Tomorrow marks the start of the annual Minnesota State Fair which is a Minnesota tradition. Kim and I have been going yearly, minus 2005 because we got married during the fair, and I have written about our adventures during the 2006 Minnesota State Fair and various healthy eating options at the Minnesota State Fair that I gobbled up in 2007.
Kim and I picked up tickets for the two of us and Josh as well as the Cub coupon book. I didn’t find much of anything in there of great interest but Kim marked a few pages of things she’ll pick up to make the $4 cost useful. I’m looking forward to some corn, beer, and the Ye Old Mill (no, I don’t know why, I just like it, ok heh!) Kim is looking forward to just about everything except the Midway which she avoids like I wish I could the pig barn.
In celebration for this momentous, yearly event, I have placed a new poll over there to replace the Best New South Metro Restaurant Poll. It will run through 9/2 at 9 AM giving you plenty of time to come up with something after attending The Fair, if you don’t know already.
If whatever you enjoy most isn’t listed, please post it below!
Favorite thing about the State Fair?
- Food on a stick (40.0%, 22 Votes)
- People watching (38.0%, 21 Votes)
- Exhibits (9.0%, 5 Votes)
- Other (7.0%, 4 Votes)
- Animals (4.0%, 2 Votes)
- Rides (2.0%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 55
Loading ...Remember, you can check out the results of old polls here!
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August 20th, 2008 at 9:39 am
I voted other because I Hate the state fair with the venom of your hatred for sonic times 8 thousand. oh my god i hate that place. I can’t even type, I hate it so much. hate.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Ok then dawnmarie, sorry. I didn’t want to cause anyone to have a stroke! :)
August 20th, 2008 at 9:44 am
I love the Fair. I grew up going to my hometown’s county fair which was just a bit smaller than the MN state fair. I love everything about it. :) I got my annual corn dog there. If it’s not on a stick–it shouldn’t be served at the fair, IMHO.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Big Fat Bacon
August 20th, 2008 at 10:01 am
My 17year old is working at the fair this year. First “job” if you will. Say hi when you’re Andy’s Diner getting your cheese steaks.
August 20th, 2008 at 10:07 am
I enjoy the Fair. This will be my 18th straight year dating back to my college freshman days at Hamline. My life has changed so much over the years, it’s just about the only thing that’s been consistent.
I do enjoy my standard rotation of foods but am bothered more every year by the unwarranted hype. I especially dislike the recent trend towards more “bizarre” foods. I can’t imagine anyone taking a last lick of $6 frozen pickle juice on a stick and thinking “gosh…that was enjoyable and a great value too!” I’m sick of hearing about chocolate covered bacon.
My vote went to exhibits. My wife and I really enjoy the Fine Art building. There is some truly amazing photography in there, some excellent, excellent painting and sculpture, and works in other media. And a good percentage of the subjects of the art is Minnesota places and people.
I also like the agriculture exhibits. I think people really underappreciate the importance of farming and other rural activities, as well as the slow death of many aspects of rural America. Outside of the Fair, I have far too few opportunities to interact with farmers and other agricultural experts, learn about them first-hand, and express my appreciation for what they do.
One year, I would love to see the Fair reenergize the marketing and promotion of the “heritage” aspect. I know the food, midway and concerts are the easy money, but I worry that these things are slowly getting pushed to the wayside despite their growing importance to so many of today’s critical issues (renewable energy, alternative fuels, global warming, pressure on the food supply, sustainable agriculture, etc.)
August 20th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Big Fat Bacon scares the living shit out of me.
August 20th, 2008 at 11:44 am
ha! as long as you don’t make me go with you, we’re cool. My favorite part of the fair is either not going, or the day after it’s over and newscasts return to the stuidos!
August 20th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Finally got the polls embedded in the posts and the polls archive working. Don’t have a clue why it wouldn’t work before but there you go :)
August 21st, 2008 at 10:40 pm
The fair is becoming an outdoor Mall of America.
Seriously, in years past I’d go nearly every day (even worked there several years), but now the food is so over the top gross, and too expensive.
The admission fee is too high, and worst of all the fair has been methodically destroying every inexpensive option (often forcing out long-time mom and pop businesses) to be replaced with corporate-ized crap.
I wish minnesotans would wake up and realize the fair has been sort of stolen from them…although ostensibly a non-profit, the management of the fair has become all about the money–and they make plenty of money, too.
They turn a 2 million dollar profit (on land the state gave them for free) and I think they should be remitting that money back to surrounding neighborhoods, the state, agricultural education, and other public good.
They’re a bad neighbor (I know, I used to live in Falcon Heights) and just one of those outfits that hides behind an aw-shucks facade but in fact has turned its back on the farmers and average people who made it what it is.
Now they even have the audacity to beg the public for money, despite essentially being for-profit business.
OK, I feel better now. My mission in life, I guess–is just to open peoples eyes to the rather nasty reality of what the fair has become.
But I’ll probably still go once, and will almost surely have a corn dog.
August 22nd, 2008 at 12:58 am
I have three favorites. First, the fresh milk stand. I don’t eat fried crap, but bring on the icy cold, high octane, full-fat whole milk, and lots of it. Second, the glorious spectacle that is “seed art.” I forgot the third one because I got all distracted thinking about the milk. Oh, wait! I remember—BUTTERHEAD!
August 22nd, 2008 at 8:12 am
I like the live pet emasculation demonstration center. Reminds of my own fateful trip to the Dr. Hookies House Of Horrors all those years ago when I got “fixed”. Now that I think about it, no wonder I’m fat now. Killed the will to live that did..
Andy’s Diner is a family favorite, mostly because a close family friend owns it.
I like picking up my annual supply of yardsticks. I break a lot of yardsticks over the year training adolescents in my house.
The DNR booth is always a good stop. Free tunes and free literature, and I alway pick up my hunting license there. Nice service.
Animal barns are fun. Largest pig is always good for a conversation with my daughter about what exactly those things hanging off him are. I’ll tell you what they are, F’n impressive, that what those are!
I avoid the midway like the plague worthless money pit.
Every year I threaten to by a flag pole.. I’ve been dreaming about a flag pole at the lake for years. Mrs S is less than enamored, she’s never liked poles.
We do like the manufactured home thing. Makes me wish our cabin would get hit by a falling satellite, not the shitter kind either. Just thinking about a house with a MODERN shower… hell most of the campers there are nicer than the cabin.
I’m not a do or die corn dog dude, but I do like the french fries. I also like to stop at the KSTP booth to put faces to voices, and finally every motorcycle dealer in the place so I can think about my midlife crisis and pretend..
One damn day.
Last year I was dying for the Honda Vulcan (I’m not big on American iron to be honest) I just didn’t have the estimated $200,000 or so over 10 years, to afford the bike and the divorce lawyer. BUT, if I could get by in the that camper… I could really simplify. Sweet. lets see how it goes this year.
August 22nd, 2008 at 8:54 am
Sank, that post made me laugh out loud. People are looking at me funny here at work.
August 20th, 2009 at 9:01 am
[...] you’ve been enjoying for years. I have spent some time covering fair food on here and even asked what your favorite this is about the Minnesota State Fair and got a wide variety of responses including favorite places to [...]