As usual one entrance was just past First Street on Howard Street. This year the entry donation was $10.00. Anyone who paid that amount or more received a sticker that entitled the bearer to a $1 discount on beer, wine, and food. At almost 2:00 in the afternoon the real crowds had not arrived yet.

There were people of all sizes there. From the short (including small children and dogs), to the large (including two people on stilts). From the thin (in about equal proportion)to the thick. Most folks on bicycles had to park their bicycles outside, but oddly unicycles were allowed in.

The warm afternoon attracted people of all ages. There were a goodly number of the medium to very old. The vast majority appeared to range from the mid-twenties to mid forties. Young children were there too, including babies in strollers.

An exceptionally tall street sign was set up at the intersection of Howard and Second Streets. It pointed to many locations, some of them fanciful (such as "Atlantis, 2,2000 leagues"), some of them real (such as "Black Rock City 292 Miles"). A few of the signs pointed to locations inside the Faire itself.

Despite prior weeks of rain and cold, the weather for the Faire was warm tending toward hot. A few used umbrellas and parasols for protection from the sun, others wore hats, and some wore costumes that provided shade.

The real crowds it turned out were along the Second Street corridor. This was the view looking uphill along Second Street from Howard Street. A second entrance to the faire was up that hill.

Here was a booth that prepared juice drinks. Other choices included colas, water, beer and wine. The food was the usual range of eats from grilled meat to vegetarian dishes to asian food to yummy deserts.

At the end of an alley off Second Street was a pink elephant and a pink stage. The gay leaning folk tended to hang out at this venue except for those rare moments when a line of gay men hauled fresh cut bamboo from one end of the fair to another.

At the stage labeled "Wonderland," a man stood listening to the music with a fish under his arm. Later that afternoon, that fish became a decoration atop that same stage.

These two people on stilts originally walked down Harrison toward Main Street on their way to the Fair. Here the stilted fellow shared a secret with one of the lower people.

Some people arrive in costumes while others in the background were without costume. Perhaps it was the costume itself that greeted such mirth. Or perhaps it was the alcohol and dope that was ever present.

A modest art show was on display along one side of Minna Alley north of Second Street. This was labeled "Art Alley." The art by various artists was for sale.

On a hot sunny day it was not unusual to see strange things used as protective head wear. Here was what appeared to be part of a folding chair used as a hat, and another person wearing a bowler hat. And of course in the background a golf hat.

A man dressed as a sea captain hooked his feet over the bars holding a pedestrian crossing sign and hung upside down. To impress the others of his seafaring group he drank bottled water while inverted.

A contingent of gay men carried wrapped bamboo plants overhead along a route that ran along the sidewalk of Harrison Street. Although no indication was given why, the exhibit was nevertheless very dramatic.

On Howard Street in the area on the map labeled Eden, men and women gathered to play with hula hoops. Two men arrived with a satchel full of juggling pins and began to juggle. They dropped a few pins at first, but quickly warmed up and were soon juggling six pins between them with flair and skill.

One fellow walked through the fair wearing a shirt decorated with tiny photographs of what appeared to be the different men wearing the same uniform in assorted poses. He had just turned left to head toward the stall selling hats. He had turned that way despite already wearing a fine leather hat.

The faire had become very crowded and loud. People stood in layers to listen to the music. As the foreground drifted out of focus, the background became the place for secret conversations about which we could only speculate.

Although the dance music felt endless, there were still pauses during which brief conversation became possible. Here two lovers chatted during a still moment while surrounded by constant activity.

The music at every stage was electronically produced in the heavy rhythmic style of raves. Deep bass rhythms reverberated the body while a higher faster beat drove the dancing inside the dance area. The angle of the speakers were arranged to focus almost all the sound onto the dancers.

People took turns posing atop the platform set up in the center of the intersection of Howard and Second Streets. Here was one woman with her arm raised framing the crowds of Second Street. An umbrella, a hula hoop, and a hippie shirt were among the objects visible in the crowd that afternoon.

In the center of the intersection of Howard and Second Streets was a low platform that held up a tall street sign. That platform became a handy place for many folks to take a break and rest during the course of the faire.

A jewelry booth was one of the many booths there that afternoon selling wares that ranged from clothing to bongs. This booth was one of the busier ones, with crowds around it shopping for ring, necklaces, studs, and earrings.

As the afternoon wore on, the heat from overhead sunlight became warmer and warmer. For protection from the sun, many wore hats. Here was one gentleman who not only wore a hat, but also covered his hat with a scarf.

There was no wind that afternoon so smoke from the large propane grills hung low over the crowds. Mostly meats were barbecued that afternoon, with just a scant hint of corn.