Baltimore Hon Examiner

What happens when a Hampdenite leaves Hampden you ask?

Rides on the Midway

Back in Hampden's olden days you really didn't have to leave the neighborhood for much at all. There were plenty of places to shop, eat, and work, so most people rarely left. I remember several times a year hopping on the #10 bus with my parents and going to Howard Street to go to the big department stores, in the spring we would go to the Civic Center to see the circus, and at the end of summer we went to Timonium Fair, as we always called it (most people call it the Maryland State Fair now, but while I am not sure if anyone else still calls it Timoniom Fair, that is what we call it).

The main reason we went to The Fair was for the rides. Old favorites like the Tiltawhirl, The Ferris Wheel, and The Merry Go Round are still there. There are plenty of new (in the past several years) favorites like Extreme Swing (we call The Claw for some reason, which I rate as the best new ride in years). There is also anotherbrand new ride---a wierd ride that twists, turns, and shakes you upsidedown. What it mostly does is throws you around so that you don't really enjoy much about it at all. I will say, it was fun to have my brother see me get on this crazy ride. I am still like a kid-I want to impress my friends with my daredevil feats (maybe that is the part of being a boy that never went away). 

 I decided life was too short to worry about everything so I did something  I have never done before; I took my camera to The Fair. Not only did I take my camera to The Fair, I took my camera to The Fair and I took my camera ON THE RIDES. Wow, what a great idea! I got some really great shots. The following dramatic photos were acquired on The Ferris Wheel, The Round Up, and the ride that goes up and drops.

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                   As you can see, I love the rides!    

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Timoniom Fair has something for everyone. I go for two things: the rides and the food. As you can see, I love the rides. Above is a photo of me in The Paratrooper and the other two are of my feet out if front of me on The Swing. I love to ride the rides until I am all shaken up, and then I like to go the The Food Pavilion and have one or two ears of corn and a crab cake. This year, my little cousin Luke and I got on rides until 9:30pm. When I moseyed on in to The Food Pavilion, imagine my surprise to see that they were closing up shop for the night! I did get to enjoy two corn on the cobs and a peach sundae, but unfortunately, I missed out on the crabcake. I decided I was OK with that since I missed the crabcake for ride after ride after ride! (Besides, if I really want a crabcake I can go to the diner on Middle River Road and Pulasky Highway and have the best crabcake in Baltimore---but that is another story for another day).

The following photos are of the fair at dusk. What a feast for the eyes! Breath-taking sunsets with scenes in the skies that look as if they were painted with watercolors---and all the lights of the rides.

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I got the following shot on The Extreme Swing. The ride was in motion and I was snapping photos. This photo shows 4 girls who are probably 3 stories off the ground. I was above them another couple of stories, snapping pictures the whole time!

As you can see below, Hampden was in the house!

The following photo is of a sideshow of the smallest woman. I don't know what to say about this. I went in to see her a few years ago and there was this tiny woman sitting next to a wheelchair and she had a 'donation' jar sitting next to her. I was immediately embarrased for coming in to see her. I don't think I would ever go in again but I guess if nobody ever goes in  again, she may not have a job. I am not sure how to advise you. Use your own discretion.

If you have a hankering to visit the fair you better do it soon as Labor Day Monday is the last day. And if you know anything about what ever happened to The Octopus, please let me know. I loved that ride.

Have a nice holiday!

Make sure you are on the lookout for my next article - monthly housing stats

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