As a kid, I remember the excitement I felt while driving past the Sunset Plaza and seeing the carnival getting set up. All of a sudden that empty section of the parking lot became the hottest spot in town!
In a kids eyes, this is what summer is about! This is what we lived for!
Growing up in Nebraska, we didn’t have the beach or fancy amusement parks at our beck and call. We had the annual carnival. And, it never disappointed us! It was the highlight of the summer! We appreciated it 100%!
I remember being so fascinated by all of the colorful lights as well as the sounds and smells of the carnival. The happy laughter, the thrilling screams, the smell of popcorn and funnel cakes and cotton candy.
There was so much going on. But, I was determined to take it all in and enjoy every single minute of it!
This past summer the fair came to Hawaii.
As you can imagine, bringing all of those carnival rides across the ocean to this tiny island is quite the job. To make it worth while, our fair in Honolulu, lasts a full month!
My husband was gone, so it was just the kids and I that attended. Seeing their faces light up brought me right back to my childhood and I just KNEW it was going to be a great night!
We started out with our favorite…the ferris wheel! We love trying to see as far away as we can and pointing out the buildings we recognize. Watching the sunset hit the horizon was incredible!
My little lady bug spent the most time in the petting zoo with her favorite animal…the piggies. She is convinced God made them Pink because that’s one of her favorite colors! Even though I didn’t grow up on a farm, being around all of these farm animals made me miss Nebraska and those summers we would spend on my grandma’s farm in Butte, NE. My uncle had a hog farm and another uncle raise milk cows. My mom tells me that, my first visit to their farms I didn’t know which animals were which and they teased us that we were “city slickers.” So, I had to make sure my kids knew what animal was what before we go back for a visit! haha
As the night wore on and the sun set, the real feel of the carnival erupted. The lights all shined brightly and the cotton candy machine was up and running at full force!
Even, I got caught up in the moment! I had the kids laughing so hard when I acted like Santa and was singing, Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas in Hawaiian)
It was such a special night. A night full of memories we will cherish forever. It means the world to me to have these moments with my little minions. I had more fun than I thought I would!
I guess we all need to act like a kid from time to time!
With Aloha,
Lacy
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Adventures of a Busy Mom 
I was lucky enough to grow up near a small fairground and when I was younger that was the place we’d go to hang out, but the special fair in my life was the travelling fair that still comes every year for a week in June – the biggest travelling fair in Europe. I haven’t been for a few years now, but I still recall the sounds and smells and sights of the fair.
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I’m glad this brought back those fun memories for you! It’s making me crave a funnel cake 😂
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I was just talking to my boss about creating similar memories for my kids to the ones that I had growing up; like camping, and road trips etc. Thanks for sharing!
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Isn’t it fun to get a chance to relive childhood again with our kids?
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Yes it definitely is!
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