Have Some Summer Fun at the Minnesota State Fair

The Minnesota State Fair is a very popular event in Minnesota. Basically everyone within the state has been to it at least once in their lives. Most people return every year for the entertainment, food, and fun. The fair runs twelve days, always through Labor Day. It is not uncommon for people to go more than once in those twelve days because it is hard to get everything in that you want to do in just one day. The Minnesota State Fair is one of the largest in the United States. Known as the "Great Minnesota get together," it will normally see about 100,000 people per day, but it is not uncommon to get up near 200,000 over the weekends and on Labor Day.

Entertainment and things to do

The Grandstand

The Grandstand is an area of the fair that you have to pay for (other than admission). Every day of the fair there is a new artist or band that comes to perform at the Grandstand. Popular artists/groups attend and tickets run for anywhere between $20-$55, depending on which show you go see. Some of the artists for the 2007 state fair are The Goo Goo Dolls, Fergie, Vince Gill, and Def Leopard. This part of the fair isn't as popular as the rest, because of the fact that you have to pay to get in.

Art

There is one building at the fair where people can submit their crop art. Crop art is art made from crops grown in Minnesota, but they make it into historical figures, music artists, actors, etc. It is really amazing how much the art actually looks like what the artist is trying to portray. There is also one area , located in the Empire Commons, where you can see sculptures of people made out of butter. This was started and became tradition because Minnesota is known as the butter capital. This is a fun place to check out, especially if you haven't seen them in past years.

Midway

Midway is the area with rides and games all the way down a strip. The games are like any other carnival games. For example, shoot a basketball and make the shot and you can win a basketball or a stuffed animal. The games are fun and addicting and it's likely you'll walk away with a few prizes. Also located in Midway are the rides. This is actually a pretty big area considering it's a fair. They have the most popular rides from amusement parks around the nation. There is something for everyone, so if you don't like to go too fast or you don't like rides that go upside down, you will still find a ride that you can enjoy.

Food

Booths

Food is one of the main attractions at the fair. The booths at the fair contain anything fried that you could ever imagine. From cheese curds, to corn dogs, to french fries, they have it all. They also have some more unusual foods such as alligator and ostrich, most of which is all on a stick. My personal favorite that I would recommend to anyone attending the fair is something called a cheese on a stick. It is a lot like a corn dog but it has melted cheese in the middle instead of a hot dog. The most profitable stand at the fair is Sweet Martha's Cookies. Everyone lines up to get a cup or even a bucket to share of these cookies and maybe even a glass of milk. Definitely one of the busier food stands, which makes it obvious why it is so profitable.

Dairy Building

In the dairy building, you can find any food made with dairy. If you are in the mood for a milkshake, this building is where to go. They have some of the best milkshakes around. You can also find milk, cheese curds, sandwiches, etc in this building. Go here for anything you want containing dairy.

This pretty much sums up the Minnesota state fair. If you go, you will be sure to have fun and it is definitely worth the admission to get in.