You're dropped off at the MN State Fair. Describe your day.
August 21, 2024 | Sparkle Wednesday
The Great Minnesota Get-Together, aka The MN State Fair, starts tomorrow. Where did the summer go? From my POV, the fair elicits a wide range of reactions. Some love it, some hate it, and for some, it's just a big ol' meh. Where are you on the spectrum?
When I was a little kid, our family went to the fair. Our fair experience, however, wasn't only about the food. We leave the house early and spend the whole day at the fair. My mom would pack a cooler full of sandwiches and fruit. With five kids, food at the fair adds up. For us, it was all about the animals and the arts & crafts. My brother did the "all you can drink milk" at the Dairy building, and we'd take a breather by catching some talent at the Bandstand.
When Jackson and Leo were younger, we'd typically head out to the fair for a few hours in the evening. We'd always start with a bucket of french fries and the Skyride, where we'd head to Carnes Avenue, named after Norris Carnes, and take a photo.
I haven't been to the fair since BC (before Covid). I'm considering going this year, but I’m on the fence. Do me a favor and convince me to go or stay home. If I go, my day will likely look something like this.
The Skyride with something on a stick.
The Creative Activities Building to see crafts and baked goods!
The Ag-Hort-Bee Building to see crop art and plants and have some honey ice cream and/or a flight of local beer.
International Bazaar to sample some olives, buy a hot sauce, and music.
If it’s hot, the water raft ride to cool off.
Corn and the animals!
The Dairy Barn for shakes and malts and to watch the Princess Kay of the Milky Way get carved out of 900 pounds of butter!
The Leine Lodge for the Amateur Talent Show Contest!
A bucket o’ fries, a local beer, and a performance at The Current booth.
More music and food!
What about you? You're dropped off at the MN State Fair. Describe your day.
Ah! Don't tempt me! I wanted to fly home for the fair but can't make it this year.
I love the fair! I have a very specific list of foods that I always get, and try new foods too of course. Here's my ideal day at the fair.
As soon as I get there, I go straight to the crepe stand and get a bacon and cheese crepe. I've been getting these since I was a kid and to this day, they are still the best crepes I've ever had. After that, the order of what I get and when I get it kinda varies, but includes:
- a ride on the Skyride
- the UMN apple building for an apple cider freeze
- corn. on. the. cob.
- a beer at the beer gardens to walk around with
- and I always finish my fair trip with a big bucket of sweet martha's cookies (eat until you can close the bucket with the lid and bring the rest home!)
If I were dropped off at the MN State Fair, I would take an Uber to the Walker Museum to catch the Keith Haring exhibit, have the lunch I packed in the sculpture garden, take a walk, and then write until they made me leave. 😉💜