Saturday, December 14, 2019

Fourth Avenue Street Fair

Yesterday we went to the 4th Ave Street Fair.  We go on Fridays because the crowds are smaller.  It makes it easier to walk, but you miss a lot of the good people watching.  We've noticed an increase in the older demographic on Fridays, they're not nearly as interesting as the college students.  This year there was an increase in non-craft vendors such as DISH satellite television, GEICO, a hot tub outfit, and such.  The people staffing the tents were not shy about hollering at people to come in and switch their services.  Sure, I will go to a street fair and switch all my insurance policies because I enjoyed your spiel.

Anyway, I gripe about this every time we park in the parking garage near campus, and this year will be no exception.  How much student housing does the UofA need? Half of what you see here is new.  The Islamic Center (look center photo) is being surrounded by students.  The new building on the right does not appear to have balconies.  That may be (and I'm guessing here) due to students dropping things from their balconies on the left.


Here is another one going up.


On to the street fair.  The pink thing being worn by the young woman was kind of cool.  You can pull the sides up if it's hot and ventilation is required.


As always, there is terrible food to be had.  All of it is boiled in oil.  Looking at the bottom of the sign, you see "carne asada fries."  These have been popping up everywhere.  It's a plate full of fries with meat all over it.


Exemplars of food that has been boiled in oil.


Rotating large something.  We're not sure what species was involved here.


This is a 1954 Mack truck fire engine.  It was found in a lot somewhere, barely running.  The Last Alarm Foundation spent ten years restoring it to its current level of beauty.  They use it to transport family members of firefighters who have died to their final resting place.  It's pretty impressive how much they were able to bring the vehicle back.


Caruso's is still here.  It was here when I was here in the early 80s.  Also, look at the color of that sky.  Yesterday was a good day.


This was seen on the way back home.  The university has bull dozed yet another block of businesses to build more student housing.


Today we got the road bikes out and did a puny flat eighteen miles.  It was predictably demoralizing since we haven't ridden since August.

10 comments:

  1. "When the moon hits your eye like a great pizza pie..."
    Been a long time since pizza was called pizza-pie.

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  2. We have the same issue with a lot of student accommodation being built. Four months off the bike is a long time and you can loose bike fitness quickly. You'll soon get it back.

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  3. I know the sore muscles of which you speak!! Ohhh deep fried stuff!! SO good for you!!! I wonder if the school has enough rooms to teach all those kids living in all those buildings. Sad they are taking businesses out of business. Cute skirt, but I'm afraid it wouldn't look so cute on me! LOL

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  4. Fair/festival foods are always the worst - and always fried, even things that shouldn't be like pickles or sugar cubes!

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  5. Love the Caruso's sign. Does the neon still light up?

    That DOES seem like an excessive amount of housing. Except that kids nowadays apparently want to live on their own, without roommates. When I was in a dorm, we all had roommates. I'm not sure that's still true.

    I feel my blood vessels clogging up just LOOKING at those pictures of the carnival food!

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  6. Your statement about switching insurance at a street fair made me laugh out loud. It looks like U of A is growing as much as ASU. There are new buildings going up constantly. I missed the Tempe Arts and Crafts festival this year. A friend and I were planning on going on Sunday but it ended up raining all day long. I'll catch it in the spring when it comes back. I haven't gone in a few years so it will be fun to go again. I won't buy any insurance though!

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  7. smaller crowds on Fridays....probably that's why the "older demographic" pick Friday eh? Love the refurbished fire truck....a beautiful job! Oh that blue sky, how I miss it.

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  8. that sky is gorgeous. I love blue sky days. and I say the hunks of meat on the spit is lamb. just because.

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  9. Eighteen miles sounds good to me! Lovely to be out under blue skies.

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  10. No shame in riding eighteen miles, especially after a layoff. That is a decent ride for me here in the Yucatan. It's flat, but wind is always a factor.

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