State Fair Easter eggs

In the parlance of computer software, an "Easter Egg" is a joke or feature hidden in the software itself, only available by performing a certain action or, in the case of games, achieving a certain goal. I found a lot of "Easter Eggs" at the State Fair this year, neat things that popped up as I wandered around.

-- "Barrel Monster" up the hill behind the Home and Garden Show.

-- Beside Barrel Monster, a giant deck chair where you can take pictures for free. I find this particularly Easter eggy because there's a giant chair on the "new midway" where you can have your picture taken -- for a fee.

-- The cutest white tiger cub in the area between the Kerr Scott Building and the "New Midway". (You can have your picture taken with him for a fee. Looking at him and making gooshy noises is free.)

-- A food booth in Kiddieland where you can get a frozen Twinkie, covered in chocolate, on a stick.

-- The women's restroom in the Village of Yesteryear which has a rhyme on every stall door.

-- The NC products tent outside the Kerr Scott building has a large pirate-themed display in the middle. (Arrrrgriculture.) If you look up at the top of the display you'll see Patrick the Starfish, from Spongebob Squarepants, next to the pirate flag. Also eggy: the can of Cheerwine next to the cannon. ("Arr, lads! Ferget the grapeshot! Load the Cheerwineshot!")

-- The beautifully-painted rain barrels behind the Green NC tent.

-- The incredibly odd game on the midway that features a (yes, real live) mouse on a spinning table. The table has holes around its edge. Fifty cents lets you bet on which hole the mouse goes through to escape being on the table, and the winner gets choice of stuffed animal. I don't recall ever seeing that game before. (Animal lovers will be happy to know that the booth also has a sign explaining the good treatment the mice get: they're fed grain products, don't work more than an hour at a time, get only fresh distilled water, etc.) I stood and watched the game, fascinated, for fifteen minutes, and never saw anybody win.

The Fair has a lot of big events that get a lot of attention (and rightly so!) But I like walking around and seeing all the little things that amuse and surprise. It's hard to believe it's almost over!