State Fair 2018 (First Visit) - Progress Center

Saturday, August 25, 2018

The following is from the State Fair walking tour brochure:

"Progress Center"

"Built 1907"

"Then: Designed by St. Paul architects and built in just three months, this building originally was used to house poultry and was touted as 'the largest exhibition building for poultry in the world.' In 1928, poultry flew the coop and it became the State Exhibits Building. It housed an exhibit from each institution of the state, giving an opportunity for the department heads to explain the functions of their respective offices to citizens. In 1989, the building was renamed the Progress Center and held the Oriental Pavilion and later, the Wonders of Technology."

"Now: In 2006, Eco Experience exhibit opened in the building, focusing on renewable energy, organic food, and green technology. The Progress Center continues to feature presentations and hands-on exhibits along that theme."

State Fair 2012 - Attendance

State Fair attendance hit 1,788,512 this year. The record was set in 2009 at 1,790,497 which is a difference of just 1,985 people.

Lillian Colton

Following is the obituary for Lillian Colton from the Owatonna, Minnesota People's Press and is dated March 22, 2007. The obituary was written by Jeffrey Jackson.

"Famed Owatonna crop artist Lillian Colton, whose work was displayed prominently at the Minnesota State Fair and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, died Tuesday at her home, her family announced"

"She was 95"

"Colton, who was also a long-time superintendent of the fine arts at the Steele County Free Fair, had gained a national and even international reputation for her work, which used parts of plants, including seeds, stems and other structures, to produce art."

"She first entered her art work in competition at the Minnesota State Fair in 1965. In her second year of competition, she earned a second-place ribbon. In 1973, she won 'Best of Show' for the fair and earned 12 such 'Best of Show' awards from the state fair before retiring from competition in 1982."

"Since that time, she worked for the state fair as a demonstrator of crop art."

"'They put her on the payroll,' said her son Jon Colton of Owatonna."

I took the above photo at the 2011 State Fair. In the picture are a few of the many works of Lillian Colton which were on loan by her family. I've always enjoyed looking at the crop art. I don't know if it's because I'm fascinated that people can sit around and make art out of plants or that it's just kitschy or both.

Quote by Minnesota Senator Amy Klobachar

Minnesota U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, has attended the fair for 47 years. The following is a recent quote:

"I can give a 'best of' tour that hits eight must-see spots in less than an hour. In 2008, when the Republican National Convention was here, I took the Republican senators on my tour - of course, I made sure to steer clear of the DFL booth that time around."

Minnesota State Fair 2001 Part 2

I remember on our 2001 visit to the fair Dale and I saw Paul Wellstone, the U.S. senator from Minnesota, and his wife Sheila doing a meet and greet over by Machinery Hill. We thought about getting in line to shake their hands but the line looked long and it was starting to get later in the afternoon. Dale and I had been there since about noon and we were getting tired and ready to go home. "Next time", we thought. Sadly, Paul Wellstone, his wife and daughter were in a private plane that crashed shortly before the election in 2002. All on board were killed.

In the summer of 2002, just months before his death, I did the Twin Cities to Chicago AIDS Ride. As I was riding down Summit Avenue in St. Paul with no one in front or behind me for a few blocks I noticed a man with a handmade sign standing all by himself on a corner. As I rode by he yelled out some words of encouragement. I said thank you and only moments later realized that it was Paul Wellstone. He didn't have an entourage around him and there was no media there because that's just the kind of guy he was. I sure he just showed up on his own.

I found the above photo on the internet. It shows Senator Wellstone and two women at the Minnesota State Fair.

Minnesota State Fair 2001 - Food

Dale and I had never been to the fair together before. We decided to go in 2001. Shortly before the fair we had started a new diet called Body-for-Life. It was a great diet that focused on eating six small reasonably portioned meals a day that were balanced between protein and carbohydrates. The part of the diet I really liked is that it offered a free day where you could eat as much of anything you wanted including junk foods. That year we made sure that our trip to the fair fell on our free day. We worked out at our downtown Minneapolis gym that morning and then hopped a downtown bus that dropped us off right at the gates of the fair. Just before catching the bus we stopped by a coffee shop and each got a chocolate chocolate chip muffin and a personal sized bottle of orange juice. At the fair we each got the foods we really wanted to eat. I know for sure that I got the Tom Thumb mini-donuts, a corn dog and corn on the cob. I know I got a lot more but that's all I can remember for sure. We stayed until the late afternoon/early evening and took a bus back to our car in downtown Minneapolis. It was quite a day of food and fun.

Minnesota State Fair 2006 Part 3 - Deep Fried Candy Bars

Deep fried candy bars, to me, are like communism. In theory it all sounds great but in reality it just doesn't work. I'm not sure if they were brand new to the fair in 2006 but if not, they hadn't been around too much before that. I just remember having heard about them on TV that year and knowing that I really wanted to try one. Dale and I got to the booth and I ordered a deep fried Snickers. It was prepared just like a corn dog - dipped in batter and then deep fried. I'll never forget that first bite because it made the sides of my tongue curl. Them problem was that the batter was way too sweet and a candy bar is sweet enough as it is already. Sweet plus too sweet equals WAY too sweet, that is, unless you're into that kinda thing.

Minnesota State Fair 2006 Part 2 - The Midway

I don't have any photos of my own of the 2006 Fair but I did find this nighttime shot of the midway online. It was dated 2006.

Minnesota State Fair 2006 - Tickets

Dale and I went to the Fair in 2006 but the only memento I can find is my ticket.

The Minnesota State Fair and the MN150

In 2008 the Minnesota Historical Society put together an exhibit called MN150 and published a companion book titled Minnesota 150: The People, Places, and Things That Shape Our State. Before the exhibit opened anyone was allowed to submit a nomination for something they felt should be included. The Minnesota State Fair made the list and the winning nomination does a great job of telling how the fair has changed and remained relevant today. Here it is:

"This is the Great Minnesota Get-Together that has been going on for around 150 years. The Fair is a unique blend of farming and big-city exhibits and demonstrations. It has changed over the years to reflect the changes in our community and state. For example, Machinery Hill was THE destination after World War II for famers from all over the state to kick the tires on the latest farm implements. The Hill gradually changed in the last decade to reflect the new urban farmer with high-tech lawn mowers and mini-excavator machines. And yet as much as it changed, many things are still the same, like the 4-H center where kids from all parts of Minnesota come to give demonstrations and skits on the main stage."

"Families have gone to the Fair for generations. And the Fair changes with the times as well. In 2006, there was an Eco-center with many different booths with energy conservation themes, which is very timely considering the increasing cost of gasoline, fuel oil, and natural gas. It truly is the Great Minnesota Get-Together! ~Tom Sletten, St. Anthony, MN"

Prize Winning Corn (and a Tin Man Too) 2009

Q: Where else can you see stuff like this?

A: The Minne-

sota State Fair.

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!