Today was my day.

I wasn’t in a hurry to get on the grounds, so I watched a bit of live fair coverage on TV. Jerrod Scott did a segment on Minnesota makers and featured my two favorite Sara(h)’s! Tipsy Pies & the “proFAIRsional” hat from ~i like you~ were showcased! They also did a segment sharing the secret of the Midway Mens’ Club. Shhhhh, we don’t want this place to be ~too~ busy for us! Stephanie March, the food editor for MPLS St.Paul Magazine was there and she referred to the fair as “Brigadoon”! Only it’s every year instead of once in a hundred and lasts twelve days instead of only one…. I’m still gonna use that!

I knew a few people would be out & about, but had no plans to journey together. I arrived around 11:00am and there was no line at all.

There was so much I still had to do. Other than a few timely events, I had the day to wander.

I snuck in the side of Creative Activities and grabbed the recipe card for the day. This one is just for the blogs’ sake. I most likely won’t make it.

The streets were sparse again today, the weather gorgeous. Walking in the sun was hot, but shady spots were lovely. I typically walk down the middle of the street, but sidewalks were even sparse today. I passed the U of MN building and walked right up to claim a Fanny pack. I’d seem lines winding for a block earlier in the fair.

I’ve met so many wonderful people through my volunteering at the Alphabet Forest. Two of those people were making a very special appearance in Dan Patch Park today. It’s officially Kids Day, but Wednesday used to be Read & Ride Day and you’d get a ticket discount with your library card! Now it’s referred to as Library Day.

As I walked into Dan Patch Park, I was met with a story walk. “See the Dog” is all about a cat, and “See the Cat” is about a dog. Both books written and illustrated by David LaRochelle and Mike Wohnoutka.

They were both here today signing bags, books, book marks, or anything you asked them to!

I was given a lovely ~canvas~ tote bag and I got to go vote for my best pet. I voted “dog”. Sorry Scrappy Cat.

There was a tent filled with fun activities hosted by MELSA. Librarian volunteers helping kids make personalized glitter bags, wheels to spin and on one side I got to make State Fair buttons! You were able to choose a spot from a map and punch it out and the librarians helped press it into a button. There was no crowd to speak of (sadly, I wish it was busier with kids) so I was able to make a couple buttons!

It was closing in on noon when I knew my friend Judy would be performing with the Klondike Kates at the Frontier Saloon.

I just had to walk back across the street and there she was!

I sat down for a bit and was joined by Kathy & Tom from church. We stayed for a couple numbers and then, having lots on our to do lists, we snuck out, chatted for a bit, and moved on. When we were together Kathy gave me the great idea to use a daily schedule and punch out Fairchild to make a button! I had to find an information booth at some point today!

They took their leave of me at the base of the Grandstand ramp. I slowly climbed the ramp in the hot sun, taking a little time to enjoy my view. This was looking down at the library tent. No crowds at all.

Once inside the Grandstand, it too was nearly empty. If there aren’t thousands of people it’s very cool up here. Adam Turman’s booth greets you first as usual.

I love his whimsy and artistic talent. These are all the large murals surrounding the booth.

He created two new images for this year, but decided the favorite was the butterhead.

He’d made a pontoon theme one, but they were on the clearance rack! I agree with his preference, especially for the fair!

I’d never noticed his renditions of a Minnesota classic!

I took my time wandering around the second floor. This year it seems to be full of mostly local makers. I spent quite a bit of time looking around the Holly House Boutique. So many things caught my eye, but nothing I needed to collect. Coasters, t-shirts, dishes, tea towels. If they had the lefse t-shirt on a coaster, I might have bought it.

I couldn’t resist the recycled sweater mittens, made in Alexandria. Functional and fancy! I found a pair to fit my XL hands. FYI, the whole shop is half off on Labor Day!

If you’re into Pickleball, Holly House has an entire booth just for you!

Walking around to the other side, I rounded the corner and saw this safety warning. I wonder how many people tripped and fell over that raised garage flooring the first day, before they found the tape and cone!

There is a new piece of outdoor equipment for sale this year. A cyclone seat. They look like they’d be pretty functional, but I’m concerned with how low they are and there’s nothing to hold onto to assist with getting up and down. I’ll have to think about it. It’s certainly compact and sort of lightweight. You can get an added tushy cushion!

I saw this dish towel shop “Bunnies & Bows” and while there were hundreds to choose from, these two gave me a chuckle.

Another shop full of fun things is called Root’d. It reminded me of the Bibelot.

Walking down the center stairwell, I stopped to take in the view of empty space!

On the bottom of the Grandstand are many old favorites and some new vendors. VitaMix and the Salsa guy are still at it!

And you can still get a computer generated personality profile. I don’t think they have hanging chads anymore though!

I found the NordicWare booth and got a coupon to use in store. Why carry around baking gear out here? The Doughmakers booth with non stick cookie sheets, I’ve used and loved for years are relegated to an interior aisle spot. The owner/manager told me it’s his last year out here. I wonder if Nordic Ware bumped him. Three XL sheets for $48. (Buy two get one free)

The Shamm-WOW guy is also relegated to a tiny corner behind the bathrooms. I asked and they are no longer in the Coliseum or Merchandise Mart! Does all of Minnesota already have enough chamois cloths? I got a sample square. They’re handy in the car! Better than Bounty!

It was nice to see Black Lives Matter had a spot. Small time operation, but it was a busy corner!

There is a huge booth selling Matryoshkas and jewelry in here. I wonder if it’s moved from the Bazaar, or just another one. They did have an item I thought benefited them people of Ukraine. Upon closer inspection, proceeds went to ~pets~ of Ukraine. Also a worthy cause, but I’ll support the people first!

I found the people selling honey, but they told me they didn’t have the kind I tried up in Eco yesterday. But while posting this photo, I actually see it in the lower right corner. There were so many kinds, it got lost in plain sight. Obviously even the workers don’t know their inventory!

