text: I had so many high hopes for the Arizona State Fair...and they were crushed the second I parked my car. To be fair, it's hard to compare anything to the Great Minnesota Get Together, but I was shocked that an event like this can last an entire month! The fair itself is not in a very appealing part of Phoenix. It's located near a lot of warehouses and there is heavy freeway traffic. Parking is easy to find but only during the day. Once the sun goes down you practically need night vision goggles to spot a traffic director. There are a lot of pan handlers who sit near the entrance which is fine but can get kind of intense. Once you are actually in the fair, you can smell animals but not actually see any...food options are repetitive with a lot of bacon covered things, funnel cakes, indian fry bread tacos, and various cuts of grilled meat. The fair is primarily rides, it's like a giant midway. If you are really into rides and carnival games, this might actually be for you. Not surprisingly, there were ridiculous fights that happened in front of small children between people you would expect to see on an episode of Jerry Springer. It made me sad for humanity.\n\nI'm not going to be a negative Nancy and only complain so here are some cool things about the fair:\n\n1. It is cheap admission, $10 and they give you a voucher for a free ticket to return. The admission also covers the admission for whoever is playing in the coliseum. We saw Colbie Caillat. Pretty cool, even though the coliseum was only a quarter full. \n\n2. Minneapple Pie serves their awesome pies and ice cream. Not surprisingly, they are transplants from Minnesota. \n\n3. The giant Ferris wheel has spectacular views of the city and the fair. Very instagram worthy.\n\nOverall, I would say this fair looks cool but falls short of being entertaining or memorable. There were times I did not feel safe...like when this guy went up to me and told me he was going to cut me up so I end up on a CSI poster...yes, that happened. My trip to Arizona was amazing and I feel like this state fair is not representative of the unique and beautiful people and places that make Arizona an amazing state. #disappointed #pleasebebetterinthefuture #rootingforyouarizonastatefair