Minnesota State Fair 2018 - Newbie at the Fair

Click on the link below for a New York Times article on the Minnesota State Fair

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/28/style/minnesota-state-fair.html

Minnesota State Fair 2018 - Fair Expansion

Click on link below for and article on fair expansion from the City Pages.

Photo by: Elizabeth Flores, Star Tribune

http://www.citypages.com/restaurants/minnesota-state-fair-announces-14-million-expansion/492602761

State Fair 2018 (Second Visit) - Frog

Sunday, September 2, 2018

I came across frogs like this at the International Bazaar on my first visit to the fair this year. This time I picked one up. It's awesome and makes a really cool sound. 

State Fair 2018 (Second Visit) - Cannas

Sunday, September 2, 2018

The walking tour brochure I picked up on my previous visit  mentions the "iconic cannas" that the greenhouse superintendents and groundskeepers who lived in the J.V. Bailey House would take care of. I was intrigued to know what this iconic plant looks like. I googled it and realized I've been looking at it for all these years without realizing what it is and that it's a tropical plant that must grow year round in warmer climates. They must get them going in the greenhouse over the winter and then move them outside in the spring so they're nice and big when the fair opens in late August.

State Fair 2018 (Second Visit) - The Fair After Dark

Saturday, September 2, 2018

I love starting out at the fair in the later afternoon. That way, you get to see the lights come on after a few hours. Generally, as much as I love the fair, my endurance limit is around 4, maybe 5, hours. When Dale and I go we usually get there between 4 and 5 pm. This allows up to see the fair in the daylight and also at night. I remember as a kid we'd go after Dad got home from work. We'd arrive for dinner at the Mexican Village ( now the International Bazaar), get some treats, do a few rides, and hang out until it just started to get dark and the lights would come up. My fair endurance as an adult is pretty much the same as when I was a little kid. 

State Fair 2018 (Second Visit) - Skyride

Sunday, September 2, 2018

We wanted to we didn't take the Skyride but didn't.  The lines were annoyingly long. I guess we didn't want to ride it that badly.

State Fair 2018 (Second Visit) - Mighty Midway

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Dale and I stopped at the Mighty Midway. It was crowded so it didn't take us long to get our fill of it. Pretty sunset though.

State Fair 2018 (Second Visit) - Swine Barn

Sunday, September 2, 2018

The Swine Barn. We saw the cute little piggies with their mother and the prize winning boar.

They were all either sleeping or nursing. They sure were cute.

Then there was this guy. I wouldn't say he was cute but he certainly was impressive - all 1,040 pounds of him.

Johnny

State Fair 2018 (Second Visit) - Bridgeman's

Sunday, September 2, 2018

I had a chance to try the Bridgeman's ice cream sundae I read about on Facebook just prior to the opening of the fair. The description is as follows:

"We are excited to have been approved to add a new sundae to our menu at the Minnesota State Fair! Introducing our Campfire Marble...9 layers of chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce and whip cream topped off with crushed graham cracker and mini marshmallows! Who is going to stop by and try one? You can find us on the corner of Judson and Liggett across from the Coliseum."

The booth is near the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum. It was fun watching the guys assemble it. They had to pass it back and forth between them as there were so many ingredients and the booth was quite small. It turned out to be rather delicious and it was fun to be back at Bridgeman's again as all of their stores in the Twin Cities are now closed. They do still make ice cream which is sold in some grocery stores and scoop shops. 

State Fair 2018 (Second Visit) - l'Etoile du Nord

Sunday, September 2, 2018

The sun was shining this go-'round at the Fair so I was able to get a much better picture of one of the carved reliefs on the north side that depict the state motto, l'Etoile du Nord (The Star of the North).

State Fair 2018 (Second Visit) - A Comparison

Sunday, September 2, 2018

One task suggested in the walking tour brochure is to compare the largest prize winning pumpkin in the Ag/Hort building to the largest prize winning boar over at the Swine Barn. As it turns out the largest pumpkin weighs 674.5 pounds and the largest boar, Johnny, weighs 1,040 pounds.

State Fair 2018 (Second Visit) - Seed Art

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Our next stop was seed art which is a favorite for both of us. Some were very timely like the one for Aretha Franklin who died recently. There were many other delightful and/or amusing ones.

State Fair 2018 (Second Visit) - Corn Roast

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Next up: corn. 

The line was insanely long but I braved it anyway. Dale waited for me across the street.

Because of the long wait I had a chance to pay attention to how they actually roast the corn. See above. 

Dale photo bombed my selfie and it...

cracke me...

up! The corn was worth the wait, by the way.

State Fair 2018 (Second Visit) - Blue Moon Dine-In Theater

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Next stop was dinner as we were starving. We ended up at the Blue Moon Dine-In Theater which is always a good choice. Dale had Korean BBQ tacos and I had a cheeseburger. They were showing an Elvis Presley movie that didn't ring a bell for either of us although there was a scene where Elvis and his date go to the top of the Space Needle in Seattle to have dinner. 

I did a google search upon arriving back at home and it turns out it was the 1963 musical It Happened at the World's Fair.

State Fair 2018 (Second Visit) - Fairchild

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Leave the gopher's teeth alone!

State Fair 2018 (Second Visit) - Couple of Fairgoers

Sunday, September 2, 2018

State Fair 2018 (Second Visit) - Education Building

Sunday, September 2, 2018

About a week ago on my last trip to the fair, I completed the walking tour. Upon finishing the tour you could turn in the brochure at the Minnesota Historical Society Booth in the Education Building with the stops punched out for a prize. I pooped out and didn't make it in for the exchange. I resolved to stop in this visit to see what the prize was. However, I forgot to bring along the brochure. 

I told the woman at the Minnesota Historical Society booth and she said she believed I completed the trek and would give me the prize anyway although she thought I might not want it when I saw what it was. 

It turned out to be a water bottle that could clip on to your belt! Of course I wanted that!!

I asked her about the Grandstand stop of the tour and told her I couldn't find the punching station. She told me she thought someone probably stole it as other folks have had the same problem. Dale and I found it this trip. I don't know how I missed it last time.

The volunteer at the MNHS booth also took our picture in front of a green screen and we got to choose the background. We went with the Split Rock Light House.

The Education Building also held lots of artwork of students around the state. 

I was rather taken with this sock puppet.