A preliminary tally of the canned goods donated by State Fair attendees Thursday showed the take was about 5 percent less than last year's record.

You may remember Mary Jo Stephenson's lamps from last year's Fair. In 2010 you could find them, but they were way in the back of the garden area, put very close together. This year they're a more integrated into the garden area, set up along a path which is called a "garden walk" but which I'd call a "lamp walk."

Tired of fried things at the Fair? Hankering for something tasty and sweet, but not on a stick? Perhaps you want a cupcake. This year at the Fair, you have two options: one inside and one out.

Several days of the Fair have gone by and it's a good time to take a look at the attendance and see if Steve Troxler is going to get his million.