The Great Minnesota Get-Together

It wasn’t long after I discovered that “fairing” is both a verb and a hobby that I also learned that the Big Three State Fairs are Texas, Iowa, and Minnesota. Big in terms of geographical footprint, attendance, and overall fandom. Naturally, experiencing each of the Big Three rose to the top of my Bucket List. I am thrilled to announce that as of last week, I have Done the Big Three!!

Yes, after 2019’s Midwest Fair trek to check out Iowa (and Wisconsin and Indiana) and 2024’s saunter down to Texas, Rob and I trotted over to Minneapolis last week to spend three humidity-fueled days experiencing The Great Minnesota Get-Together. We had an exhausted BLAST!

We didn't park near this entrance, but
I insisted that our first entry be through
this gate. That was our 9-mile day...

I had heard quite a bit of passionate hype from Minnesotan family and friends about their renowned State Fair, so my expectations were pretty high. Rob and I hoped three days would be enough to adequately cover the 322 acres of food, agriculture, and all things Big Time Fair. We purposely chose weekdays to hopefully avoid the insane crowds we kept hearing about. Apparently an average daily attendance of about 200,000 sweaty Minnesotans is pretty typical. Yikes.

Classic and readily available shot of the
extraordinarily popular Minnesota State Fairgrounds. 
I just checked -- the average attendance for the
three days we were there was about 125,000.

Before we left, Rob and I kept checking the weather in Minneapolis. I was grateful that the forecasted temps for our fairing weren’t supposed to go much above 80 and no thunderstorms. Naively ignoring humidity percentages, I adorably packed a pair of pants because 74 can be a little chilly…in Washington. The jeans are back in my closet, unworn and unwashed. Silly me.

Once on-site, we were told by numerous locals that we were very lucky to be gifted such pleasant, dry, unusually cool fairing weather. This as I sucked down frozen treats, fanned myself in supposedly air-conditioned buildings, and took frequent breaks to melt in the shade. Our friend Hal tried to put our grand weather luck into perspective when he explained that locals often tote multiple shirts to change into as they sweat their way through the Minnesota Midway. Good Lord! 

Desperate times! Yes, those are pickle
slices in my frozen bar of lemonade.
Quite refreshing!

So enough about the purportedly-great-but-decidedly-NOT-Pacific-Northwest weather! How was the Fair?!?

In a word: impressive!

The Minnesota State Fair had pretty much everything I look for in a Fair. It had animals, food, 4H kids, unique-to-them exhibits, history, personality, and a sense of place.

Some things were very familiar. Like the old-timey Ye Old Make-Out Tunnel Ride (officially called Ye Olde Mill) that we first discovered at the Iowa State Fair. And the dedication to carefully crafted new fair foods that I loved at the Wisconsin State Fair. And the Damn Proud to Be A Local vibe that also infused the Texas State Fair (officially called the State Fair of Texas but that’s more to type and my fingers are tired from holding so many foods on sticks for three days).

OMG! Talk about familiar!!
Dedicated Woodhaven Rambling readers
will note the striking similarity of that rickety
yellow bench to the ones my beloved
Clark County Fair used to have...

...and that Woodhaven now has because
I know some very kind Fine Fair Folks.

But it was the things that are unique to Minnesota that made me love its fair.

There were competitions for scarecrows and Christmas trees. And wow, lots of political stuff. Minnesotans are NOT afraid to let their political leanings be known – on both sides (one small but very active booth was all about dissing their governor). This unabashed politicism struck me as rather odd since the Minnesota Nice folks (it’s actually a concept with a marketing campaign!) also seem to try to bend over backwards to be polite, not cause a kerfuffle, and not get in anyone’s way, dontcha know.

The scarecrows were so creative and not 
field-croppy that I wasn't sure at first what
the display was all about.

Everyone had an opinion.

I loved the super-local vendors and booths showcasing things I don’t see at home. Like Prince memorabilia, maple syrup buckets, sooo many mittens and hats, tons of outdoorsy stuff like canoes and fishing gear, and oodles of t-shirts, bags, wall hangings, hats, dishtowels, and other essentials proclaiming local lingo like “uff da” and “you betcha” and “Skol!”