There are lots of smelly scented things I try to avoid…

but this one I thought might smell great…. Turns out it was just a pot of water with a pump in it to look like the corn was boiling. A gimmick to sell spices. The company name appealed to me! “Here’s the Deal” 😂

I left the Grandstand, having purchased only mittens and sat on a bench in the shade of the building, watching people and enjoying the breeze. I hadn’t eaten anything yet and had not had enough water. I drained my water bottle thinking about lunch. I texted a friend for suggestions, but settled on a Giant Juicy Turkey sandwich and margarita slushie! As I was sitting to eat, a nice couple handed me an unused coupon book.

Since the Grandstand was so empty I thought the Coliseum might be too. It wasn’t bad and so I began my clockwise tour of the building. It’s strange to me where some vendors have landed this year. Does the fair decide this? Do vendors have a say in the matter? The Marionette booth that used to stand in the open air at Baldwin Park and distract all the children in the photo booth at the Alphabet Forest, is now relegated to this dark corner. Seems detrimental to business. I know it’s a slow day, but the guy has time and space to vacuum!

This is typically a great Minnesota shirt, but this year there’s nary a bug!

I saw a product (maybe not new) combining “Lego” bricks and a customizable photo puzzle. Not sure what I’d do with it once it’s complete though….

And is everyone excited to see the granny square look back in fashion? At least in the coliseum….

I found the vendor selling the Concha Burger. It’s a burger with pepper jack cheese, bacon, pickled jalapeños, raspberrry aioli on a sweet concha bun. The buns are different colors and I wanted to check on the red dye situation. They keep the buns hidden (or ‘fresh’ as he told me) but they have yellow, blue, green and pink ones. If I can get a willing partner I might try it. I won’t eat a whole one.

The coliseum is also where you find the deep fried ice cream. This isn’t something I’d ever eat.

I had to stop for a cow crossing, and not wanting to spend any extra time indoors with the hay, straw and dirt, I popped outside to find myself face to face with this beauty!

I finished up my time in the Coliseum back where I started…at the Simply Nuts booth. I bought my coupon worth of toffee peanuts and also got some cashews. It’s good to have a quick protein snack out here.

I left the Coliseum and went over to drop my coupon book lottery entries at the Minnesota lottery tent. I decided to try my luck with $20, but all I got was a lousy t-shirt. No millions.

I knew my friend Gayle was out here today. We haven’t run into each since day one at the crop art reveal. She was always at big fat bacon while I was getting pie! We connected, finally, at a table behind the lottery booth. I found Gayle & Michelle, relaxing in the semi-shade.

As we sat catching up on our fair adventures, Gayle’s cousin Peggy and her husband Bob stopped to say hi!

I gave my lottery t-shirt to Gayle. I’ll never wear a round neck shirt. I pulled my cashews and water out for a snack only to find the cashews were covered in sugar. Not what I thought I got, but I ate some anyway. The sun was moving across the sky as we chatted and our table was losing its semi-shade. We parted with a hug, not sure if we’d see each other again this fair!

Walking back through DNR park, I spied this butterfly.

I’m not sure it’s purpose other than an educational opportunity, but the basket of “butterfly wings” made me laugh.

I finally remembered to grab my daily schedule so I could make a mascot button. I moved quickly back to Dan Patch park, unsure of when they were closing down the operation. I made it in time!

I walked through the artists park and some of the new murals were well underway and I got to see the loon artist at work. Based on the sign in the corner, he must get lots of unsolicited comments.

I thought about getting pie, but I’m struggling with my eczema flaring up and I’m concerned it might be the cream in it. I decided to try a day without it and see if it made a difference. I cut through the mostly empty food building and I noticed that the Mouth Trap finally created a gap where the public can pass through the excessive cue ropes that unnecessarily create a barrier across the entire space. The lines are short today and even on a busy day, they could serpentine the cue taking up less space.

I’ve walked past Isabel Burke Taffy many times this fair. I have to decide if it’s worth losing a dental crown over. It might be.

I had one more building stop before I took a break today. I knew I’d spend money here! I stopped first at the Puzzle Twist booth. I can’t resist a good puzzle, or four. Now that our basement is remodeled, I have a space where I can do puzzles without cat destruction! I also can’t resist State Fair themes and Turman art! Look for these completed puzzles at my next ranch retreat!

I depend on two products that I purchase here every year. During COVID I had to find them online and pay shipping. I am glad I can get what I need here today! Avon bug spray. It’s the most effective one I’ve ever found. I also found my friend Kathy selling it to me!

And despite the fact that the Avon bug spray is the most effective I’ve tried… It’s not bug-proof! So my next stop is the Smooth Gator booth to get my itch sticks!

Heavy laden with purchases and swag from the day, I headed back to unload at my car. On the way out around 5:00pm I saw a group of people in red shirts, one of whom was holding a Yelp! State fair bucket list. I would normally investigate to get answers as to what they were doing, but I really don’t like the Yelp! app and I wanted to make the light across Snelling. My guess is a work team building outing. They could use some help with that “bucket list” if you ask me!

I walked down Midway Parkway and started realizing how dehydrated I was. TMI, but I hadn’t needed to find a good restroom all day! I had a buck so I was in luck! I bought water from my water guy. I got to my car and offloaded my purchases. I sat in the front seat and drank my newly purchased cold water along with the 48oz. of water I had in the car. I turned on the A/C and laid back in my seat and rested my body and eyes and before I knew it it was 6:30.

The llama costume show started at 6:00, and I knew I wouldn’t make it back in and down to the Coliseum again in time to see even the end of it. I finally felt like I needed to pee, so I walked back over and and soon after Mike & Kathleen met me. I had just filled up my water bottle again at Culligan. I knew it was critical I keep drinking water.

It was dinner time for us all and Kathleen got the “earth sliders” from the French Meadow Cafe. They are vegan “chicken” patties with yummy sauce & lettuce on a bun. They were surprisingly delicious for this carnivore!

I was feeling greasy, dirty and bedraggled and Kathleen was fresh as a daisy!

Mike & I hadn’t settled on dinner yet, but he got a beer at Mancini’s and I picked up my margaritas from Cafe Caribe. I asked the lead bartender there if I could buy a 20 ounce, but he said the only price point is the 16oz. So I got two. So much for water.

Kathleen wanted to hear a band they missed at the guitar festival last summer, Turn, Turn, Turn, who was playing at the Schell Stage. We found a table at the back of the small amphitheater, plenty close to see and hear. I waited in a relatively short line at Lulu’s and got some Bang Bang chicken & bull bites to share. The chicken was the same as before, but the bill bites were half the quantity I’d purchased previously on day two. Mike went to get another boat full!

