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Racing monkeys, elephant treks - fair has it all
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BOBO AND FRIEND: Phillip Hendricks and Bobo take a break from the Banana Derby, an attraction featuring monkeys riding dogs, on Friday, Oct. 10, 2008, the first day of the Arizona State Fair. Hendricks takes Bobo to fairs around the country.
Cronkite News Service
The Arizona State Fair hadn't been open for an hour Friday when Dixie Saunders spilled a red drink on her white shirt. But that didn't ruin her day, and it didn't keep her from looking at exhibits of orange and red papier-maché bowls children made in hopes of winning a blue ribbon.
"We come every year," Saunders said before heading toward the photography exhibits.
Not far away, Shannon Thomas watched her two teenage daughters rocking back and forth atop an elephant.
"It's neat because you don't get to see these things every day," she said.
The fair, which runs through Nov. 2 at the Arizona State Fairgrounds just west of downtown Phoenix, features its usual mix of modern rides, A-list entertainment, games, deep-fried food and sugary treats, as well as homespun contests that have kept people coming to the fair for generations.
Rosemary English has been traveling here from Aztec, N.M., for four years now to show her boer goats. She didn't know how things would turn out when judges got around to assessing whether her goats have the straight legs, long groins and height of champions.
"You never know. One day you show first, the next day you get second," she said.
People interested in less traditional animal exhibits can visit the Paws & Claws zone, featuring attractions such as Welde's Big Bear Show, which gives its audience an up-close look at grizzly bears and information about theanimals.
Not as educational, but perhaps a little more fun, is the Banana Derby, in which Phillip Hendricks and his wife, Aneliya, saddle monkeys on dogs and let fairgoers watch them race.
Phillip Hendricks said he can't take credit for the idea. It was all his pet monkey Bobo's.
"We were having breakfast one morning and I looked out the window and saw Bobo riding around on one of the dogs," Hendricks said.
Here are key facts about the Arizona State Fair:
When: Lasts through Sunday, Nov. 2. Closed on Mondays.
Where: State Fairgrounds, 19th Avenue and McDowell Road in Phoenix.
Admission: Adults, $12; children (ages 5-13), $6; seniors (age 55 and older), $6; children under 5, free.
Parking: $12.
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