Reader: I fully expected to be blown away

The first time doing anything is always a learning experience, and certainly Dana Cain and Tracy Weil's first go at a Denver County Fair was no exception to that rule. Cain will change a few things next year, she told us yesterday -- a bigger animal pavilion, more live competitions...

By Jef Otte

August 11, 2011

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The first time doing anything is always a learning experience, and certainly Dana Cain and Tracy Weil's first go at a Denver County Fair was no exception to that rule. Cain will change a few things next year, she told us yesterday -- a bigger animal pavilion, more live competitions and a less expensive headlining act are a few things in the works -- but overall, she said, she couldn't be happier about how it went down. So Cain's happy, but what about your average fair-goer? Reader sporobolus weighs in:

i really enjoyed the fair; much better than many "year zero" events, and overall a great reflection of down-to-earth Denver; the art show was fantastic, and it lived up to the norm for a fair that there are so many vendors and displays that the ones that bore you don't matter

i was stunned, though, by the lack of attention to food and drink -- seriously, the standard carny food didn't live up to Denver's food culture, and neither are eight dollar plastic cups of Coors and Blue Moon the best Denver has to offer; if the renting the Stock Show Complex required this state of affairs, then by all means warn us next year so that we can bring our own, and give us a map of the best nearby pubs

the other disappointment was that there was no seed art; having seen amazing examples of this genre at the Minnesota State Fair, and considering the depth of Denver's crafty and urban farmer cultures, i fully expected to be blown away by how local hipsters had gone all out remixing this venerable craft; maybe next year?

Maybe so, sporobolus, although I'd venture to suggest that the BYOB option is unlikely.

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