Minnesota is known for its state fair, attracting nearly 1.8 million people every year for The Great Minnesota Get-Together, a true Midwestern tradition! We love the fair, too, and this year we documented our trip to share some of the highlights. 

Food. The state fair is all about food! From corn-on-the-cob to Sweet Martha’s Cookies to deep fried strawberry shortcake and everything in between, there is food for everyone at the fair. Pretty much anything you can think of is available and most of it is on a stick! Good thing you have to walk everywhere!

The fair hosts many concerts, some are free at the band shell and others require purchased tickets (usually at the Grand Stand). The first show we checked out was Tonic Sol-fa, an acapella group. They were really talented and entertaining! The other show we caught was Alison Scott in Heritage Square. She’s from Plymouth, Minnesota and we love supporting local artists!

There are also several buildings where you can stop to see art and other things, learn or interact with local organizations and media (like radio stations and news stations). Our two favorites this year were The Eco Experience and the Dairy Building. 

The Eco Experience houses all sorts of green ideas, tips and inventions. A few things we spotted were rain gardens, recycled glass countertops and eco-friendly furniture made out of recycled wood.

The Dairy Building also had a few fun surprises in store. We stumbled into one room where an artist was sculpting with butter, creating busts for each of the State Fair dairy princesses (one for each day!). 

Last, but not least, we had to stop by the J.R. Watkins booth where all of the latest products (including the new Grapefruit line) were on display!

Did you go to your state fair this year? What was your favorite part?