notbob wrote:
>
> Took Mom to a downtown festival, Sat. How utterly depresssing. :|
>
> It was supposed to be the Buena Vista Gold Rush Days Festival. It looked
> more like the BV crap/food vendor rush of ought eight. We are all familiar
> with the downtown festivals of all types that purport to be of some
> social/historical origin, but are primarily to suck the funds out of every
> rube's pocket. This was right on schedule.

Yes, most festivals, food fairs, etc. generally suck donkey dong these
days. I don't waste my time on them.

>
> I got to thinking about this reading the french fry thread. Well, there's a
> new kid in town! A continous single twist-cut potato chip deep fried all at
> once and piled onto a plate like some grease-twist mountain. No doubt tasty
> for grease fiends and brilliantly easy to do. Twist cut, deep fry, and
> serve.... only FIVE FREAKIN' DOLLARS!!

Those are known as "Tornado Taters" at the TX state fair. I don't recall
the price, but they sure are a tasty heart attack in a tub, especially
topped with cheese.

>
> Sorry, I was a bit shaken, there, but I couldn't believe the prices being
> charged for food at this place. Almost nothing was less than $6!
> Hamburgers, tacos, brats, etc. Howzabout an $8 burrito?!!!! The cheapest
> thing was a simple hotdog for $4.

Must be all the fuel costs to transport stuff there, and the diesel for
the reffer trailers if the fair is big enough for those. That and
perhaps high charges for boot space from profiteering festival
promoters.

>
> These prices are more than the prices charged in a typical SFBA festival, at
> least when I left. And don't give me that "gas is expensive" crap. Gas is
> typically $.50gal less here in CO.
>
> AFter walking around for about 3 hrs and going to my van to come back and
> pick up Mom for the ride home, I passed a hot dog stand on the opposite
> corner that was there before the festival and will no doubt be there after
> the festival. All prices were 40-50% less than any stand in the festival
> for the same item. Are those food vendors jes plain greedy or are they
> getting reemed by the town?

I certainly wouldn't discount a greedy politician or two lining their
pockets.

>
> I'll not bother to get into the vendors selling plain ol' crap.

Some pretty pathetic stuff eh? I've on occasion entertained myself by
undermining a product infomercial style demo or two.