P. found anywhere. Realized that D.P. is no longer a "sponsor" of the game or the fair.
What has happened to "tradition"?

Reminds me of being in NYC one dreadfully hot August night (MUCH more oppressive than OK, in my opinion) and wandering into a Bleecker Street Italian-American Festival and getting sausage and peppers there from vendors--a culinary orgy it was--needed near-fatal doses of antacids after midnight, but worth the anguish... :P

[papaOU]

Reminds me of being in NYC one dreadfully hot August night (MUCH more oppressive than OK, in my opinion) and wandering into a Bleecker Street Italian-American Festival and getting sausage and peppers there from vendors--a culinary orgy it was--needed near-fatal doses of antacids after midnight, but worth the anguish... :P

You had to look hard at the OK fair to find all items being grilled together. I hate one there and before I went home I purchased another to take home. Glad I did.

[jmarkross]

You had to look hard at the OK fair to find all items being grilled together. I hate one there and before I went home I purchased another to take home. Glad I did.

I live in the old (116 years) home built by my great-great grandparents and have my grammy's 1952 Chambers Model 90-C cook-stove in the kitchen...sometimes one simply must fry up your own favorites in order to ever get them again...food has gone politically correct...come take me Lord--I'm ready....

[whorton]

Dave spells it out below. . HOWEVER, I am still dismayed about it. Thinking seriously about putting a bug in a few state senators and representatives ears to MOVE THE STATE FAIR TO TULSA. . .

Maybe that would wake up the OKC bunch about what they are loosing.

OK State Fair attendance used to near 1 million every year back in the day.

I could go on a SERIOUS rant here, but I'll condense it to say that the powers-that-be all but destroyed the fair about five or six years ago when someone decided they had to "upscale" it away from its "funnel cake and corndog" image. They brought in a guy from Texas named Skip Wegner to run it, and he just tore the heart out of it - really trying to re-image the fair in the vein of the State Fair of Texas in Dallas. Since then, they stopped reporting attendance figures because they're down.

They raised booth rents across the board, chased out a bunch of traditional vendors, and we lost some gems like the Junior Hospitality Sub Sandwich booth years ago. When I asked one vendor where all the traditional "stuff" was, she was nearly in tears, saying "they're wanting to redo the fair, and they're ruining it. Please tell someone. They won't listen to us."

They ruined the Made in Oklahoma bulding with this "Agtropolis" nonsense, ripped out the cannas and the 14 Flags plaza, just tore the place apart. Wegner left several years ago, but the damage has been done. I'm not sure it will ever be the same. We had a chance to implement some necessary improvements, but ripped out vital organs in the process.

Our family used to go to the fair at least twice a year, but now we're doing well to get there once due to the ticket and parking price increases, the elimination of discount tickets once the fair starts...alas...

Understand there may have been some administrative issues that needed to be fixed, but what it was compared to what it is represents a great deal more than an "administrative fix."

Rant off.

[Pete]

Tulsa already has a state fair and draws about the same attendance as OKC.