Michigan State Fair

On September 1, we decided to check out the "new" MI State Fair. Daddy and Mommy have both been to county fairs before, but never the state-wide version of the fair. We thought it made sense to skip the full ticket - too pricey, Daddy doesn't like rides so much, Mommy likes them but couldn't ride with an obviously pregnant belly, and Micah seems to take after his Daddy in things like this, so we figured he wouldn't get much enjoyment out of them. So our ticket just let us into the main indoor area, where all the animals are.

Therefore, our first order of business was to pet some animals! Micah enjoyed the goats and sheep, with a willingness to reach his hand in and pet them (provided Daddy was holding him).

The cows were a little more intimidating. He ran over briefly to touch one, but the moment was too quick for a photo.

Pigs were fun as well. And perhaps seeing both cows and pigs on this day inspired Micah's latest comedic expression...
Micah: Cow say, "moo, moo."
Mommy: That's right!
Micah: Cow say, "oink, oink."
Mommy: What?
Micah: Cow joke.

The horses were beautiful and we enjoyed a demonstration by a group of Clydesdale horses.

Moving over to the smaller animals gave Micah more confidence. He was excited to stick his fingers through the cages and pet the bunnies. He also attempted to pet a rooster... however, they are not particularly fond of little fingers in their personal space - a fact that Micah learned quickly.

Not sure what boats had to do with a state fair, but there was a selection of different boats on display as well. Micah spent a long time "driving" boats. In fact, this was probably his favorite section of the fair. (Mommy and Daddy's favorite stop was the Guernsey Ice Cream booth!)

We also checked out other interesting "made in Michigan" booths.

And rested on some hand-made wooden swings.
The Michigan State Fair was a smaller event than we expected (at least the indoor portion), but for a toddler, it was probably just right. Plus, it was air conditioned inside, so the pregnant momma was comfortable! We would likely go back and try it again with small kids. You could get a cheaper petting farm, but we figure we were supporting the MI economy this way, right?