Harvest Festivals of the Modern Age

People have been harvest festival-ing for a long time. You go, see the crops, the animals, know that everyone will have enough for the winter and all is well. Sacrifice an animal, maybe a virgin and let the celebration begin. I truly believe that the modern STATE FAIR is nothing more than our modern Harvest Festival.
I have a compulsion I can't explain other than to call it an archetypal requirement to see the animals - it's imprinted on me that we need to go see. Take my family and go to the place where the products of agriculture are on display - bear witness to the health of the land.
It's a little strange, as I'm not a fan of animals or the land - well not farmland, but it makes me so happy to go and see. It really does make me feel good to know that all is well. In Florida we do it in February and I don't know why - so that feels out of kilter to me. But it's still the same experience. Baby animals abound, 4H-ers have tons of stuff on display, examples of domestic arts are bursting from the walls. All is right with the world.
So what is the sacrifice for such a good life? No more bulls up on the pyre or virgins paying the price for another good year. I'll tell you what it is. It's this.
Someone who is otherwise a FOODNAZI gorging on deep fried chocolate bars.......there is your sacrifice. We throw common sense out the window and feast and feast and feast. They used to have the feast - but it was after the sacrifices. Since sacrifice isn't really socially acceptable, the feast has become the sacrifice. Seriously, we're at a place that has TURKEY SUNDAES.....

And we're celebrating COTTON CANDY for god's sake......we're rejoicing in COTTON CANDY, don't tell me there isn't something Pagan going on here whether we know it or not.
And I'm actually okay with whatever it is going on. It makes me happy and it makes my kids happy and the crops are good and the animals are birthing and all is right with the world.