Minnesota State Fair 2025

 

Dale and I both had a great time this year. Can't wait until next year!

State Fair 2025 - Corn On the Cob

 Friday, August 29, 2025 

State Fair 2025 - Blue Moon Dine-In Theater Part 1

 Friday, August 29, 2025

One of our favorite stops we hit every year is the Blue Moon Dine-In Theater. 

We both got cheeseburgers with chips. 

They were showing old episodes of the Beverly Hillbillies...

...allowing us to take a trip down memory lane. 

We both loved watching this show when we were kids. 

State Fair 2025 - Ice Fishing Houses

Friday, August 29, 2025

Our first stop was at Ice Castle Fish House's.

We stop here just about every year and I'm not sure why we get such a kick out of looking at Ice Houses since the chance of us ever buying one are next to nil. 

There are numerous covered holes on the floor for fishing. 

I think Dale and I just like the idea of a premade little cozy cabin for land more than ice. I know ice fishers know what they're doing and how to do it safely but if I were in one on a frozen lake I'd never be able to get the idea of it falling in out of my anxiety ridden head. 

My grandparents had a cabin in northern Minnesota where I loved spending time. Dale also had spent time as a kid out of the city doing a lot a camping. Maybe that has something to do with the appeal. Anyway, they are fun to look at. 

State Fair 2025 - We're Back!

Friday, August 29, 2025

Dale and I left for the Minnesota State Fair around 4 pm. We had to stop at the bank to pick up some cash but then we ventured out on our way though city streets on a lovely and sunny late August afternoon to the fair grounds in Falcon Heights (suburb which borders Saint Paul). 

We ambled up Larpenteur Avenue and just before 5pm we parked in the north lot and then walked the short distance to the north entrance. The weather was absolutely perfect. 

Dale picked up our tickets (one of us qualified for the senior discount). 

We hadn't made it too far onto the grounds before I forced Dale to let me take a picture of him with Linus. 

Some years I'm very plan-full of what I wanna see, do, and eat at the fair. I'll research to new foods and attractions, decide which animal barns and exhibits to visit, food to eat, etc. This was not one of those years. After saying goodbye to Linus we headed southward to see what there was to see...

State Fair 2024: 2nd Visit - Giant Sing Along

Sunday, September 1, 2024

Our final stop was the Giant Sing Along. 

All told our two visits to the State Fair this year were great fun.

State Fair 2024: 2nd Visit - Tom Thumb Mini Donuts

Sunday, September 1, 2024

Next up: Tom Thumb Mini Donuts! One of most favorite fair foods since I was a little kid. They were delicious but I forgot to tell them to not put on extra sugar so they were a little oversweet for my taste. 

State Fair 2024: 2nd Visit - Arrival

Sunday,  September 1, 2024

We left for the Fair around 9 a.m. The line for the north lot was pretty long so we decided to park on city streets. 

                     

We had to walk for about 8 blocks but no matter because it was a gorgeous morning.

When we got to the grounds we found the lines for tickets to be pretty long so we decided to head to the south entrance.  On the was we passed by the rear of the Fine Arts Building...

And the 4-H Building.

The lines weren't so bad on the south side so we entered there. So excited we could fit in a second trip this year. 

State Fair 2024 - Sheep Barn

Friday,  August 23, 2024

Dale and I headed over to the sheep/poultry barn next. One of the women ahead of us was carrying in a turkey. 

I'll enlarge the picture. She's the one on the right. The turkey was calm, still, and very well behaved. I can only imagine what it'd do if I tried picking it up. I'm sure there's a trick to doing it right. 

Although not overly hot it was very muggy in the barn so the sheep weren't very active.

This one seemed rather taken with me. I was gonna pet him but then he bit the top bar off the gate to his pen. I wasn't sure if that was a good sign. 

Some had their wool shaved off so I imagine they were doing a bit better with the humidity than the others. 

They all seemed pretty darn sweet. 

Part of the fun of the Fair to me is that we can get up close to farm animals which is pretty cool since we're obviously so disconnected from farm life. 

State Fair 2024 - We Made It!

Friday, August 23, 2024

We made it! No broken leg to keep me away this year. We left home at about 5:15. Dale took his usual route of Hennepin Avenue to Larpenteur and we easily parked in the north lot.  We've always had good luck with parking there on later weekday afternoons. 

We walked to the north entrance and got in easily as the lines at the ticket booths were only two or three. people deep. It was about 80 degrees and the humidity was at the lower end of being uncomfortable. Walking slowly helped. 

image: mnstatefair@instagram

State Fair 2022 - More Photos

Sunday, September 4, 2022