The band was great, a little blue grassy, hippie 60’s and great original tunes. With 15k steps under my belt, two margarita slushies and a full tummy, the songs were lulling me to sleep. I left them there and walked up to the Bazaar to listen to a little of Bad Girlfriends, a bit livelier, rock ‘n’ roll crew.

It was only 9:30 and the fireworks started. This was the first night I’d been here late enough to see them. I also thought I remembered that Ian Leonard (fox 9 weather man) might be doing a corn dance tonight. They typically start dancing after fireworks. I walked back over to the corn booth and Mike & Kathleen were coming up to meet me.

There was a corn dance, but no Ian Leonard.

After the dance, Mike was still in search of food. Mike stopped at Mike’s for yet another mediocre, not quite hot, sorta cheap hamburger.

This time of night it seems we run into all our old childhood friends from the area! We met up with Kathy Weyandt and caught up with her for a bit and reminisced about old times at the fair!

Unsatisfied by the burger, we walked into the Ball Park to get Mike some Garlic fries and beer. We found another group of old friends and whiled away another hour reminiscing and catching up. Before long it was last call and we closed down the fair grounds.

It’s strange to have the grounds so empty at 11pm. There have no reports of shenanigans in the evenings yet, so maybe the new curfew is helping.

Seven days in and feeling the burn. I have my acupuncture appointment in the morning that will hopefully give me the boost I need for the duration! 18k steps and a new exercise record of 153 minutes today. I hope to sleep well.

My long time friend Joan and I haven’t been to the fair together in too many years! Today I got up a little late but raced and made it over to pick her up right on time. We pulled into my parking spot and a car pulled in and parked right behind me and my cousin got out! I haven’t seen Carolyn in ages! The irony or serendipity of the encounter is that when Joan and Scott (almost) moved to Ely, I was going to connect them. Carolyn also lives in Ely part of the year and is an amazing artist! She & Joan’s mother share the same name!

We walked over and there were no lines to get on the grounds. None. I love Tuesday. I still set the alarms off, but at this point I’m OK with it.

The grounds were practically empty compared to the previous days. We could spread our arms and turn circles as we walked. In fact Joan did just that!

We both had breakfast on the brain. I got pie (of course) and Joan had her heart and stomach set on a French Meadow scone. Sadly when we got there, they no longer offer the simple cinnamon & sugar scone. Joan had to pivot.

Around the corner is the new(ish) cheese curd booth with Ellsworth cheese! Joan recommends any of the flavored curds, but got the plain ones for breakfast! I examined the curds closely and they looked well cooked and separate. I ~might~ try one another day. I don’t eat anything that’s battered and fried out here, but not because I’m eating clean and healthy. It’s simply because I can’t risk eating anything that might not be cooked inside. Food trauma issues involving rides and an undercooked Monte Cristo. They actually have a deep fried Monte Cristo on a stick out here, but that’s a big NOPE for me!

We both are our fair breakfast as we sat with Carol & Don 💙

Joan hadn’t been to the fair for a while to just wander around. And her state fair experiences growing up were very different from mine. There was much to do and see!

Since we found ourselves on the south west end of the fairgrounds, I wanted to answer my burning question around the dearth of horses in the parade. I thought we could head to the horse barns, but they weren’t open yet. The Horse Department office was open. I popped in and asked the staff inside and the answer was somewhat vague. “That is usually handled by the entertainment department” and I think she said the Minnesota Zoo horses aren’t here this year. I felt that asking more questions would not resolve my curiosity, and I know somebody in the “entertainment department” so we left. I had more research to do, but now I know who to ask! With my new asthma diagnosis I’m reluctant to spend much time inside animal barns until later in the fair. I need to keep my stamina up. I’ll check on the Zoo Horse status later.

It’s Military appreciation day and I told Josh we should stay sky aware in case there was a ceremonial flyover.

We didn’t participate in the military swag gathering, instead we stopped at the Lottery. I’m not a lottery player, and neither is Joan. However, post COVID and at this point in her life she’s doing all sorts of things she’s never done before! She got a ticket and a backpack prize with purchase and we proceeded to a shady spot with the scratcher tools…and had no idea what to do! Luckily a neighboring scratcher helped us out! We couldn’t stop laughing, but despite the hilarity of the experience, she won $20!

We cashed in and kept walking! She was hoping to win $200,000, but instead was happy enough to have just doubled her food & beverage budget! There’s a new vendor on Judson, The Pickle Barrel. They were offering up free samples of beef. Umm, yes please!

We decided this was worth a return trip later. Friends from yesterday had also given it a good review.

We stopped at MPR and I applied my free sunscreen, grabbed a prize for being a member and we headed back towards Gate 5. It was a day for an in depth tour of Creative Activities.

We walked through the DFL to get our photo op with the current administration. I learned if you take your picture, you also get a bean with which to vote. No need to sign up for the text messages.

As we walked I told Joan all about the Culligan Water snafu. We stopped to fill our bottles and found no lines. I’m not sure if it was the low number of fairgoers or the fact that there were instructions now posted on the top of the machines! I’m not sure the instructions are all that clear, but it’s something!

It was a great day to see the handiwork of Minnesotans. The building was sparsely occupied. We checked out the sweepstakes textiles and this cow quilt captured my attention.

I noticed this beautiful jingle dress each time I picked up a recipe card, and I thought it was beautiful. Upon close inspection, I realized that what I thought was intricate head work on the fabric, was in fact just printed. It’s ~still~ a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, just not as labor intensive as I imagined.

We both stopped to try and figure out this blue ribbon winning shadow box. It wasn’t until later in the day, my second time through here, with Michael, that he explained it was filled with all things found while running.

I always like to see the brightly colored theme cakes, cookies and cupcakes. these are skills I don’t have, so I’m impressed.

Joan & I are both bakers. She a bit more advanced in terms of breads, but we both have high standards. We had our super judgey hats on and we’re convinced we could do so much better in the general categories. I told Joan we needed to get together and encourage each other to actually enter next year! As we discussed this, a clerk for the Creative Activities was standing near us and interjected, “Yes! Do it! Enter!” I asked where the Scandinavian entries were displayed and she told me there were only four lefse entries and I asked if anyone entered a Kranskake and the answer was no.