Repurposed seed bags. Seeds are 
quite a thing in Minnesota.

Repurposed maple syrup buckets.
You are supposed to put candles in
them, sort of like winter jack-o-lanterns.

Is Ranch Dressing something
of an addiction for many Minnesotans?
You betcha!

In the Pacific Northwest, Skol (Skoal)
is a chewing tobacco, not a 
rallying cry. So weird to think
of people yelling, "Marlboro!" to
wish each other well.

The proliferation of Viking-Nordic influence was obvious beyond the souvenirs. The Minnesotans moseying about the fairgrounds were striking. Like, they were BIG! Nordic folk are tall, sturdy, and unintentionally imposing. Many looked like they could lift a car with one hand while eating a Pronto Pup with the other. I felt like a dandelion in a forest.

That dude in the baseball hat was
a giant. And not the San Francisco kind.

I loved the traditions of the Minnesota State Fair. Not just the traditions themselves, but that the Minnesotans hold them so close and dear to their hearts. The sense of I’m-a-local pride and history were tangible and endearing.

Soooo many booths selling Minnesota
gear! I guess if you are super local,
you just call it Sota.

I loved that the Crop Art display in the Agriculture Building is a MUST DO. We had no idea what Crop Art was, but Rob and I happily joined the hour-long line with trust that it would pay off. It did!

All the artwork is comprised entirely
of seeds. It wasn't clear if the ones
that had been painted were judged
separately.

It was quite a variety of inspirations
and moods!

All seeds!! Each entry also included a key
to detail what seeds were used.

I loved the colors and the 3D nature
of the smiling treats! And it only
got second place?!

Very fun and friendly way to keep
the lines somewhat manageable.
Rob and I lingered and pondered in
the Slow Lane. 

I loved how excited everyone was about the Dairy Princesses and how they get their faces carved in butter. Yep, that's a real sentence.

Reverently gazing upon Princess Kay’s likeness in butter is A BIG DEAL. And Princess Kay of the Milky Way isn’t actually named Kay (this year’s PK is a college student named Malorie). Princess Kay is just the official, honorary title given each year to the Most Important Dairy Princess. Because calling her a Queen would be too…sensical? I didn’t quite understand it, to be honest. I personally was more enthralled with the Butter Cow in Iowa (sorry, Hal). But Rob and I nonetheless dutifully watched a tiaraed young woman in subzero togs pose for a butter carver as the two slowly rotated in a super cold display case. Because that's apparently what you do at the Minnesota State Fair!

Rob pointed out that all the Princesses
likely have their own ridiculously-cold-
weather gear at the ready.
Because Minnesota.

Similar to marble carvings, the eyes
of all the sculptures were spooky.
Nevertheless, key to the bragging
rights of all Princesses is that they
each get to keep their butter head
AND the shavings. That's 40lbs
of free butter right there!

I loved that it was pretty much required that every Minnesota Fairgoer purchase a tower of Sweet Martha’s Chocolate Chip Cookies, and subsequently drop at least three of them on the ground because the Cookie Crew is instructed to waaaay overfill the containers. Indeed, the Minnesota Fairgrounds are very clean, save for the proliferation of smushed chocolate chip cookies all over the pavement.

We got merely a cup of cookies. The
Real Fairgoers get the bucket that must
last for days. I was tempted...

Spotted all over the Fairgrounds and its environs. 

I must say, at first bite I thought, “These are pretty good cookies.” They were warm and oozy and gooey and just slightly undercooked, just how I like cookies. But by two days later, as I was nibbling on a subsequent batch in our hotel room for breakfast, I realized Sweet Martha’s Cookies are even more epic the next day when they’ve cooled and molded into a cup-sized block of cookie goodness. Now, several more days and many miles away from being able to do anything about it, I realize I am craving Martha’s cookies and might have a problem.

