A slow moving start to the day, allowed for a last minute phone call from Michael asking to join me at the fair. Kathleen was already out on the grounds with colleagues from work, so I picked him up and we parked a little after noon.

With absolutely no agenda for the day, we went in search of lunch. In the Bazaar, Mike found his favorite Jerk wings from West Indies Soul Food. I wasn’t sure what I wanted yet, so we just pursued the vendors. Not much has changed since past years, except maybe a few less. There is a new Scandinavian t-shirt shop called Midsommar near Midtown Global, but I didn’t stop to shop. We crossed the street into Ag/Hort so he could see the crop art and whatnot. I looked over the scarecrow entries! Some were pretty creative and topical.

I always love to see the Ukrainian eggs. I’m pretty sure that dad made almost all these designs at some point.

We meandered down food alley and stopped to say hi to Mom & Dad. We entered to win a kayak, convinced I’ll get calls for a vacation time share for the rest of my life. I folded and Mike crinkled the entry forms, just like Carol Jo taught us. She won lots of drawings, so her techniques must work sometimes!

We ambled through the DNR park, looked at fish and were (not really) surprised to find nary a soul hanging around consuming all you can drink milk with buckets of cookies.

We saw some cows and llamas

Walking by the horse barns, I saw the doors were open. This particular barn has been closed every time I’ve been by. We walked through and like everything else out here, it was devoid of enhancements. The Minnesota Zoo draft horses aren’t here this year, a staple on the corner for over 25 years. There were a few horses, but lots of llamas! Tonight is the 4H llama costume contest. We might try and get back to it.

Michael hadn’t seen the mural art yet, so another progress check was in order. So many people have walked right by it and didn’t know it was there. Maybe if they had a free paint brush or tote bag, the people would line up!

My friend Gayle eats a stick of Big Fat Bacon every day that she comes to the fair. we were walking by, and for $5, and with a buddy who might share, I was gonna try it. It’s not my favorite. As a matter of fact, between the two of us, we ate about half and threw the rest away. It has a maple flavor that I didn’t like, it was leather like and chewy, not crispy at all. I’m not sure that bacon sliced that thick can be crispy. I texted Gayle and said “to each their own”!

We rounded the corner to get Mike a beer and found an open sidewalk table at the Ball Park. From there, we made a couple food and beverage runs, put our feet up and sat back and waited for the parade to pass by.

Mike got a brat, we shared some fries, and relaxed, enjoying the primo people watching spot. As the sun moved across the sky, we too moved to the other side to find shade.

A few friends found us and stopped to visit, but after a couple hours, we decided we should be sure our legs still worked and moved on.

Mike & Kathleen are wall calendar people. Mom always had a collection to share every fall from realtors, the fair and other organizations. The Friends of the Fair issued one full of beautiful fair images for many years, but discontinued it a few years ago. Since that time, without mom to collect them, finding a wall calendar has been a challenge! They learned that Kare11 had a giveaway at the KareBarn in 2019, but ran out quickly every day, due to record crowds.

Today, the crowds were growing too, but knowing all the backroads and inroads, we could avoid all the people and went in search of a calendar. The KareBarn is empty, but there was a guy distributing Pella drawstring backpacks. Mike & I asked about the calendars and like a secret deal was about to go down, the guy motioned to follow him…quietly and sneaky-like, with his finger over his lips indicating this was a hush-hush operation, he opened a yellow backpack and slid a calendar inside. We took our prize and didn’t dare open it until our next stop!

We swung through Cafe Caribe to get the good beverages, a margarita slushie for me and a Modelo Especial for Mike then arrived at the West End Schell’s stage to listen to an artist that Mike & Kathleen have seen perform and met through common friends, the Molly Maher Band. We scored a bench at back, shared with strangers. Mike opened up his prize to find not only was it a calendar, chalk full of weather information, but it was autographed by meteorologist, Laura Betker. (If Belinda had signed it, he might have died right there!). While waiting for the show to start, we regaled our new friends (bench buddies) with some of our stare fair tales.

The music was great, the sun was slowly sinking in the sky and it was so nice to just sit and enjoy it. Until the fair, I didn’t realize just how much I’ve missed live music!

Unsure how long I’d be at the fair today and my stamina, I’d made no concrete plans. But it turns out if you spend half your day resting and relaxing, you can last for hours! The concert ended and I was ready to go see some llamas. The competition was moved from the Compeer Arena (formerly AgStar) to the Coliseum this year to accommodate the increasing number of fans! I’m not spending any time inside the building this year, so I was planning to hang outside the entrance gates. My friend E messaged that she was inside waiting for the show to start. As we walked down Liggett Street, there were mounted police everywhere.

They were the llama (and handlers) security detail and as we watched we heard, “please make way for the llamas” and out they poured from the horse barn doors! There were a few themes I couldn’t decipher, like the bears riding all over the orange suit, but there was Bob Ross, a pop star, Nemo and his anemone, Elsa and Olaf, a llama in a cow suit pulling a covered wagon, and a piñata, which took first place in this class.

