State Fair Survival Guide: What to Bring

In situations like the fair or any live event, it's nice to bring cash. Not barely enough cash, but maybe even a little more because almost always, there's something you'll want that you didn't plan for. It's OK to splurge, it's the fair! Yes, they have ATMs on site, but they'll charge you a few bucks to use them. More and more vendors are starting to use Square to accept payment with your card on site, but it's no guarantee that they will. Just bring cash.

Any local gathering is a cesspool of germs. I'm not a germaphobe, but I also can't afford to get sick and certainly don't want my kids to get sick. They do have wash stations around the fair, especially around the barns and the petting zoo areas, but when it comes to your kids riding the rides, then going straight from holding onto a merry-go-round pole to eating an elephant ear ... yeah, bring hand sanitizer. Cleaning wipes, too, whether it's Clorox wipes or even baby wipes.

All of my children have outgrown the stroller, but we will sometimes bring it. Not to keep our kids from walking around, but for a place to put our stuff. We tried using backpacks, but the stuff we bought ends up getting crushed more often than not, so we just whip out our stroller and use it for storage. It's also nice because even my legs get tired from walking around all day. It's nice to have that support.

Comfortable shoes for walking. A jacket, just in case -- and it never hurts to wear a hat. Especially if the sun is shining. Even though summer is almost over, I'll still wear sunscreen.

This is something that's saved me a lot of trouble. I'll admit that I don't have the best brushing habits, but the last thing I want to do is walk around all day when I have corn stuck between my teeth and nothing I can do about it. As a just-in-case, bring something to keep your teeth comfortable so you're not so hyper-focused on trying to remove it with whatever's available. We want you to enjoy the fair!

Outside food and drink is allowed at the fair, but fair food is one of the reasons I visit. Although they have a few drinking fountains and I often grab one of those giant slushies to walk around with, I still want to make sure I have clean water available at all times. Not just for drinking, but for cleaning my kids, too, as needed.