Mmmmm! John, you were right!
Every word and every bite.

I was highly amused and confused by the Minnesotan love for the Pronto Pup. With apologies for the heresy, a Pronto Pup is basically a corn dog. (Wow, I actually heard gasps!) Pronto Pups are a BIG DEAL at the Minnesota State Fair. In fact, the casual observer would naturally assume the Pronto Pup is indigenous to Minnesota for all the fanfair. But alas, the Pronto Pup was actually invented in Rockaway Beach, Oregon – a lovely day trip away from Woodhaven. Rob and I drive by the original Pronto Pup stand at least a few times every year, and I often have one at the Washington State Fair. But, well, the Minnesotans have adopted the not-as-sweet-or-crunchy dog on a stick as their own, seemingly oblivious to its Pacific Northwest origins. That's fine albeit comical. All’s fair in the love of corn dogs.

POV: When your shirt directs your
snacking.

One thing I assumed was a Big Deal Tradition but was not was the Minnesota State Fair’s mascots. From all my reading and social media stalking before heading to Minnesota, I got the impression that the two gophers named Fairchild and Fairborne were Very Important Critters. Fairchild’s old-timey barbershop-quartet/Shakey’s pizza likeness is plastered all over souvenir hats, t-shirts, signs, Instagram posts. He and his nephew (I read up) are clearly the logos of the Minnesota State Fair.

Fairchild on my Fair Souvenirs Shelf.
Of course I have a shelf dedicated
to fairing memories! Duh!

I was astounded when my friend Katrina – a 20+ year resident of Minnesota – did not know the mascots have names. And then I was heartbroken and utterly confused to never have an opportunity to interact with the reportedly “gleeful and mischievous” gophers at any time during our 3 full days on the Fairgrounds. We saw the Faircritters riding around in a golf cart on Day 2 in a behind-the-fairgrounds location (we were walking in from a parking lot). And then on Day 3 we saw them at a distance in a parade. Otherwise, no sight, sign, or smell of the goofy gophers. We even asked some confused ladies at an Information Booth about possible scheduled appearances. Nope.

Nephew Fairborne is the one in the 
sunshine wearing light blue stripes.
Uncle Fairchild is waving from the shade.
Smart gopher.

Gentle suggestion to the Fine Minnesota Fair Folks: With 322 acres to play with, you could easily staff several pairs of mascots to roam around assigned quadrants of the Fairgrounds to interact with and delight Fairgoers – especially those who stalked you from afar, aka Washington state. Nobody would ever have to know there was more than one set. Just ask Santa.

I'm guessing Fairchild was much
more prominent before the trees grew
in around him.

Two competitions at the Minnesota State Fair absolutely blew my mind, yet I don’t think the Minnesotans quite understand how amazing they are.

First, the baked goods. HOLY BUCKETS!

Although I was a bit underwhelmed by the quantity of canning, artwork, photography, and sewing exhibitions, I was utterly blown away by the baked good competitions at the Minnesota State Fair. Clearly, there’s lots of baking happening in the depths of winter in Minnesota! 

Pound cakes, cupcakes, coffee cakes, Bundt cakes, sourdough bread, banana bread, artisan bread, brownies, cookies, macarons, rolls, scones, muffins. Countless varieties of anything bready you could crave. The cases and the categories were endless! And it wasn’t just about quantity – the quality looked downright professional. Beautiful and tantalizing. I look at my photos and cannot believe that the Baked Goods Competition is not a Must-See Tradition for every Minnesota Fairgoer. Do they know this is not normal?!?

Bread loaves, rolls, and muffins!

Cupcakes and dessert bars!

Cakes! All sorts of cakes!

I was also super impressed by the gleaming
refrigerated cases. They were so pretty! And they
kept the entries fruit fly- and mold-free!
Cuz ick, I've seen that at Fairs I love dearly
and it's downright gross.

Speaking of not normal. The 4H Llama Costume Contest was INCREDIBLE. 

