It is that time of year. The end of summer and the beginning of fall. This is what the state fair says to me. One would think that going every year and doing the same thing would get old but it doesn’t. Not for me. I people watch, eat, drink, look at animals and go into the agriculture/horticulture building. I do random other things as well…look at the ice castles & farm equipment (I mean, I do live in Minnesota), go to various booths, look at items to be purchased, the list goes on. Somehow this ends up lasting 5-10 hrs. I am not sure where the time goes. This year was no different.

There was nothing really special that happened this year versus every other. I ate my classics…

Corn Dog

Cheese Curds

Pork Chop on a Stick

Enjoyed a beer flight (or 2…)

Ice Cream (no photo). Saw Princess Kay become a butter head

And then I tried some new foods…New to the fair this year or just new to me.

Pretzel Curds (new to the fair this year – 2014. It tasted like regular cheese curds but with a crispy, salty batter. Yum! But I do think I prefer the original in the end).

Reuben Bites (new to me)

Fried Alligator with alligator shaped fries (New to me. I cannot believe I have never had this. This is a MN State Fair staple).

I also looked at animals, the plants, flowers, and vegetables. Saw some interesting advertisements…I mean who made this?

In addition to the flowers, veggies, & veggie art on display in the agriculture/horticulture building, I always look at and try the honey.

Usually I buy some, but this year I didn’t. I still haven’t even opened my jar from last year. I also look at the ribbons on the baked goods & think maybe one day…

Maybe one day I will venture into more contests & win a ribbon.

One of my favorite things to do every year is go to the Minnesota State Fair. Some people never go, some go every few years, and some go multiple times a year. I feel like how many times you go to the MN State Fair says a lot about you as a person. I go once a year, every year.

The MN State Fair is a wonderful event. It is full of various types of people, attractions, and foods to eat. This is what draws me and countless others. Everybody goes for different reasons. Basically, I like to go and do the following: people watch, eat, drink, go into the agricultural building, and look at the animals. Those are my things that must get accomplished at the MN State Fair. If something else happens to squeeze itself in that mix I think of it as a bonus. Let’s start with the people watching.

There are so many people that go to this event. This year a bit over 1.7 million attended the fair from August 22-September 2, 2013 (a mear 12 days). You will see all types of people. Some people travel from the corners of the state just to go. It is always best to try and go on a weekday if possible to avoid the massive crowds.

I also like to look at the animals. They have the same buildings every year, but for some reason I keep going back to them. There are judging contests and there is also a birthing center. I happened to see Andrew Zimmern in one of the barns this year. So cool. If you didn’t know, Minneapolis is sort of his adopted home town. I wonder what he ate at the fair…

The food and the drink is probably what most people go for and is definitely one of the main reasons I go to the fair. I always look up the new foods for the year and try to pick a few to sample. This year I tried a jalepeno and cheddar corn dog. I get a corn dog every year and thought this could be a new twist to an old classic. I was rather disappointed. It tasted almost the same as a regular corn dog unless you ate the raw sliced jalepenos with it. I also tried the deep-fried pumpkin pie. If you know me, then you know I love pumpkin so skipping this new food was not an option. I also ended up eating: Australian battered potatoes, cheese curds, pork shop on a stick, and sunflower ice cream.  Did I mention it is important to go in a group so you can split everything? That is key. A group of 2-4 is ideal and that way you only get a bite or two and you can try numerous foods. I drank a few craft beer flights as well.

One of the last things I do is go into the agricultural building. I love looking at all of the plants, flowers, and vegetables on display. They also have the largest pumpkins! In additon, there is a honey/bee/baking area. This is where they keep the bees and have shows and tutorials. They also sell tons of honey, which you are able to sample prior to buying. This year I did not buy a local honey like I normally do. I bought a raw honey and it cost $28. Crazy, but why not?

There are also baked goods and small crafts in this area and one of my goals in life is to end up not only having something being judged, but to win a ribbon. Maybe these posts will help me get there. Until then, I will continue loving the MN State Fair.