We thought we’d wait nearby to watch the other classes come out, and found a Coaster Car to sit in. Took a quick pic and surveyed our surroundings only to realize just how dirty, sticky not to mention sunny, our vantage was and promptly took leave.

We went to the original plan to see them under the coliseum entrance. Us along with crowds of people. Masked and stuck close to the fence, I waited around to get pictures while Mike scoped the interior. My friend E, inside, watching from the stands and from her reports of people crowding her seat, I assumed it was packed inside.

The undressed llama competition had just ended and these beauties were on the way out.

And I got a few closer shots of the kids heading in. I was sure Beauty & the Beast would be a contender!

I knew there were a couple more classes and so we went back to the barns to see behind the scenes where they get ready. We learned all about the different fibers and fleece and how to tell the difference between alpacas and llamas and that they have alpaca agility/obstacle course competition!

We were encouraged to pet these guys by a young 4H competitor. They had just arrived and would be competing in the obstacles tomorrow. These are alpacas.

As we spent time learning about and petting alpacas, we missed the middle age group class heading to the coliseum, but found the senior class lined up and ready to go.

I made the assumption based on reports that the coliseum was full and shared that tidbit with the group lined up. Some of the kids looked a bit panicked by that news. Michael corrected me. It was not packed with people when he went in and wanted to be sure the kids knew that, so I reversed my statement, and saw some relief.

That was enough llamas and alpacas so we headed back up to the other end to get some dinner and maybe see another show.

I remembered the OofDa Nachos that Mike ate the other night, so stopped and got a bucket full.

We sat at the back of the Leinie bandshell just as the talent show winners were being announced. I have yet to sit down and watch a full talent show. I’m not sure I will, despite the lack of completion for good seating!

The Legendary Wailers (minus Bob Marley) were set to perform tonight. We walked around the other side of the bandshell and Mike was so excited to find Leinie Reclinies available everywhere! I warned him repeatedly that they were super uncomfortable for any length of time and I chose a bench. He did not heed my warning. Dad always said there’s no such thing as vicarious learning.

We waited for the show to start and got a message from Kathleen asking if we thought she should come back over. Of course! After her work fair day, she had left to check on her mom, but there was still lots of fair left in this beautiful night.

She arrived a short time later, kinda shaky with a beer clutched in hand and said she had a story. I asked if she was OK, concerned she was in an accident, and after reassuring me she was, started to tell the tale. She decided to drive over instead of Uber, and get as close into the neighborhood as she could and just pay to lawn park. Tim McGraw was performing at the grandstand so attendance was greater tonight. She cruised the neighborhood for a bit and the ~only~ person out parking cars was the new owner of mom & dads house. She took a deep breath and pulled in. At this point the tears started and she described how she was welcomed into the yard, given instructions on how to park, and good advice as to how to remember where she was. She said it was like mom was right there. She couldn’t tell Sara (the new owner) who she was or she would have broken down completely. As the gracious encounter continued and Sara shared her excitement of the first fair for them living here, the moment to tell Sara who she was had passed and now it would be too awkward. Kathleen got to the fair, made a beeline for a drink and found us. She finished the story and we all dried our tears and just knew that Mom had a hand in that encounter.

We didn’t stay for more than one song. Mike learned just how uncomfortable the chairs really were.

These two cuties, waking ahead, with his prized calendar tucked in his Pella backpack.

I promised I’d get pie for Mary, our next door neighbor on Simpson. So I stopped to get one for me and one to go!

Kathleen was hungry, so we headed for her favorite all beef big dog corn dog booth. Elysia surprised me by saying she’d never seen the butterheads. It was always too crowded. I go see them every year, but once you’ve seen one, you’ve kinda seen them all.

Tonight there would be no crowds. In fact, you could take a complete photo without anyone in the way.

You could also grab a dairy goodness treat in a jiffy if you were so inclined!

Elysia enjoyed pursuing the prize winning meats and cheeses too!

My feet were telling me it was time to go, so we all made our way to the gate. No fireworks tonight, it could be a late concert.

As we walked across Snelling, there was a line for the shuttle busses, so I offered to take E to her car again. As we walked down the service drive of Midway Parkway, I noticed no traffic. One of the vendors said the cops closed the road because someone had been hurt earlier and to prevent the people who apparently pull up to shop the vendors along the street from blocking the through traffic. I think it’s a great idea. I always dodge cars and walk in the street to avoid navigating the narrow, uneven, tree covered sidewalk full of tired people stopping and starting as they try to remember where they parked and convince the kids they don’t need more donuts on the drive home.

Retuning to the neighborhood, I delivered the pie and watched Mike & Kathleen head into our former back yard. It was strange, but somehow OK.

I arrived at my car, two doors down, to find the neighbors enjoying wine night. Sara’s husband Ben was there and I retold the parking tale. We all agreed there were angels and magic involved.

Driving E to her park & ride, she was sad that it might be her last time at the fair this year. There’s only five days left. I’m hoping my feet will hold up!