I had heard of the competition and had seen a few photos over the years – me being hyper interested in all things llama – but I still was not prepared for what greeted us in the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum on our second day at the Minnesota State Fair.

The quirky competition kicking off the llamas’ brief presence at the Minnesota State Fair has grown in popularity such that it is now held in an 8,000-seat venue. A conservative estimate for last week’s audience is 5,000. Yes, 5,000 spectators showed up to watch a couple dozen 4H kids and their llamas (and a few alpacas) parade through the dirt in themed costumes (meaning the kid and the llama coordinated). It was also live-streamed (already noted in our calendar for September 2, 2026) for global reach.

When the first contestant padded into the ring, Rob and I were astounded. Billed as a Rainbow Fish, the llama was covered nearly ear to hoof in shiny fabric, including legs, tail, and head. The green tutu’d 4Her led her llama while trailing a constant stream of bubbles for the llama to walk through and a noisy tail of plastic and material for the llama to walk alongside. It was a creative symphony of distraction and discomfort for the camelid, and yet the extraordinarily trained llama just trotted along, barely reacting to 5,000 people clapping and yelling.

For a video of their grand entrance, 
click here.

This scenario repeated itself with the dragon, the SPAM fan, the sea creature, the Movie Night, the KFC homage, the clown… On and on, as if this were completely normal for a llama. And a 4H competition. And a Fair.

People, it is NOT NORMAL!

Frequent Woodhaven Ramblings readers know that I hang out with llamas (and alpacas) on the regular. And not just any old llamas, specially trained llamas who provide therapy and go to hospitals and schools and retirement homes and major international airports. Llamas who wear outfits to make them more approachable. Llamas who continually impress me with how easy-going they are with all the things we humans ask them to do.

My other hobby, when not fairing 
or writing.

Trust me when I say, the 4H Llamas (and alpacas) at the Minnesota State Fair are EXTRAORDINARY! The amount of training, handling, and trust required for these typically skittish creatures to nonchalantly strut through a noisy arena wearing fabric and structures on nearly every inch of their bodies is mind-blowing.

And what made my head explode even more was that this epicness does not seem to be understood by the Minnesotans. I talked to a few 4H kids. They do not grasp how amazing what they are doing truly is. The folks in the arena (I might have been eavesdropping a tiny bit) were certainly entertained by the costumes, but they didn’t have their jaws dropped like mine and Rob’s were. I guess the Minnesotans think this competition and its level of creativity is normal?? IT'S NOT NORMAL!

If I had seen nothing else at the Minnesota State Fair, the 4H Llama Costume Contest alone would have been worth the trip from Washington just to be gobsmacked by the incredulity in person. WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW!

Dory and a Sea Anemone. The
alpaca's head is COVERED IN NETTING!
Not to mention all the balloons and
pool noodles covering its body. OMG!
Click here to see them strut about!

Movie Night with Popcorn and a
bottle of Sprite! The llama is wearing
socks on every leg! And its full body 
is covered in popcorniness!

Socks, netting, and a WIG?!?
Mind-blowing!

I tried my best to help this young
gal understand the magnitude of 
her accomplishment with this entry.
WOW!

Line up of the second of three classes
of entries. Everything impressed me
about this event, including the number
of eager participants. 

My favorite entry! I couldn't stop 
laughing! And the feathers were applied
individually! OMG! Watch the video
to see the chicken llama feet flap about.

Speaking of chicken feet... 

A critical part of any Fair is the food. Overall, I’d say the Minnesota State Fair is dang good eatin’! I was most impressed by some very basic, straightforward offerings, like Sweet Martha’s Cookies. Bless her.

My Fairwell treat before saying good-bye
to Sweet Martha's Fair.

I was also blown away by the French Fries sold at a stand that sells nothing else. They were crispy on the outside, hot, well salted, and deliciously potatoey. Nothing fancy, just awesome fries. I’ve only had better fries on Prince Edward Island near Nova Scotia, which is unexpectedly known for incredibly tasty potatoey treats. So I can say that the French Fries at the Minnesota State Fair are the best I’ve ever had in the United States. YUM!

