Photos by Toby Sells
The only thing between my family and liftoff into outer space was a burlap sack.
We had just climbed the stairs of the massive “State Fair Fun Slide” at the Mid-South Fair, open until Sunday, October 2nd, at the Landers Center in Southaven. Below us, the fair’s midway gleamed like a small city built for fun and paved in neon. Ahead of us, the slide’s multi-colored tongues undulated back to Earth. Those slides have been for years a mainstay of fairs like the Mid-South Fair. There’s a reason for that.
The slides’ enormous size and height make them out of the ordinary, transporting guests to an experience they can’t get, say, on their local playground. The bumps along the way give you a body-and-tummy-floating liftoff you won’t get there either (even with a burlap sack beneath you). The four slots make the slides a family experience. The simplicity of the thing makes it a wholesome thrill.
This is all an example of why families pay money for the fair.
Before you head out to Landers Center, though, here are a few things I wished my family had known before we got there:
First thing to remember: the weather
The air was unseasonably cool on our Thursday visit, a surprising and welcome surprise. So, the first thing I’d check before leaving home is the weather. We wished we’d brought hoodies but we were perfectly fine in shorts and T-shirts.
Next thing to remember: leave your purse at home
The next thing to remember before a visit to the Mid-South Fair is to leave your big purse, bag, fanny pack, pocket book, backpack, messenger bag, or any other carrying container at home. The fair has a strict clear bag policy serious enough that it dominates the top of the fair’s website.
Here’s what allowed:
• clear bags under 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches
• one-gallon Ziploc bags
• small "clutch" purses, no larger than four-and-a-half inches by six-and-a-half inches
Here’s what’s not allowed:
• any bags larger than 12 inches by six inches by 12 inches. This includes briefcases, duffel bags, cooler bags, backpacks, binocular/camera bags/cases, and rolling luggage.
I outline this because it is strictly enforced. My wife had to walk her purse back to the car.
Next thing: Size Wize
Different rides have different height requirements, of course. As a shortcut, the fair has a Size Wize system to help you make decisions on rides before you even think about standing in line. Check your kid’s height when you first walk in and look for the blue-and-pink Size Wize charts posted before each ride.
Hint: Smaller children will be happier in the “Kiddieland” section of the midway and not be tempted by the big rides they can’t yet get on.
Next thing: Prices
Fair prices should not shock anyone who has been to a fair. The company has brought a whole world of entertainment to your doorstep after all. Remember this before you scoff at a $15 turkey leg.
Here are a few prices to help you gauge your experience:
Tickets: $7-$12
Ride wristbands: $20-$30
Large corn dog: $8
Lemonade: $8
Bottled water: $4
Funnel cake: $8
Small cotton candy: $7
Snow cone: $5
Knock over the milk bottles game: one ball, $6; three balls, $12
Basketball: two balls, $6; five balls $12
Camel rides: $10
Most vendors along the midway (even the games) now have card readers. But ATMs are still located throughout the fairgrounds.
Next thing: other shows
Rides and food are fair classics, of course. But the Mid-South Fair has a huge list of other attractions that are fun and free (with the price of admission, of course).
These include:
• Aussie Kingdom
• Fearless Flores Circus
• Megamorph Transforming Car
• Nature Nick
• Parakeet Experience
• Petting zoo
• Pig races
• Sea Lion Splash (yes, real sea lions)
• Wolves of the World
• a concert stage filled with new artists
Our experience was wonderful, everything you’d hope a trip to the fair would be. The sights of the blinking lights, the smells of the fried food mingled with those candied nuts, the view from the top of the Ferris wheel, the sounds of children squealing in delight mixed with the rapid-fire come-ons from the midway barkers, victorious hands raised when prizes were won, and smiles on faces as we headed back to the car.