Yippee…it is State Fair season across the country! The Minnesota State Fair has been on my bucket list for quite some time and I attended for the first time last year. Did you know the Minnesota State Fair is considered one of the top 5 fairs in the country along with Iowa, Texas, New York and Alaska? On my first day last year, I parked in one of the many suburban parking lots throughout the metro area and took the commuter bus to the fair. This is the way to go as parking is difficult close to the venue. On the second day, I attended with, who I now refer to as my “secret navigational weapon,” my Cousin Mary. She is a State Fair junkie who has attended every year for the past thirty plus years. She doesn’t just go once and be done with it for the year…oh no…she enlists any/all friends and family members she can find to accompany her for as many days as she can spare. When she starts talking about the Fair her eyes kind of glaze over, the adrenalin starts pumping and she is off describing the many “pearls of the place.” She does pro bono legal work for the State Fair Board which sometimes provides special benefits; this year she really scored with an onsite parking pass for the entire fair. Having had a good experience last year, I decided to go again this year. So off I went, clad in comfortable clothing, walking shoes with new orthotics, and my lightweight well-worn messenger bag. We got lucky with cool overcast weather this year and a smaller midweek crowd. It was senior day so we dodged more scooters than usual but better that than strollers, although we saw our fair share of those as well. In an effort to simplify describing the event there are basically 5 categories of things to navigate: displays, animals, retail, entertainment and, of course, food.
The many displays are endless and mostly reside in the Agriculture/Horticulture Building, 4-H Education Building, and Commercial Building & Fine Arts Building. I am especially drawn to the Commercial & Fine Arts Buildings where the work of many talented Minnesotans is displayed. In the Commercial Building you will see all manner of handicrafts including quilts, clothing, embroidery, crochet, woodworking, etc. Not to be missed are the flower displays located in the Agriculture/Horticulture Building along with Christmas trees. Varietal flower displays are scheduled on different days so choose to attend the day your favorite flower is being profiled. This is also the building for Minnesota Bee’s & Honey and Minnesota Beer Tasting with Minnesota Wine Tasting right across the street. There is also an Eco Building on the north end of the venue with myriad displays and opportunities for hands on environmental education, especially fun for kids.
There is a barn for every species of farm animal you can imagine but they are not all present at the same time so study the schedule if you want to see certain animals. It could take all day to visit all the animal barns so my suggestion is to pick an animal or two you want to see and visit those barns only if you want to see anything else in a day. I wanted to see goats but they hadn’t arrived yet so we picked sheep this year. We saw some sheep shearing in action and quizzed a young lad, coached by his father, on sheep husbandry. After shearing and grooming the sheep are covered in lightweight cotton coats to keep them clean while they await judging.
The Miracle of Birth Center is my favorite building where you can observe newly born animals and, if lucky, observe a live birth. It is well staffed with Veterinarians and vet students who provide education and answer questions. There is a white board at one of the entrances that lists what animals were born when and where and you can check up on the outcome of births you just missed because other areas of the fair were calling. As a precaution, it is always crowded and there are quite a few city kids in various modes of awe and shock from the experience. Upon viewing what resembled a mama cow’s water breaking, quite explosively, I observed a teenage girl hightail it out of the building screaming “this doesn’t look like a miracle to me.” Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Minnesota State Fair adventures next week.
Minnesota State Fair-Part 2
With regard to shopping opportunities at the Minnesota State Fair, and at the risk of over simplification, I found there are basically five major areas to indulge: the Merchandise Mart (gadgets and more), Commercial building (specialty foods/kitchen equipment) the Grandstand (home shopping network oriented), the Coliseum (western themed items), the West End (specialty home, garden and personal products) and the International Bizarre. Knock yourself out but remember you have to carry your purchases around all day and get back to your vehicle with them so plan ahead and put a collapsible shopping bag in your purse. Ladies, while you are shopping, there is a Home Improvement Building and Vehicle Displays to keep your guys entertained.
There are many forms of entertainment, for both children and adults, occurring throughout the grounds all day. There is a daily parade with Minnesota Marching Bands, a Dairy Princess, Fair Mascots and large Holstein and Heifer replicas on wheels. Last year we saw a lively play put on by 4-H kids in the 4-H Building and this year we observed four brave senior couples partaking in square dancing lessons. Music is happening all day every day, somewhere. If you are into the carnival aspect of the Fair, there are dozens of hair-raising, stomach curling rides to experience along with a new 14 story Ferris wheel and don’t forget the haunted house, best experienced at night. Big name entertainment happens at the Grandstand at night. We took in Frankie Valli; a great show that transported us back to the 60’s. Each day ends with nightly fireworks which start right after the concert ends.
I will wrap up with the food where you can get most anything….on a stick! Especially fun to watch are people gnawing on pork chops and turkey drumsticks. Did you know there are 300 vendors and 500 different food items to choose form at the Fair? The vendors are disbursed throughout the venue so you don’t have to worry about getting hungry. If you don’t want to spend all your money on food and still want to try lots of different things your best bet is to attend with several pals you can share things with and spread out your tastings throughout the day. For repeat visitors, there are always new food items to try along with the standbys. I particularly enjoy corn dogs, cheese curds and Aunt Martha’s chocolate cookies. Eat your heart out… literally… but remember to take your antacids before, during and after you indulge. Finally, don’t forget your anti-inflammatories to ward off and/or treat all manner of ailments brought on by or acquired “coming home” to the State Fair. Oh, what a day or early way to the grave!
I would be remiss if I didn’t end by mentioning my plan to attend and write about the South Dakota State Fair, but it will have to wait until next year as I need a year to recover from this year’s adventures.2017