I guess I'm kind of "city folk" because I had never been to a fair like this before but... it was really something. A real "slice of life" that is great for people watching.
We went after a Cubs spring training game and checked out the food (deep fried anything and everything!), the entertainment (pig races! and livestock! and Ostrich Festival Idol!) and the rides (umm... nothing I was daring enough to try.) We paid a dollar to see the biggest fattest pig, we shopped a little, we ate a little, we watched people playing ridiculous games to win ridiculous stuffed animals, and we had a good time.
Did it have that feeling like, everything cost an extra dollar? Sure it did. But that's ok, it was still fun. If I lived here, I'd go to this every year. If not to participate, at least to watch the people who participate.