Alas, Not Meant to Be This Year

The 2023 Minnesota State Fair has come and gone. I had every intention of going. I had surgery on my broken fibula bone above my ankle in mid-August. I thought after having the splint removed last Thursday and switching to a boot that'd I'd be off crutches but I was oh so wrong. They want me in the boot AND using crutches for 4 more weeks and I've found that it's just too uncomfortable going long distances with crutches so, alas, the Fair was not meant to be this year. I'm extremely disappointed. 

2023 Minnesota State Fair Commemorative Art

 

2023 Minnesota State Fair Commemorative Art by Liz Schreiber

State Fair Architecture - Article

Monday, August 28, 2023

The Minnesota State Fair has begun and I'm looking forward to going later this week with Dale. I found an article in the Strib about State Fair architecture. Click on the link below. 

https://www.startribune.com/buildings-minnesota-state-fair-history-built-to-last-but-also-to-change/600300180/?fbclid=IwAR3el5HELkPVTZoufflDTalIixwdCBcWJYdVvWwnk4C-N8F0ELaTLl2bpaE&refresh=true

State Fair 2022 - More Photos

Sunday, September 4, 2022

State Fair 2022 - Mini-Donuts, Horses, and Cows

Sunday, September 4, 2022

First stop: Tom Thumb Mini Donuts. My favorite. Dale didn't want any so I ate the whole thing. 

On Judson Avenue. We decided to head toward the animal barns. 

Where else in the city are ya gonna see cows on the street? Why, the Minnesota State Fair of course.

We made it to the horse barn and saw some real beauties. 

State Fair 2022 - Getting There

Sunday, September 4, 2022

It happened! We went! Parking was tough but we figured it out. We took Hennepin to Larpenteur and it was all smooth sailing until we got to the Bell Museum where cars were backed up in the far right lane to a very slow crawl. It was about another mile to the fair. We pulled into the left hand lane where traffic was moving' right along, overshot the fair by about 6 blocks, parked on city streets and walked back to the grounds.  

When we got to the gate we found long lines but they moved pretty fast and we were in!

Once past security I had to get my photo op with Paul Bunyan and his corn dog. 

2019 was our last time at the fair. Of course 2020 was Covid and although the it was open in 2021 I didn't feel it was quite safe enough to go back. I was absolutely delighted to be back on the fair grounds and told Dale how much I appreciated going with me considering it isn't quite his jam. He said he's commiserated with people from outside Minnesota who have spouses who grew up going to the fair and they've all experienced similar feelings. Dale feels you just have to grow up with it to really appreciate it. 

State Fair 2021

Saturday, August 28, 2021

This year I'm following the State Fair from a distance.

Earlier this summer I still had every intention of going. Folks were getting vaccinated and mask mandates were lifted. The notion was that by fall we'd all be "back to normal."

Well, the dumb-asses that refuse to get vaccinated have caused the rise in the Delta-variant and the fair is not requiring masks or proof of vaccination. 

As recently as a couple of weeks ago I was still considering attending. My thinking was that I could  go during non-peak times and avoid indoor spaces. However, there are issues around meeting supply and having enough workers. Additionally, I'm concerned about the spread of the delta variant and the fair becoming a super spreader event. A number of vendors, musical acts, etc,  are pulling out. I just don't know that this year will provide the full fair experience.