The prize winning cookies underwhelmed us. Except for this! Lovely to look at, unique and well executed. Where did she get those tiny pretzels?!?

The bread judging was a bit confusing, the winners seemed vastly different from the runner ups in the same category. Maybe that’s what made them a winner.

As we were discussing the various categories we could enter I mentioned that to increase your chances of winning, you want to enter a small category. Unlike chocolate chip cookies. The clerk said there were 161 entries this year. I’m sure they were all better than Sweet Martha’s. (I’ll eat them if you put a warm one in front of me, but in general, I’m not a fan)

Joan overheard a conversation detailing how they knew the fancy techniques used in creating this sky ride design, from watching the Great British Baking show…. She laughed and said, it’s just the technique used to make pancake designs, then wrapped on the cake. I wonder if people overhear my judgmental comments and blog about that.

One entry I noticed and thought might be delicious was this cake! I think it has root beer barrels on it! I wish there was more information posted with the entries. At least with the winners. Maybe this will be featured in a recipe card round up next year!

I watched a story on the news last night about a man who had entered his salsa for over 20 years and this year he finally won a blue ribbon…. But he ~died~ a week before the fair. Many people have state fair grief experiences I guess. We stopped to pay our respects.

The daughter of our parking hosts is employed here in Creative Activities before the fair. This year her job involved creating the jams and jellies display case! I love her flair, color coordination and curvy designs!

I also like to see the Quilt on Stick entries. The theme this year is “The Loon, Minnesota’s Bird of Fashion”.

Fancy meeting Bree here?!? She’s part of the Crocheters Guild and a prize winning entrant herself! Is there anywhere you’re not? ❤️

Instead of turning around to see the rest of the building we turned left into the Annex between Education & Creative Activities. This space has changed a lot. The syrup and soup sellers are still here, but many are not. Jacobs lefse, the cheese & meat samples, wine slushie people and the colorful spatula people are gone. If feels quite open, but also empty.

This guy might be here longer than me!

We walked through only half of the Education Building, grabbing swag along the way. Got some clarification about forms of ID in Minnesota, and spun some wheels. Joan was laughing (in a good way) at my ability to engage in conversation with anybody at any booth about anything! Since the crowds were small, the timed giveaways hadn’t run out of stock, so we scored the 9:00am Bemidgi plaid tote bag at 10:15!

I told Joan about the history show and she was game to see it. So we exited the Education Building without seeing it all. Looking across the street I noticed that today at 10:30 was a good time to get your pickle pizza!

I’d heard good things about the Pork Schnitzel sandwich at the Farmers Union and Joan was willing to test it to be sure the breading was fully cooked! (It’s not battered). We both liked it, but it was reminiscent of a school lunch chicken party sans the zesty Cole slaw topping!

Walking towards the west end we bumped into this cute couple! It was back during Joan & my early days at Sweeney’s that I first met this guy!

We got to the Schells stage and I decided to risk my allergies and try a blueberry beer. It wasn’t as tasty as I recalled, and it was a bit of a bee magnet, so I only had a little bit before tossing it.

If you haven’t gotten enough of the Schtick, here’s another silly song.

I like to get a hot waffle, simply for nostalgia’s sake. So I paid $7 and watched them make my waffle. I commented on how they’re round this year )I can’t remember if they were last year too) but I jokingly said “ what, are you guys using Eggo’s now? “. The kid said YES! I think he thought it was a good thing! When this was new, they made their own Belgian waffle for the sandwich. This was a partially toasted soggy EGGO. I tossed much of this too. Not before forgetting about the powdered sugar bomb with your first bite…

I wanted to show Joan the wares at i like you and despite looking terrible in hats, I tried one on. Sara said, and Joan agreed, you just gotta be you, no matter the option of others! If I were to wear any hat, it might be this one… only at the fair. Hats do serve a purpose!

I love this t-shirt. We were married in 1991, during the playoffs.

We had more to do and decided to head back up to the north end to find Joan’s moms bench. Along the way we found a pop up with licorice giveaways and a cute craft gif kids. They touted that they used all natural ingredients, but could not provide levels to prove it, so I snagged a few samples and I’d research later before eating any. It turns out it was good I didn’t. It’s full of red dye which, if consumed, can ruin my day.

The Giant Wheel was stunning against the blue sky. It’s hard to find a photo op without advertising flags in the way.

Joan is not a fan of heights so this ride (and the sky glider) will have to wait!

Green mill has a new food this year, deep dish pizza bites. We decided to stop for a snack and enjoyed a rest in the shady patio at the back of the booth. The bites were well baked but the filling was scant and you had to eat it all in one bite or if you broke it in half, all the guts stayed on the one half. You get two pizza bites for $10

We did something I’ve never done and waited in a line (shorter than usual) for fresh popped kettle corn. I’ve never eaten it like this. I’ve had it from a pre packaged bag, but this was really amazing!

Joan was super happy! She shared with me, because we had to eat enough to close the bag, it’s filled to the top!

I knew where the bench was from day one. So I guided us just up the street to find it. We stood eating popcorn watching the couple currently sitting on it for cues as to when they might leave. I’m pretty good at judging fair behavior. They’d finished the food they had, almost finished their beer, but were chatting a bit longer than I anticipated. It was a bench in the shade after all. After an appropriate amount of time, and they hadn’t left, I approached and did the “can we just take a picture of her moms bench, then you can sit right back down” move. People normally jump right up, say they were just leaving anyway, and offer to take the picture for you. This girl was funny, as she stretched her arms across the bench and said, do you want me in the picture? I should have taken the pic! After that one funny moment, they acted exactly as others always do!

As we got up to leave, we noticed I dropped a quarter on the bench. She said her mom loved to look for dropped money at the fair. We decided to leave it and pay it forward! The bench happens to be right at the trolley stop, but we could easily walk to our next destination.

I had to stop and say hi to another Uber volunteer at the Little Hands Farm. Always a treat to see Kathleen & Rhonda

The sunflowers outside the farm are in their glory today!

