From someone who’s been going for over twenty years.
Someone noted today that for the last two weeks of August, Minnesota news largely shuts down and shifts to coverage of the Minnesota State Fair. The writer didn’t make this a joke; it was a statement they backed up with several examples. They thought it was great; I do too.
Since I moved to Minnesota from the east coast in 1998, I have only missed one year at the fair. I didn’t go my first year here because I asked a friend—from Wisconsin—if it was worth going. He said no. A mutual friend E.—who dated someone from Wisconsin—said that was nonsense. She took us the next year and showed us around. Having a knowledgeable guide helped so much. From then on, I have become a faithful fair attendee.
After I had our first child in the early 00’s, my spouse refused my suggestion to bring the baby to the fair. “Too many people, too many germs,” he claimed.
I grumbled.
“The baby is only a week old!” he insisted.
“All right,” I conceded, perhaps rolling my eyes. “You guys can stay home.”
E. picked me up and accompanied me on a whirlwind of our favorite things to eat and returned me home in time for the next nursing session. We had Tom Thumb’s mini donuts, World’s Best French Fries, 1919 root beer, Mouth Trap cheese curds, roast corn with butter, and a mocha on a stick and watched a young woman’s likeness carved into a plinth of butter. It was my first big excursion, and I had a great time, though I’m not sure the baby appreciated my dietary choices secondhand. He was pretty fussy that night and the next day.
Our next baby arrived during winter and was six months old in time for the fair. He got to try apple cider, root beer, and ice cream. A photo from that year shows the sun glinting in his smattering of hair. His older sib had patted him after mini donuts, and there was sugar on his head. That year we took our double stroller and drove to the fair. Every other year we’ve used the reliable and crowd friendly park n ride. Except for 2020, when they cancelled the fair. Instead, they held a lottery for tickets to a drive-through experience. With our children and the family’s very pose-able stuffed Ikea Blahaj shark, we made the rounds even during pandemic.
Much of the advice you’ll see online is useful but repetitive. It’s more like good reminders of common sense than actual help. Wear sunscreen, stay hydrated, dress in layers, buy discount tickets at Cub in advance, bring a water bottle, take advantage of discount days, and use a park-n-ride rather than driving.
Here, I offer you a list of ten more-niche items of advice from a fair fanatic. I favor the food, and my fairgoing is organized around it. Your mileage may vary. The important thing to remember is that time, money, and stomach space are limited resources. Use them wisely, and you’ll leave with a full but not too-full belly, some good memories, and (I hope) before anyone in your group melts down.
- If you take a metal water bottle and sunglasses, these will set off metal detectors at the entrance. Travel light and use plastic when possible.
- Cash will save you money. Many vendors now pass on the credit-card service charge to customers. Visit your ATM beforehand to make sure you’re prepared.
- Beware the new food frenzy. Food prices jumped dramatically this year. Try to include some tried and true favorites, and maybe wait until the food critics weigh in with their advice on what to seek out and what to skip. (After following them many years though, I can tell you a frustrating fact: they often contradict one another. One person’s fave will be another person’s hell. There are lots of variables, and taste varies. To each her own.)
- Be suspicious of the Bargain book, too. The Bargain Book encourages you to try specific items, so you might miss some gems. Only get the Bargain Book if you know you’ll use at least 3 coupons and earn back the cost.
- If you have children, get them wristbands at the information booth on the way in.
- Go with a group. If you are a loner, try to get outside your comfort zone and invite a friend or two. This ensures you’ll not wear ruts in your own routine, but you’ll also have someone else to share foods with.
- Always order the small, and share. I don’t care if the bigger size is a better deal. It costs more. Getting a small enables you to get more items and try more things. Then if you have money and stomach space left at the end you can get seconds. I treat eating at the State Fair like tapas, and have a varied yet delicious meal every year.
- Don’t eat foods at the fair that you can easily get elsewhere. Hamburgers? Everywhere. Wild rice burgers? Better at the fair. Hot dogs? Everywhere. Corn dogs. Easy to find and Iowan. Pronto Pups? Authentically Minnesotan.
- Schedule rest breaks. Find places to sit in the shade, or at shows at a bandshell. Try to alternate going and resting, which can be hard when it looks like everyone around you is having more fun and toting more stuff than you are. Those with sensory issues can visit the Fraser booth for some blessed cool and quiet.
- Always be open to new experiences. I’d never visited the DNR building until a few years ago. Now I make the dark, cool fish haven a priority.
- Have fun. The fair is a fall festival, celebrating the end of the season and start of fall. If you stop having fun, stop. Do something different, maybe just leave–with a stamp you can come back! But change what you can so you’re enjoying yourself. And don’t fret if you miss something. There’s always next year.
K.J. Boldon 