I had a blast at the state fair this year, but there were two factors that helped...
1. We went on a Wednesday evening so it wasn't super crowded
2. Between 5-7pm, the rides and games were $2 so we didn't have to spend a lot. I think the big ferris wheel is normally $10 and the water ride is $7, which isn't quite worth all that. BUT at $2, it was great.
3. Parking was not outrageous. I heard some people paid $20+ for parking on prime days! That's ridiculous.
In total, we spent 3 hours there. We walked around and looked at all the booths and saw some performances. There was even a petting zoo with cute baby goats! There were a variety of vendors. In the end, we shared a fry bread, and it was good....and yes expensive ($12?). We rode a few rides. It was just a nice way to spend a few hours outside.
If everything were to be full priced.... hmm, I think it would rate it 3 stars instead.