I wanted Joan to see the Giant Moose, so we went to Eco. Joan liked the purple buff, so we played BINGO!

We were told on day one that Peace coffee wasn’t there this year. The volunteer today said the same thing, but we begged to differ! I got my afternoon caffeine jolt with a shot of refreshing cold press!

We also got to taste some local honey. I mentioned I had some tree allergies , so I declined tasting the tree pollen variety. I learned later, that’s actually the one that might be most beneficial for me! They were not selling it here but said I could find it in the Grandstand .

I took some pictures of how you play Sweet potato Sweep, but didn’t play today!

We stepped outside just as the parade was coming up the street. We weren’t sure that we were ready to spend a lot of time perusing fine art (it’s a commitment!) and Michael was heading our way. This is the first time both mascots were on the same side! I’m not sure I’ll get to the plaza for a photo op with the two.

I requested Joan & I make a name noodle at the Alphabet Forest. My first this year!

The parade was in full swing and since I knew there were no horses, I wasn’t inclined to stay and watch. We wanted to move, but also avoid the parade traffic so we walked down Cooper. I hoped the lines for Crop Art would be shorter today. All the other lines were. While it wasn’t really any shorter, we were able to go in the back way and walk upstream. I decided to just photograph the whole wall and zoom in later. I couldn’t get close to see the stuff on the table, but I’ll try another time. Here is the whole wall, except the premium winners in the center frame. I don’t know how I missed those!

These are a few highlights. This one created a seed QR code and it takes you to and abortion rights funding organization!

You can still sit down and make your own art. Kids of all ages are welcome!

This is line we bypassed backwards.

It was still a lovely day, but heating up in the sun. I found an accidental “mister” and stood around enjoying the cool spray for a minute!

Michael is a ~huge~ fan of Belinda Jensen. I believe this has been discussed before. This year Michael is out at the fair with me every day! There are more opportunities than ever for him to get a photo op. He is very concerned with coming across as some kind of stalker, but I keep telling him, she’s just a person who is a local celebrity and I’m sure she is used to it! He still did not want me to interfere and create an encounter. It needed to be organic to be meaningful to him. If we hang out enough at the Kare11 barn, organic things can be engineered! We did see KARE 11 Rena Sarigianopoulos and Fox9 Courtney Godfrey chatting and they posed for a pic! It is the Great Minnesota Get Together!

Now was as good a time as any to try the Pickle Barrel beef tip boat! We got the regular size and had enough to share between the three of us! I watched him making the the stuff and no wonder it’s so tasty, look at the pile of butter!

The KARE barn was empty and we decided to rest and hydrate (water bottle filling faucets are still here) and wait for the four o’clock live broadcast. Belinda was working just outside with some staffers and I kept offering to help engineer an organic encounter. Mike insisted I not involve myself!

Soon the broadcast was to begin. They passed out sunglasses, and taught us all how and when to clap. I told Mike to try and not “Forest Gump” this one!

We texted everybody at home so they could watch us. We were on quite often due to our seating position.

During the broadcast we were treated to Tacos al pastor and pineapple delivered by Manny himself!

Also during the broadcast, a rep from the sleep center discussed tips on sleeping well and they passed out sleep masks and phone bags. Kathleen (watching at home) messaged that she wanted us to get her a mask. I’d given mine to Joan, but I knew where to go to get more.

After the show ended we were making our way out. Michael saw Belinda chatting with people and he had an opportunity to get her attention and I asked if I could take a photo of them. Mike had already handed me his phone to get the job done so I have no proof of the encounter, you’ll have to take my word for it.

Joan was going to head home earlier and maybe come back later with her husband Scott. We were having too much fun so instead, Joan told him to come over and find us! We met up near the Ball Park and chatted for a bit, then split up.

Michael & I needed to get that eye mask for Kathleen, so we walked over the Kare11 health fair building. We found the rep who was just on air and told her the situation, but it wasn’t as easy as walking up and getting one. We had to play “Bed Pong”.

Michael scored in a cup on his last shot!

Earlier during the fair, I’d stopped to pick up a recipe card and asked an employee if they had any more. I looked at the employee and she looked at me and we both knew we knew each other but we couldn’t place from where. It wasn’t until I got home that night that I remembered I had met her at wine night at Bart and Sonja’s house (my current parking hosts!). I found her husband working the next day and told him where I knew them from but I still wanted to see her again.

Mike accompanied me back into Creative Activities but she wasn’t in the office. I wandered to the back one more time to see if I could find the lefse entries. No wonder I missed them, they don’t look like lefse anymore. And they’re on the floor of the display case. I think the one that’s the least moldy is probably made from potato buds.

I’m going to enter my lefse next year.

We ran into our cousin Carolyn and her husband again! Her husband Pasha was buying a ~gallon~ of maple syrup. I had to believe that they were close to going home. We visited for a bit and I learned more about how honey works! Carolyn’s family has a small local orchard, Orchard Hill, and they keep bees.

With no ~must hear~ music tonight, we headed to the bandshell for the talent show. We ran into David Cambronne, a long time friend and emcee for the County Talent Show at Baldwin park for 25 years now! We met his trusted stage manager Spencer for the first time! We must have chatted for a good 20 minutes. Hopefully that crate wasn’t heavy and we didn’t make them late for the show!

We watched some of the talent and I decided that tonight would be the night to bring cookies home to the (not so patient) man waiting at home. I left Mike on a bench and walked through the food court plaza and was able to walk right up to a window and buy cookies. I dumped them into my ziplock bags and walked back to find Mike. He had popped next door to O’Garas to get a beer, and had returned right before I did. I’m telling you. Cookies are a mid week purchase.

We listened to most of the talent show but it had been a huge day, so I was ready to get home. It’s day six and there is so much yet to do. Thankfully there’s six more!

What a difference a day makes! Today, no humidity, blazing blue sky and temps in the 70’s. Arrived at the fair around 9:30 and the security lines were not much shorter today. I think the beautiful weather will boost attendance. Once again I set the alarms off. I just move to the right for bag search and second screening automatically now.

I headed for my breakfast pie and walked through the Ball Park and finally spied my good friend Nate! I’d missed him every time I’d passed this way so far. Our fair schedules are out of sync!

