I don’t know how grand it was, but the 2025 Alaska State Fair is over. I’m no more tired than I am working in the former banquet room of the historic Eagle Hotel. It’s the same work, but there is more of it because I have been working in a different venue.

Today my friend and BLBP board member Vicki did things a little differently, and this worked out just fine. I was the first one at work. I was the first one most days. Melina and her two children and a Kid’s Kupboard volunteer came in the door as I was packing up the cart. The barn was getting top heavy with our partners’ numbers, so when Vicki arrived, I suggested, and she agreed, that we take off. My reasoning was that the people were not coming to us, so we needed to go to them.

I put signs on the cart, and again filled it with books. The plan was to go to each of the newspaper boxes, and there we would pass out books. Also, to take photos of each of the boxes. This turned out to be a very good plan. We did what I call the Red Trail route, stopping to talk to people that Vicki and I knew and did not know.

Petting Zoo Box

There was not much action near the Alpine Historical Park box because the fairgoers were just getting in the ticket entrance, so we moved on downstream, to the reptile box. We parted company with a lot of books there.

Then it was on to the Erwin, Hoskins, and Mat-Su College cabin boxes. At the Erwin building, where the quilts are, the two people on stilts appeared and entered the building. I got a few photos. Next, we stocked the Raven Box ,which is located adjacent to Raven Hall, and after, the Petting Zoo and Bee Booth boxes.

The entire route I was putting books on differing subjects in the boxes because we ran low. The next time, if there is a next time, I am going to make sure I have enough books on hand for all the days of the fair. I fell a little short this year, which was just like last year.

Vicki and I also took the time to check out the ag building, and checked out the goats, sheep, and beef animals. Very sad, the owners of most of these animals had signs thanking their market purchasers. So off go animals that are now pets to the butcher. This is not right. Animals that have been treated extremely kind are now going to have their throats slit. This didn’t used to bother me as much as it does now.

We cut across the parking lot, got a photo of my friend Pam with her recycling box, and then spent some time in the Eckert Garden, which my friend Becky tends to.

When we were done, we returned to the hotel and talked with people coming in the door. I discovered that I much preferred being outside.

Next: 237. 9/2/25: The Post Fair Boogie Woogie Blues