Me realizing how fantastically simple
yet delicious these fries are.

It would have been so easy to just
walk by, thinking nothing special 
lurked behind the red and yellow awning.
Thank you for the tip, John!

Rob and I were both surprised by the unassuming Cheese on a Stick. It was sold as something of an afterthought at a lemonade stand. We weren’t sure what to expect and WOW! Imagine a grilled cheese sandwich where the bread is corn dog breading. And then put it on a stick. It was SO GOOD! If I were a local, I would skip the Pronto Pup and make a tradition of the Cheese on a Stick. Why is this not a thing everywhere?!

This was about 2 hours into Day 1.
I am in full Fair Mode!

I’d say the most delicious Fancy Fair Food we tried was a new entry called Sweet Squeakers. They were white cheddar cheese curds that were deep-fried in funnel cake batter, then topped with lemon whipped cream and berry sauce. OMG! Four of us politely shared one order but I could have greedily had one all to myself. It was a perfect balance of sweet and savory, warm and cold, and soooo ooey and gooey!

Yes, Tillamook has good cheese curds
but they are NOTHING like what the 
Midwest has to offer. WOW!

I tried a variety of other things – frozen pickle lemonade, pork chop on a stick, corn on the cob, caprese cheese curds, a pickle wrapped in cream cheese and pastrami, sweet corn ice cream, deep-fried green olives, and bacon on a stick. I’m very grateful for the daily 8-mile walk that helped prevent me from bringing all these indulgences back home on my hips as souvenirs.

Overall, I was impressed by the variety of food offerings at the Minnesota State Fair. Most were thoughtful combinations of flavors and not just weird for the sake of being weird (howdy, Texas State Fair). I will admit, I was a little disappointed by the corn on the cob and the pork chop. Both were very good, but they didn’t blow my taste buds away like they did at the Iowa State Fair. Same for the bacon. When it comes to corn and pork fair fare, Iowa is the one to beat.

Caprese Cheese Curds. I liked the balsamic
vinegar, but the chopped tomatoes and basil
and crostinis were largely unnecessary.

Chicken Fried Bacon. This had so much
promise but it was mostly breading, thin
bacon, and made me lose some sleep later.

Deep Fried Green Olives on a Stick.
Pretty tasty! If you like salty green 
olives (I do!). Also included:
mozzarella cheese.
Totally unnecessary: side of Ranch Dressing.

Spicy meatballs and chewy bread
sticks on a stick with a deliciously
tangy red sauce. Oh, and bathed in
melty mozzarella. Yep, the Tums later
were worth it!

Pork chop on a stick! It started off
well - nice and moist and tender. But
the middle was dry, and the spices were
unnecessary. Iowa, you remain Pork
Heaven.

Imagine frozen cream of corn soup.

I mentioned that four of us shared the delicious cheese curds. That was another fantastic aspect of our fairing at the Minnesota State Fair – we got to hang out with some dear and decades-long friends! I went to high school with Katrina, and Rob went to college with Katrina and her husband Hal. Katrina is a critically pivotal person in my life because she introduced me to Rob. So yeah, these aren’t just friends. They are core people in my life, even if I don’t get to see them more than once every several years or so. SO awesome to get to fair with them!!

Thank you for showing us your Fair!
And for helping me eat lots more food!

I was also excited for the quick get-together with Fair Don! Don and I met through my blog a number of years ago, eventually developing an email friendship exchanging experiences, insights, and photos of the various fairs we each attend. Although Don lives in Nebraska, we last saw him at the State Fair of Texas about a year ago. Hard to say which fair Don and I will grab a selfie together at next!

At last report, Don was enjoying a live
fish gutting competition at the South
Dakota State Fair. Not even kidding.

So with all that, was there anything I did not love about the Minnesota State Fair? Well, a couple things.

