Minnesota State Fair

It's known as the "great Minnesota get-together", and it is that. The day we went, the attendance was just over 130,000. Total people count for the 12 day run of the Fair is just over 1.7 million, on average.

How much can one see in one trip to the Fair? Well, considering that the fairgrounds encompasses over 320 acres and is built like a small city, it all depends on how fast you walk and how long you are there. The open hours are from 6 am until 12 midnight. Still, even if one went to the fair every day it's probably impossible to take in everything. Too many buildings, too many displays, two midways (one is called the Kidway), and more food stands than you can shake a stick at. A little pun there, as many of the food offerings are things "on a stick."

Twelve grand stand shows, over 90 stage shows, 37 marching bands, 16 horse shows, as well as all the judging events for livestock, cats, dogs, and etc. Eight hours is about the limit of our physical endurance, and in that time we saw only a fraction of what was offered on the day we chose to attend.

I'll have to confess that during this visit we didn't eat a single thing on a stick, but I did eat a Spam Burger! You don't find those just everywhere. There are some other things that are (almost) exclusively Minnesotan, such as Gedney Pickles, Fresh-baked Lefse, Sardine Pie, and Fair-Do's. One trip to the Minnesota State Fair will definitely give you a feel for the likes, customs and other things that make Minnesota well, Minnesota.

Click on "comments" to reach the comments form; click on a photo to see a larger version, then use the back button to return to normal size. Thanks for looking.