I popped around the corner and picked up my pie, but didn’t stay to chat as I was on a mission.

I was headed to Dan Patch Park (formerly Carousel Park). It’s been called many different things, but it’s the big area next to the KSTP radio tower. Today is Mental Health awareness day, lots of good swag to be had.

On the way I noticed that there was no line for cookies and they didn’t even have the rope cue in place (which doesn’t do anything but block the sidewalk). Apparently 10:00am Monday is a good time to buy Sweet Martha’s.

FYI the WCCO radio water station, that was found just to the left in this photo, is not operational this year. I kind of miss it. It was centrally located.

I passed the Star Tribune building at the end of the Grandstand Ramp and even though it was an hour past distribution time, I was able to walk up and snag this years chapstick (they will correct you and say “lip balm” ah trademarks!)

Still had not eaten the pie, it was hot when I got it, but I was moving fast.

I turned into the park and right away found my friend Trista volunteering at the Ellie booth.

I didn’t stop long because I was already a little late for the one thing on my schedule today….dog yoga!

There was a group on stage, many (all?) of whom do therapy work and this one was my favorite. Not only did the dogs do yoga moves with the handlers, the handlers demonstrated ways to massage, stretch, and limber up your dog! The downside to that stage is it’s always in full sun. I sat long enough to learn some stuff and eat my pie, then I was on my way down to the West End. Sara Q and family were going to the History on a Schtick show, so I planned to meet them there.

Along the way I ran into my neighbors!

I wandered through more of the shops and kiosks and found nothing I can’t live without. I happened upon an active glassblowing demonstration. I’m a fan.

I love looking at all the wares in the glass booth. This year there are lots of pumpkins, and orbs, but what really caught my eye were the stemless wineglasses. I enquired about the artist and it turns out it’s the person doing the demo! I was directed to their info and took pics for reference.

I might have to buy a pig too. It’s too adorable!

I saw this sign at the cashier desk and I love the education and use of inclusive language here!

As I was leaving I noticed this cookie bucket! One cookie here is a little more than a whole bucket! These are probably better for you!

I sat and watched the history show….~again! Mike & Sara and family were right behind me. We were discussing blueberries and we decided to try the Double Berry Biscuit at Lulu’s. The biscuit was very thick and hard on the outside and the compote was not visually appealing, but tasted ok. Not enough balsamic drizzle for my tastes.

They were meeting up with some cousins from Wisconsin,so I tagged along to meet them. They encouraged me to stay with the group and find new and fun things to see and do. Surprisingly they’d been to the fair often, but had never seen crop art or butterheads! We had much to teach them!

The first question they asked was how do find parking for less than $50! I was shocked they paid that much on a Monday. I think they got bilked by some opportunists just as the lots filled up.

Food was first on the agenda and I asked if they were “deep fried goodness” or more clean eating. Due to some health concerns, we settled on the healthier options! I suggested Blue Moon Turkish pizza, and Mike got the Korean BBQ tacos. The Blue Moon is a movie house theme, snd the guys order pick up names were Marge Gunderson and The Dude!

The question I failed to ask was regarding spice levels! The Turkish pizza was a bit too much for them, so I enjoyed a quarter of it! It wasn’t my intention to scam them into giving me free pizza! I paid my fair share. Mike offered me a bite of the tacos too. A bit of a kick but delicious!

I sent them off to get a salty, yet mild turkey sandwich. Much more to their liking! It was 12:30, and getting hot. After the spicy food, a margarita was in order! If I could drink beer and domestic wines without allergic reactions I’d have so many more beverage options out here, but as it is, I’m ~stuck~ drinking these refreshing things all the time!

We slowly made our way through the ~Monday?!?~ crowds up to see the butterheads.

Sadly, the new butter carver was not presently at work sculpting a Princess, so our guests missed seeing them geared up for winter to be able to pass time in a 40° booth with fans circulating the cold air! It looks like black marker on the glass (in photo) but it’s a carving tool resting in the butter! The former butter carver Linda Christensen retired last year and her apprentice Gerry Kulzer took over. Sara joked that “his noses all look the same”. We’ll check back once they’re all are carved!

We skirted around the edge of the interior building and I lagged behind to see what the pork producers had to give away. Got a small meat thermometer! I caught up to the group and the cousin was going to go back into the crowd to get one, but I offered her mine. I can always go back!

The next stop was Ag/Hort to see the crop art. We entered through the FOOD wing and every day they pose a question and fairgoers answer it with chalk on plates. I answered todays question up high in blue!

The other day, the question was “what’s your favorite vegetable?! Mike wanted to write Scott Jensen 😂

The line for crop art was very long. Too long for our large group to go through backwards, inconspicuously. We opted for huge veggies instead, which they enjoyed seeing. We did get lucky though, CFANS (College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Sciences) from the UofMN is doing a collaborative piece of crop art throughout the fair. Anyone can sit and contribute to the project!

They at least got a taste of what seed art is. And of course I had a hundred pictures of it on my phone to share!

I have yet to get close to all the spooky garden displays, but I caught a glimpse of the ghostbuster kaleidoscope!

I suggested either apple cider freeze pops or honey ice cream for a uniquely Minnesota cookie treat and they voted unanimously for ice cream.

Sara went to meet Dave inside, while the rest of us walked the perimeter and by the time we reconnected, the two had already secured a bench for the parade. It was full on sun, so with help we moved it to a shady spot.

The other half of the family arrived, carrying food from the Union Hmong Kitchen. It’s one of the highly sought after new foods and the lines are very long. Even this Monday.

Despite being from Wisconsin, the cousins are Friends of the Fair. I went with him to fetch his member swag and I enquired about mom & dads faded brick. Turns out, they have no space for more bricks, but for a $250 donation, they’ll replace it. There’s something about keeping the one they bought. I’m not ready to let it go. I did find Mike & Kathleen’s brick on the way!

We watched the parade pass with lots of bands, art cars, robots and stilt walkers, but again, where are the horses? We were seated right across from where animals enter the parade, and other than the mounted police color guard, no animals appeared.

Jack was on a camping trip and our high anxiety dog Mildred won’t go outside for Randy. I had to head home for a bit. I think even without Mildred, I may have decided to take a break. The crowd density weather theory was packing the people in. I got to thinking that, maybe, in this post-pandemic, flex WFH (work from home) business model, many people were actually WFF…Working From Fair!

