Nixon and wife Georgeanne at the State Fair

With the typically tranquil town hall forums turning into political carnivals, it’s no surprise Missouri politicians are searching for a more hospitable setting to peddle their partisan wares.

Look no further than the annual Missouri State Fair in Sedalia, where Missouri officials from both sides of the aisle have stopped to connect with the state’s citizenry this year.

Gov. Jay Nixon and wife Georganne helped open the annual exhibition last week, with his office later sending out a press release announcing that fair attendance is up 15 percent.

Fellow Democrat Clint Zweifel, the state treasurer, also set-up shop at the fair, literary giving away money and other unclaimed property.

On Friday, U.S. Sen. Kit Bond stopped by with a special guest: Safi Mohammad Hussein, director of Agriculture for the Nangarhar Province in Afghanistan. (Bond has supported a National Guard effort to help eradicate poppy plants in the area.)

Tomorrow, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer has announced he will join U.S. House GOP colleagues Sam Graves and Roy Blunt — a candidate for U.S. Senate — in Sedalia to discuss the potential impact of “cap and trade legislation” on Missouri farmers.

The fair runs through Sunday — wonder who else will show up.