A Day at the Fair

One of the best times of year in Minnesota happens for twelve days at the end of the summer: The Great Minnesota Get-Together, also known as the State Fair. Tradition holds it that Molly and I go to the Fair together every year -- this year was year #8, pretty amazing I've been in Minnesota long enough to say this is my eight year attending the Fair. Wow. Anyway -- here's our attempt to capture everything that was the Minnesota State Fair 2008.

Molly and I are all about deals, so we started our morning on the bus. The University if Minnesota has free parking with a free shuttle on the Metro Transit straight to the Fair. What a deal!

Upon arrival at the Fair, Molly insists on making a purchase right as we enter the gates. First stop: Pronto Pup! For those of you unfamiliar with the Minnesota State Fair, Pronto Pups are a staple: corn dog on a stick. Molly is happy.

We proceed to my traditional first stop: cheese curds from the food building. There is only one place to get cheese curds at the Fair -- and that's in the food building. Always way too crowded and sweaty and smelly of fried food, the food building has the best cheese curds at the Fair.... always with ketchup.

We take the cheese curds and sit down in our favorite karaoke room -- though the singing doesn't start for another hour or two. We sit there anyway and enjoy the curds. Thirsty from all the greasy goodness, we exit the food building and quench our thirst with a $1 root beer from the 1919 Root Beer stand -- a classic root beer. Best thing about the root beer? No ice in the cup -- you get the full $1 worth of root beer without the ice taking up much too much room in the cup.

After the root beer, we decided to walk a little bit, let our food settle before we dove back in. We came upon the Obama '08 stand, where we took advantage of the cardboard cutout for a photo op. We learned Obama is not as short as the cardboard cutout and that "He goes by Barack by his friends". Apparently we are now his friends. Later we "donated" $2 each for an Obama '08 button we would sport the rest of the day.

Post photo op with Barack, it was time for more food. After all, we are at the Fair -- and the entire point of the Fair is to eat as much as you can before you explode, sit and let it settle, then eat some more. Foot-long pizza on a stick was next. A note on the foot-long pizza: a new item at the Fair this year, it was a bit too much crust. Read: it was tough to get the whole foot down, but rest assured I did it! (Ok, so Molly had a couple bites... but that's what we do -- we share!)

After the pizza, it was time for yet another Fair classic: John Deere tractors. Yes, we climbed up in the tractors; yes, they come around and shine them up after you get off. Needless to say, we rode John Deere -- and nothing runs like a Deere.

After the tractors, we found some sweet plastic lawn furniture I pretty much must have. Red, plastic, and complete with foot rest. I love a good foot rest. We would have sat there longer, even though the sales guy gave up on us (and I really would have liked to at least know how much these glorious chairs would have cost me), but the lady at the lumberjack display next door had the most annoying voice ever. We couldn't take it, so we were up and on our way.

Before we found our next treat, we came across some awesome cardboard cutouts calling our faces. I think I might actually make Michael Jackson look good -- and if not, at least my nose (although big) doesn't look as nasty as his! Then, Molly decided she was going to leave Joe and settle for Homer Simpson instead!

On our way to our next food stand, we found the ultimate advertisement for some sort of grain handler... I have no idea what that means, but the sign was priceless:

After the sign, there was nothing better to do than head over to the Leinie's Lodge for a nice cold beer. Complete with a wedge of lemon, we took our Honey Weiss over to the bandshell and listened to some crazy folk band yodel for a bit.

After relaxing with the beers, it was time for more food. Every year I insist on trying something new at the Fair. This year: Deep Fried Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on a Stick. Now, I've had the deep fried Oreos and the deep friend Snicker's on a stick, but nothing compared to the deep friend Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on a stick. They were awesome. The chocolate was melted, the peanut butter "stuff" in the middle was still in tact -- an overall success in my book. I will revisit these next year, no doubt.

After my encounter with the fried candy bar, it was Molly's turn for her exciting food of the year. Now, Molly had already been to the Fair once this year with Joe. As they were walking the streets, seeing the sights to be seen, they came across a food stand Joe knew Molly couldn't pass up. Molly, however, told Joe she was going to wait to indulge until she came to the Fair with me. Behold: BACON ON A STICK! The boys running the stand couldn't understand why I didn't want to buy one as well and even convinced Molly I would want at least a bite as we walked away... I just shook my head and Molly enjoyed all there was to enjoy about bacon on a stick.

While Molly gnawed on her bacon on a stick, I moseyed over to the corn roast where I probably had the largest ear of corn I've ever had. Whoever said size doesn't matter is wrong -- this was the biggest, most amazing, HUGE ear of corn ever.... and I did pretty well getting down to the bottom. And of course I composted the cob at the end. After all, we at the Fair are environmentally-friendly!

After the bacon and the corn, we were mighty full. We then decided it was time to hit up the barns... where we just had to see the largest boar. Weighing in at a hefty 1260 lbs, this year's boar may have been big, but not as big as years past. Most enjoyable in the pig barn though was not so much the 1260-lb. boar, but the truck (from my native land, mind you) parked inside! It was only appropriate for me (the kosher-keeping Jew) to put on my pig ears and pose for a shot next to the license plate.

We debated Sweet Martha's Cookies and all the milk you can drink for $1, but still weren't ready, so it was time for another Fair classic: butter heads. We made our way through what always seems to be a crowded building with people lined up for fresh milkshakes and ice cream cones to find the butter heads. Princess Kay of the Milky Way and her runner-up Dairy Princesses are all carved out of 90-lb. blocks of butter. It really is a sight to be seen.

After the butter heads, we decided enough was enough. We were exhausted, full to the brim, and my arms were a bit sunburned. We made our way through the crowd (probably the most crowded part of the Fair at any time of day, any day of the Fair), and headed back to the bus stop where we would be shuttled back to campus to find the car. Just in case I decided to head back to the Fair later that night, I had my hand stamped for re-entry.

I think it's safe to say we had a successful day at the Fair. Though I think if we'd sat around and watching some karaoke or some more yodeling we may have been able to eat another five or six Fair items (most likely on a stick!), I am satisfied.

Now... if only I can go once more this year.

To Molly -- thanks for yet another fantastic trip to the Fair. Same place next year!!