Nostalgia, that excited feeling you get for something you used to do or something that comes up from your childhood. I had a dose of not so good nostalgia today. Every year around March and April, Miami-Dade County has its annual County Fair. I’ve been going to this fair pretty much since I have been tall enough to ride the rides. It was like the second-best thing after Disney World. There were rides, food, games, shows, and exhibits. Pretty much everything every other fair has. It was amazing! We’d spend hours there doing everything we can, mostly waiting in lines but, those are the main attractions anyway. I still remember the jingle on the commercial and how it would set such joy in my heart.
However, the older I got the more it changed. About 10 years ago my body started acting weird when I’d get on the rides. I remember 2 years in a row laying in the first aid booth with a massive headache after riding “The Orbit”. It’s a ride that spins around in the air. I feel like, after that, my body started to reject the carnival rides. After that second year, I stopped riding any of the rides and started looking more at the exhibits, shows and eating the food. And year after year the price of admission and food started to slowly go up. Within a year it jumped from $7 to $14 just to get in. This year is the year I truly believe that I am done.
First, the price of the food is ridiculous now. I remember when an “Elephant Ear” cost $4, it’s $7 now; last year it was $6. The size is still the same. Second, though I don’t get on the rides, there are A LOT fewer rides this year. I feel like there are more fun houses and games than rides and that wasn’t the case before. Third, the exhibits have become painfully, plain. Last year we spent about 30-45 minutes looking at the animal exhibit. This year, we spent about 15 minutes. It was basically empty. Then there are the sales vendors. They used to have wall to wall vendors inside the exhibit building, this time, there was a whole empty section. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I think what the real nail in the coffin was the fact that you must pay $10-$20 for parking. We have never paid for parking to attend the fair, ever. It’s not like it’s a real parking lot, we’re parked in the grass.
Overall, it was just bad. I didn’t buy any food, the exhibits were lackluster, the parking situation was crazy. I just don’t know anymore. It’s funny, I think a lot of people have been turned off as well. The place was so desolate today. Usually, as we’re leaving, the place would be packed, this time, it was like a ghost town. I think I am done with this place. I have no reason to come back next year. I still have my good memories from when we were kids, I don’t want to taint them with my bad experiences as an adult. Some nostalgia should just stay in the past.
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