Hardee County Fair in Wauchula, FL

© Oscar G. Davila/Getty Image

Step right up!. It's fair season

Looking at this photo, you can practically smell the fairy floss, hear the sonic blend of rides, carnival games and music, and taste the sugary fried food (maybe even feel your arteries clogging). Smaller fairs like this one in Hardee County, Florida, lead up to larger state fairs in most areas. August is the most popular month for US state fairs, though a handful are in July, and some southern states have them during cooler months. Fairs weren't always about rides and outrageously fattening foods, though. Long before anyone figured out how to fry a stick of butter, there were celebrations of agriculture and livestock, and those traditions continue to this day.