By Charly SHELTON

It’s the time of year for farm animals, carnival rides and deep frying everything that legally counts as food. That’s right: it’s time for the LA County Fair.

The Los Angeles County Fair is back at the Pomona Fairplex from now through May 29. Now taking place in the spring instead of the traditional summer schedule, the cooler days of May are a much better time to enjoy the fair than in September.

The farm showcase is among the highlights of the Fair. In many other parts of the country, or even other parts of the state, seeing farm animals may not be such a wild occasion. But in a city as big as LA, seeing a live cow or pig is almost as rare as seeing a zebra or giraffe – animals relegated to zoos or special events. At the Fair visitors can see goats, cows, chickens, sheep and pigs up-close and personal, and even see cows during milking demonstrations. For those who want to take the farm experience home, fresh milk is also available for purchase. And seeing the kids react to the animals in the massive sheep-filled petting zoo is just as fun as seeing the animals themselves.

The carnival-style rides and games are always fun, the halls of shopping and art displays can easily be a full day on their own, and the chair lift across the Fairplex is a classic Fair activity not to be missed. But the food, of course, is the real star of the show. Everything is deep-fried, including Twinkies, Oreos, S’mores, cookie dough, avocados, ice cream, bacon-wrapped pickles, bacon-wrapped chicken legs and frog legs. And that’s just at Chicken Charlie’s.

Chicken Charlie’s at the LA County Fair is a formative experience for this reporter. Just weeks after launching this paper, I was invited to the Fair to try some of the food offerings including a sample of Chicken Charlie’s newest creations. At 19, I was unaware of my limits and ate everything that was put in front of me, including the Krispy Kreme Triple Decker burger – three beef patties and three slices of cheese sandwiched between two Krispy Kreme donuts as buns. I ate two of these burgers in addition to all the rest of the food that was offered to me. I had never been so happy. But about three hours later, I had never been so sick. I still maintain that it was completely worth it and I don’t regret a thing.

That said, I am now older and more responsible. I have learned my limits. I am a father now and have to set a good example for my son, who came with me to the Fair this year. So when I came to Chicken Charlie’s this time, I took it easy and passed on the Krispy Kreme Triple Decker. Instead, I got the Krispy Kreme Chicken Sandwich, which is a single decker of deep-fried chicken breast drizzled with honey and stuffed inside a Krispy Kreme jelly donut. It still satisfies that craving for ridiculous food, but leaves me with room enough in my stomach to also have a deep- fried Twinkie.

And a chile relleno burrito.

And chips.

And a corn dog.

And later, some fresh milk.

And also ice cream.

The point is, I didn’t feel sick.

The Fair has something for everyone, from the animal lover to the foodie and everyone in between.

So grab your friends, family and some Pepto Bismol and head over to the LA County Fair to make some unforgettable memories this spring. More information can be found at LACountyFair.com.