While it wasn’t a weekend attendance level, it felt super busy for a Monday. I said to somebody, it feels like a 120K day. I wasn’t wrong.

I went home and planned to get some blogging done, but I was behind on cleaning chores, so I caught up a little. I planned to eat something at home so I wouldn’t need food once I got back, but I put a piece of pizza in the microwave and get a message from Mike, that he was on his way over, and I promptly forgot about it.

We got back over and just walked for a bit. Mike had fresh legs, mine were a bit rubber. He had to slow his pace a bit for me to keep up on the hills. In search of something to eat, we just wandered. I often say when you’re at the fair a lot, there’s “food, food everywhere, but not a bite to eat”. We stopped at Taco King…. $7 for a little flavorless flour taco. Sorta like Taco Bell, only less flavor.

We kept wandering and headed to the Bazaar. The lines for Union Hmong Kitchen were almost to the gates. Mike opted for his favorite Jerk Chicken wings from West Indues Soul. I realized he was wearing one of the Chevy shirts we’d acquired!

We went to the talent show and slowly moved our way into decent seats for the DSL Dire Straits Legacy band, playing at 8:30. Once more people joined us to help save seats, Sara & I went for food. She got Tipsy Pies and I stopped for my second Giant Egg Roll. Even better than the first one I had! I think it was one of the owners who served me. I mentioned that their new place eM Que Viet was very close to my house, but somehow the egg rolls are a little better on a stick.

Mike & I stuck around for about half the show. I was tired and Millie was waiting to be fed and go out.

Tomorrow is Tuesday. My favorite fair day!

Saturday and Sunday I signed up to volunteer the afternoon shifts at the Alphabet Forest. I spent Saturday morning helping Jack get ready for a camping trip and resting my tired self before heading back in. Arriving at the gate around 1:30 to find more long security and ticket lines. I timed my entry and learned that it’s only about a ten minute wait to get from Snelling through the gates.

It was very humid and raining on and off. Not enough rain to deter the crowds though. So far attendance records have been close to pre-pandemic numbers, but no records set yet. The weekend weather predictions might keep the numbers down a little.

I’d eaten a good lunch before leaving home, but there’s always room for pie!

I walked through the AFL-CIO carts and there’s lots of giveaways. Pencils, pens, can coozies, chip clips, key rings….but the only thing I grabbed was a fly swatter. The Steel worker distributing the goods told me it could be helpful for swatting things other than flies! Today I might need it to get through all the people!

I’m always looking for sunscreen, although I might not need it today, and the last cart had individual packets. Nice to have and lightweight to carry!

I had a little more time so I went to see what the DFL was up to this year. You can get your picture with the President & V.P. cut outs, there’s lots of new buttons and t-shirts and if you scan a QR code and get on a text list, you can get a bean to vote on why you’re voting. These are all the voting choices, and they’re all very good reasons to vote, but I put my bean in “protecting voting rights”. I figure without voting rights we can’t do anything about all the other things!

I got a new button too 💙🤍💖🏳️‍⚧️

I made my way up the hill, donned my first red apron and took my post greeting people and welcoming them into the Alphabet Forest. When I was teaching full time, many of my families would come and find me here. I’m grateful for the ones who still come back and say hi and get hugs! Thanks Sloan Family💙

The kids had fun and earned their blue ribbons!

I finished my shift and was just heading out when another incoming volunteer said “aren’t you a friend of Carole’s?” Sure enough, it was Karen. We’d met ages ago, but it sure is a small world reconnecting here of all places!

I walked out to the street to see this loaded truck. My first thought was the Grinch and his sled! I wondered, with all the staffing shortages predicted and realized this year, how the sanitation situation would be out here. So far, there are a lot of hard working people keeping our fair as clean as they can! I’m grateful and I say “Thank you” every chance I get.

In search of food and good music and needing a refill on my water, I walked down Cosgrove to the Culligan booth. I sat for a bit on a bench and watched the people. Some earlier rain showers may have sent a few people home, it was crowded, but not insane. People were still struggling with the water dispenser sensors. I had to help one guy. “Don’t touch it, just hover over it….don’t touch it….don’t touch it…” as he kept tapping the button making it go on and off not understanding that it wasn’t ~touching~ the sensor that made the water flow, it was his act of ~releasing~ his touch….🤦🏼‍♀️ I reached over and placed my hand an inch from the sensor and his cup filled right up. He didn’t thank me, just stared at me like I was magic. Maybe I shouldn’t have stepped in, but I couldn’t watch it anymore.

Elysia found me on the bench, after walking halfway to where she though I’d be, and back again. Mike & Kathleen messaged to say they were on the west end, so we connected in the middle at Demitri’s! Gyro for dinner.

You can see the gray skies in this photo. We knew ~weather~ was moving in, but hoped the storms would hold off until after the two concerts we wanted to see tonight. We got great seats in the Bazaar to hear the Belfast Cowboys. We were there early enough that everyone got a turn to grab beverages or a bite to eat. Mike got the new jerk chicken pizza from West Indies Soul and gave it two thumbs up! Kathleen hiked over to French Meadow, and while it’s not far, she had to navigate through the insane Sweet Martha cookie lines, that stretch across the street. She returned holding a vegan ginger apple cake with a plant based caramel glaze. I’m not sure how they do it, but it was delicious! We settled in as the concert began.

We listened to the band full of great entertainers but kept one eye on the sky. We were checking radar regularly and getting messages from home, but when the state fair blue shirts came to close up the sound booth that was our cue to get moving. Elysia had already left since she didn’t want to be waiting for a park & ride bus if everyone was evacuating.

Mike wanted to catch a little bit of Caitlin Smith, performing at the Leinie stage so we stood at the back and listened to a song. Kathleen was keeping a close eye on the storm timing and encouraged us to move quickly. Just as we headed towards the gate we heard Caitlin say that due to the weather the concert was ending early. I guess she played one more song, but we were already halfway back to our cars when the rain started.

Instead of staying put and waiting it out, we decided to drive home. The deluge started a few blocks into the drive. Lexington Ave was quickly overwhelmed with wind and water and made for a slow, wet windy drive. Kathleen was messaging to say there were tornadoes being reported so no stops on the way home.

