Sept. 8, 2025
We Are The Hanson Family Adventure To The Fair
Life with a big family means every outing turns into an adventure! In this episode of We Are the Hansons, we share some of our favorite family outings—from simple day trips to unforgettable experiences. With 13 kids in tow, every outing is packed with laughter, chaos, and special moments that remind us why family time matters most. Whether it’s a trip to the park, a local fair, or just exploring new places together, we talk about the joys, challenges, and the priceless memories made along the way.
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You know what, I've realized some of our strongest memories
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aren't made in our living rooms or around our kitchen tables.
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They're made in the dust of a county fairground or
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on the bleachers of a roaring racetrack, surrounded by people
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you love most. Hi. I'm Maya Hanson, and today we
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are the Hansons. We're talking about the importance of family outings,
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those annual traditions that weave generations together and give our
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kids stories they'll carry on the rest of their lives.
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Family outings aren't just about where you go, they're about
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the rhythm and ritual of going. When kids know that
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every year, no matter what, you'll all pack up and
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head to that same fare, the same racetrack, and the
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same campground, it creates a sense of continually in a
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world that's constantly shifting. Psychologists even talk about this, that
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predictable family rituals reduce stress, increase happiness, and give children
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a sense of security. And you don't need a scientific
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study to know it's true. Just look at your own
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kids' faces when they hear the words it's time for us.
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It's time comes every labor Day weekend, while the rest
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of the country is winding down summer with barbecues. Our
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family splits into two adventures we've been faithfully keeping over
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thirty years. For me and the girls, it's the Walworth
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County Fair. The moment we step through those gates, there's
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this wave of familiarity. The smell of kettle corn, the
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sound of a fiddle contest on the midway, and the
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way the lights of the ride start to glow as
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the sun dips behind the barn. Girls make a beeline
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for the animals. They want to pet every goat, everybody,
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every calf. Then, of course it's the food. Funnel cakes
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dusted with powdered sugar, corn dogs dripping with mustard lemonade
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so sweet it makes your teeth ache. But here's the secret.
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It's not really about the food or the rides. It's
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about us. About watching them laugh so hard their cheeks hurt,
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About sharing those rides that made me squeal as a kid,
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About telling them when I was your age, Grandma used
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to take me here too. Tradition is a way of
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handing our kids a piece of our own story. At
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the Walworth County Fair, I feel that thread tying me
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to my past and them to their future. Meanwhile, Jeremy
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and the boys are off to Crandon, Wisconsin every Labor Day.
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They meet up with Grandpa and brother in law, nephews,
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and all the family friends who are a part of
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this men's tradition. The World Championship off Road races aren't
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just a sporting event. They're a right of passage. The
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roar of engines, the smell of fuel, the dirt clinging
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to their faces and jeans. It's rugged, it's loud, and
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it's adrenaline filled, and it's theirs. Even though I'm not there,
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I love knowing that our sons are soaking in this
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tradition that they'll always remember the weekends with their dad
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and their grandpa sitting shoulder to shoulder watching the trucks
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fly of family outings. They don't have to look the
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same for everyone. For us, the girls get the fair,
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the boys get the races, and both get something that
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roots them in family history. Think about it. Thirty years
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is a long time. Jobs have changed, schools have changed,
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houses have calm and gone, people have moved, grown aged,
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But through all of that, the Walworth County Fair and
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Crandon have stayed the same. When our kids look back.
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They may remember every homework assignment, every ordinary Saturday, but
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they will remember the ferris wheel, the funnel cakes, the
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dust on their boots at the track, and the way
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Dad cheered for his favorite driver. And one day when
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their parents, maybe they'll bring their kids to these same places,
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because that's how traditions live on, not just in memory,
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but in repetition. One of the most powerful parts of
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family outings is that they aren't just events. They become
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memories that transform in traditions, and these traditions they become
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the building blocks of our children's identity. When you take
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your kids to the same place every year, whether it's
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a fairground, a racetrack, a lake, or a cabin in
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the woods, you're doing more than filling a weekend. You're
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teaching them this is who we are, this is what
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we do, and this is what matters to us. I
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can already see my girls. They don't just remember the
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funnel cakes or the ferris wheel at the fair. They
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remember holding my hand. They remember the way the lights
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glow at dusk. They remember that Mom always buys them
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cotton candy, even though she swore last year she wouldn't.
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These tiny details, the ones that feel ordinary to us
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become the makers of childhood, and when those memories are
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repeated year after year, they become traditions. Psychologists tell us
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that family traditions give kids three essential things, security, identity,
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and joy. Security because children thrive on predictability, knowing that
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every year will go to the fair or the racetrack
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reassures them that some things in life don't change. Because
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traditions tell them you belong here, You're part of this story,
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it builds pride in who they are and where they
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come from. And joy because these moments are fun. They
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break up routine, fill kids with excitement, and create anticipation
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that lasts for weeks beforehand. Studies even show that kids
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who grow up with strong family rituals often have better
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self esteem, stronger relationships, and even improved academic performance, all
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because someone cared enough to say this matters, let's do
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it together. What's beautiful is how kids carried these memories forward.
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They might not remember the exact toy they wanted the fair,
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but they'll remember the feeling of winning it with their cousins.
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They may not recall every race result, but they'll never
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forget the sound of the engines vibrating in their chest
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while sitting next to their dad and grandpa. And one day,
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when they're adults, these traditions will be the stories they tell.
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They say every Labor Day, my mom took me to
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the fair, or every year I sat with my dad
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in the bleachers at Crandon, and maybe, just maybe they'll
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pass these same traditions down to their own children. That's
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when you know you've done something bigger than plan and outing.
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You've built a legacy. Here's the bigger truth. Family outings
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matter because they create identity. They remind us that we
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belong to something bigger than ourselves. And no, they don't
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have to be bigger or expensive. Maybe for your family,
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it's camping in the same state park every summer. Maybe
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it's the town parade. Maybe it's pizza night at the
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same spot every Friday. Whatever it is, do it and
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keep doing it, because one day those little outings won't
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just be days on the calendar. They'll be the heartbeats
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of their memories. For us, Labor Day isn't Labor Day
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without the Walworth County Fair or Crandon World Championship Races.
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Two different places, two different vibes, but the same purpose.
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Keeping us connected, grounded, and together. I encourage you to
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think about your own traditions. What's your family's fair, what's
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your Crandon, And if you don't have one yet, maybe
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this is the year to start. Thank you for spending
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time with me. Today we are the Hansons. I'm Maya Hanson,
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and this week I'll be eating funnel cakes with my
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girls under the fairlights, and somewhere a few hours north,
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Jeremy will be cheering as the trucks fly past, both
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of us living in the middle of the story we've
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been writing for decades. Until next time, keep your traditions
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alive and keep your family close. Include and cleane and
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clean
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