State Fair 2024 - Time to Head Home

Friday, August 23, 2024

All good things must come to an end. Our last stop was the Great Big Wheel which the website describes as: "One of the tallest traveling giant Ferris wheels in North America is coming to the Minnesota State Fair! The Great Big Wheel carries riders to a height of 156 feet, offering breathtaking views of the State Fairgrounds and beyond! The 15-story-tall Great Big Wheel is equipped with 36 enclosed gondolas each holding six people. Don’t miss the spectacular lighting display as the sun goes down!" We didn't ride it however.  

 We then walked back to the north lot. 

Exited the Fair on Larpenteur. We then turned south on Snelling and drove by the main entrance. 

As we continued driving we could see the Fair's fireworks which they do every night.

State Fair 2017

Friday, September 1, 2017

Disappointed I was only able to make it to the fair once this year. I was hoping to match my record of 3 visits back in 2014.  Alas, multiple visits were not meant to be this time around. With kids in the district where I teach starting school now before Labor Day and with teacher workshop week overlapping the first few days of the fair, it's hard to get there as much as I'd like.  Never-the-less, the one visit Dale and I made this year was hugely enjoyable - lots of food and Garrison Keillor's (supposedly) last appearance at the Grandstand made it well worth while. Of course, there's always next year. The Fair still makes me feel like a kid and having to wait for another year is just as hard as it was when I was a lad. 

State Fair 2017 - The Great Big Wheel

Friday, September 1, 2017

Got some shots of the new Ferris Wheel from our Grandstand seats for Garrison Keillor's Minnesota Show.

The Great Big Wheel, as it's called, is one of the tallest Ferris wheels in all of North America. It's 15 stories tall and at the highest point a rider is 150+ feet high. I've heard tell that it takes 12 trailers to move it around to different fairs.

State Fair 2017 - The Great Big Wheel

Friday, September 1, 2017

This photo of the Ferris wheel taken as Dale and I were leaving the fair. It looks great at night. No, we did not ride it. Will it be back next year?

State Fair 2017 - Attendance

Monday, September 4, 2017

Looks like the day Dale and I visited this year was a record breaking day. Friday, September 1, 2017 had an attendance of 187,066 people which is 4,140 more people than the same day last year and is a new attendance record!