I caught the end of the opening day of the Sonoma County Fair. I went with my son (10) and my daughter (3). Since my son had already been to the fair earlier in the day, I just wanted to breeze in really quickly and take a few pictures and video for you. After parking ($5 to $8), tickets to get in ($2 for the kids, $7 for me), a ride on the ferris wheel ($5 each, ouch!) and some cotton candy, I was almost wiped out of the $40 I had on me. Oh well, good thing they have ATM machines on site.

Even though the Sonoma County Fair is a little pricey, it's totally worth it because it delivers on so many levels. Quite simply, there is so much to do, you would be hard pressed to see everything there in one day. The livestock and agricultural exhibits always give the event an old-fashioned, homey feel. The Hall of Flowers was exceptional this year, complete with a large waterfall and even larger lighthouse.

But the big surprise of the day was the puppet show of Thumbelina. It's not that I'm some sort of marionette aficionado. But, I go to festivals and events just about every weekend to cover them for this website. And I'm not getting jaded, but...I am very grateful when I discover something new and wonderful. And the puppet show was fantastic. Laurie Branham and Gil Olin traveled from Mission Viejo with their Marrionette Theatre On Wheels. And they are putting on performances at the fair 3 times a day. I would imagine this sort of thing is becoming a lost art, at least at this high level. I found myself being sucked into the story line and having an appreciation for the artistry involved. Oh, I forgot, my kids loved it too.

Also of note was a band called Blue Moon. Check out the video above. It's got a little sampling of everything I have mentioned here.

So there you go! Pictures of the Hall of Flowers and yes, the puppet show can be found here.