In addition to the aforewhinedabout weather, good gracious, it was crowded! Sooo many people. And this led to a general sensory overload. Heat, people, BIG people, lines. The Minnesota State Fair was an exciting fair, but it wasn’t a relaxing fair. Even with frequent breaks to try to regroup. There were so many people on the Fairgrounds each day, the much-touted Minnesota State Fair app was rendered essentially useless because too many people were trying to use the same few cell towers. Rob chatted with an on-site Verizon rep who confirmed our data speed was getting throttled because we don’t have some fancypants feature-laden cell plan. BOO!

I also got very tired of smelling pot smoke. Recreational marijuana use is clearly legal in Minnesota (same as Washington). Why the tokers didn’t choose to light up in the designated smoking areas is a mystery and frankly, an annoyance. BOO!

I was also surprised and disappointed by the rather paltry displays of 4H and other kid exhibits. Despite a large building being named “The 4H Building,” there just weren’t a lot of kids’ exhibits. I kept looking around, hoping maybe I’d find more hiding in other buildings, but no. Frankly, the much smaller Washington State Fair has more entries and non-animal participation by kids. The dearth of kid art in particular made my heart sad. BOO!

The only photo I took of Kid Art I liked.
I usually snap at least a half-dozen and then
have to decide which is my favorite. So sad.
But isn't that an adorable snowman?!

Lastly, I was particularly struck by how outsider I felt at the Minnesota State Fair. I felt like I was crashing a family reunion. Although people were friendly, there was a general assumption throughout the Fairgrounds that everyone had been to the Fair before, probably many times. The Information Booths weren’t super informative, being inexplicably stymied by such oddball head-scratchers as “What time do the fireworks start?” and “What barn are the llamas in?” The weary ladies mostly seemed to exist to hand out maps.

I was disappointed that when I offered that I was from out of state and it was my first time at the Minnesota State Fair, I was met more with confusion than excitement. The Iowa and Texas folks both gave me a button to wear as a first-timer. The Iowans could barely contain their excitement and warm Midwest welcome as they handed me my button, and then all day long, vendors, employees, and even other Iowa Fairgoers excitedly asked how I was enjoying the fair. But nothin’ in Minnesota to enthusiastically welcome me into the fold. While Iowa made me feel like I was a special guest at their party, in Minnesota I mostly felt like I was crashing theirs. BOO!

The buttons aren't fancy but they represent a 
mindset that was missing in Minnesota.

As we faired around the Minnesota State Fairgrounds and chatted with locals, it became clear that Minnesotans are fiercely proud of their Great Get-Together. Many were quick to detail why the Minnesota State Fair is better and bigger than the Texas State Fair. Well, Minnesotans, I’d wager to say your competition is not Texas. Nope. Not even close. Your competition is Iowa…and to a lesser degree, Wisconsin.

After much thought and consideration just short of a spreadsheet with weighted entries, I am finally at peace with my current ranking of the nine state fairs I have attended so far.

Iowa remains the state fair I would return to in a flash, outranking Minnesota due to its superior pork, buttered corn and cows, kid participation, genuine welcome, and more manageable crowds to allow relaxed moseying. Even with the corn sweat.

I struggled deciding between Minnesota and Wisconsin for second place, nearly declaring a tie. But the insanely entertaining 4H Llama Costume Contest nudged Minnesota solidly into second place. If I were to return someday to the Minnesota State Fair, it would be entirely scheduled around the spectacular llama parade of creativity (held on the Wednesday evening of each year's Fair, for those planning ahead for the live-stream. You ARE planning ahead, aren't you?).

Poor Idaho – I forgot I had been to that state fair until Rob reminded me. And California’s bottom ranking is mostly due to my one visit about 45 years ago, during which I mostly whined about the extreme Sacramento summer heat.

Yep, some things never change.

My Current Ranked Order of Favorite State Fairs So Far:

1. Iowa
2. Minnesota
3. Wisconsin
4. Texas
5. Indiana
6. Oregon
7. Washington
8. Idaho
9. California

Fairwell Minnesota State Fair!
We had a delicious blast. I will
forever remember you as the Fair with 
the cookies, the fries, and the LLAMAS!