Prize Apples 2009

Bonsai 2009

There was a section for bonsai plants in one of the buildings. I liked this one. It amazes me how much stuff there is to see at the fair.

Seed Art 2009 Part 3 - Barack Obama

Seed Art 2009 Part 2

A few more examples of seed art that I liked from the 2009 Minnesota State Fair. I couldn't keep from snapping shots of Elsie the Cow and the Bad Seed Kitty and I've always loved the character of Flo from the Progressive Auto Insurance ads.

Seed Art 2009

When ever I'm at the fair I love to go see the seed art. Seed art is a version of crop art. Seed art is often done in the style of mosaic or pointillism. From a distance it can look like needlepoint. One of my favorites from 2009 was The Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Skyride 2009 Part 2

These photos were taken on our 2009 trip to the fair. The view is from the Skyride car that Dale and I rode in. In the top photo you can see the full moon near the top of the picture. In the bottom photo you can see the Giant Slide in the middle of the picture.

Skyride 2009

The Skyride is and aerial lift ride. Fairgoers are carried across the fair in different colored cars. This is a permanent ride at the fair and has been around as long as I can remember. It's my favorite. These photos were taken on our 2009 trip to the fair.

Mini Donuts 2009 - Yum, Yum, Yum

Along with corn dogs, mini donuts are my favorite State Fair food. I've been getting them since I was a little kid. I loved being able to look through the display window to see them being made. These photos were taken on our 2009 trip to the fair.

Minnesota State Fair 2009 Part 3

Again, I find the fair at night to be exciting and beautiful. The lights are amazing. The moon was within a day or two of being full on the night we went in 2009. In the top photo you can see the full moon in the middle of the picture. The tall pole to the right is the Space Tower. The bottom photo shows a corn dog and french fry stand at night. Corn dogs with mustard are one of my State Fair favorites!

Minnesota State Fair 2009 Part 2

Dale and I arrived at the fair on Sept. 4th in the very early evening. As you can see from this photo the sun was starting to go down. I like going to the fair at this time. It's not as crowded and there's something magical about all the lights coming on.

Minnesota State Fair 2009

Dale and I went to the fair in 2009 on September 4th and had a wonderful time. The attendance total for the year was 1,790,497. The photo shown here is from my own collection. Again, I love going to the fair for the food!

Minnesota State Fair 2010 Part 2

This first photo is the state fair button from 2010. Dale and I didn't go that year but I found this picture on the internet. I'm a fan of the Fair's gopher mascot. I learned recently that one is named Fairborn and the other is Fairchild. The second photo is from the Minnesota State Fair website and is dated August 31, 2010. I love going to the fair for the food and the french fries are always delicious!

Minnesota State Fair 2010

Dale and I had EVERY intention of going to the State Fair in 2010 since we had had such a good time in 2009. Sadly, it didn't work out the way we wanted. The time that the Fair falls every year is difficult for me because, as a teacher, I'm getting ready to go back to work. Attendance for the Fair in 2010 was high and totaled 1,776,211 people. Not bad.

Minnesota State Fair Memories

I have some very early memories of attending the Minnesota State Fair. I remember going with my Mom and Dad and my Grandma and Grandpa (on my Dad's side) in what would have been the late sixties or very early 1970s. In some ways the Fair is like Christmas. It comes but once a year, it's exciting, I have memories of it that go way back, it brings to mind a specific time of year, and the anticipation preceding it (especially as a kid) is intense!