Once safely home, I was getting reports and videos from friends who were still at the fair. Everyone was sheltered safely and no one was injured.

The next morning I got up early to watch the news and see the damage reports. Kathleen was correct and tornadoes did touch down on a path just a few miles south of the fair. Other than flooding, lots of puddles and a few branches, it sounds like the fair fared ok. All the concerts, including the Grandstand Show were canceled though.

I spent Sunday morning catching up on the blog and laundry, heading over just before my shift at the Alphabet Forest. My parking host, Sonja, was headed in too, so we walked over together. We discussed our storm stories on the way.

I have not yet made it through security without setting off the sensors. Today was no exception. I guess I’m glad they’re sensitive, but I can’t figure out what is setting it off. I have removed a back up phone battery, EPI pens, and sunscreen with zinc. No definitive answers yet.

We both walked up Cosgrove, with time to sit and watch the parade. Today a new parade unit is the Aurora Mascot. I’ve never seen it before!

The roller girls were present for the first time this year

A cousins cousin’s kid was marching in the Crookston band. I think he’s in there!

I’m still wondering where all the horses are….

As I suited up in the cabin there was discussion about the storms and a crazy thing I learned was that there were lots of reports of screaming when the storm started. Some of the screaming came from the people stuck on the Giant Wheel! It takes around 45 minutes to unload a wheel full of people. Apparently nobody made the decision to close it down, which I would think should happen at the first sign of lightening!

Today is oppressive, with more storms in the forecast, and 90% humidity. You can see I’m already drooping. My volunteer buddy and State Fair Co-junkie Bree, was volunteering at the crown box station and I was her replacement.

I donned my red apron, stashed my stuff and just as I was taking over, two of my favorite kids arrived!

I grabbed one of the favorite books we used to read together when they were my toddlers. Now they can read along with me!

The girls had lots of fun in the Forest and made a side trip to the Glamping spot next door and returned with these beautifully decorated faces!

My heart was full with the big hug I got before they continued on their fair adventures.

Mike & Kathleen had been out all day and stopped up to say hi after they waited in long lines for the pickle pizza. They really liked it! Mike said you could tell the crust was made with a little love! As they were getting close to the purchase point, a lady walked up and offered to pay for their pizza if they bought a slice for her. She was at the end of her day and heading out with her kids and couldn’t wait in the line. Mike figured it was a win-win and totally helped her out.

Since Day One, Randy has been hoping for sweet treats to appear when I return home. The crowds, lines, timing and weather all but made it impossible.

After my shift today, I was hot, sweaty, tired and smelled bad. I thought it was best for everyone if I went home! Despite the weather, it’s still a weekend day and the fair was busy, but I decided I would attempt a treat run anyway. Elysia was on the grounds with friends and texted me the north end Sweet Martha report…”it’s busy”.

Trying to fulfill Randy’s cookie dreams I decided to attempt navigating Sweet Martha Alley AKA Carnes between Underwood & Nelson.

Tipsy Pies was on the path so I stopped for my daily pie! Sara has a new one this year. It’s called Minty Magic Tart and it’s like a grasshopper in a pie shell with cream and Andes mints on top. If ever I was to forgo my usual blueberry and try one, today was the day. It was a yummy, cold, refreshing treat before walking into hell for cookies.

Sara took this picture of my haggard self with the pie!

As I ate my pie, I learned about the confusion in the food building the previous night. The storm hit just as the building is supposed to be closing. Staff people were closing the big garage doors, as fairgoers were trying to seek shelter inside. I know the announcements at the Leinie Lodge instruct people to go the Food building or Ag/Hort. It’s lucky this storm wasn’t worse! Might be time to revisit the plan!

Feeling a bit cooled and fortified, I walked down the hill and didn’t get far before I took a quick picture and retreated. Getting cookies today was a big NOPE!

I turned and saw the lines for donuts were much smaller so Randy would have to settle for a bucket of minis.

Randy was happy enough with the donuts, and I promised to bring cookies home on a less crowded weekday.

I don’t usually blog anecdotes that I didn’t participate in, but a story from Mike and Kathleen’s fair day was too funny not to share!

They told me that earlier they chanced upon the WCCO live broadcast of Esme Murphy interviewing Governor Walz. They sat on a bench right behind the stage to listen. Mike had half a cup of cold coffee that he decided to dispose of. He walked to the closest trash barrel and knowing (from experience) that liquid in trash bags just makes them heavy and leaky, he poured the contents on the ground, (most of it pouring down the side of the white barrel) before tossing the cup. The entire time Kathleen is watching Mike do all this, ~live~ on the huge TV monitors, oblivious of the circumstance. Mike sent me the video clip of the interview and told me to fast forward to see his Forrest Gump impersonation! I took a screenshot of the incident, laughing the entire time. Kathleen is sitting on the blue bench, hidden behind Esme. I’m sure her palm is planted firmly on her face!

I spent some time blogging and headed to bed late as the next round of storms fired up, hopefully bringing with them the promised cool front for the coming days.

Woke up Friday grateful that my feet still worked. I decided to wear socks and the Hokas to give them all the support they need for day two!

Getting a later start than usual, I found myself in more traffic than I expected. To complicate matters, a coach bus couldn’t make the clearance of the stone railroad arch on Lexington. I didn’t stay to see the resolution, but maybe the approaching school bus helped out with stop arm & lights.

Once parked and headed over, I ran into some old (former!) neighbors wearing attention grabbing t-shirts and I stopped to get the scoop. They have coordinated with neighbors, local police and safety officers to created a neighborhood patrol group to keep the area safer during the fair.

Crossing Snelling Ave, the lines were long again. There is no delineation between the ticket sales and security entry. Confusing, frustrating and even ire raising when people cut into the lines you’ve been trained your while life to wait on!

My friend E was coming in right behind me, so once inside the grounds, I quickly ran through Creative Activities to get my recipe card. There were many things on the “I’ll come back to do that later” list from Thursday, that I never got done! This is on the list and today was the one I really wanted.

The building was already getting crowded, but I glanced at a few exhibits I’ll revisit later next week. The tinker toy fair is always pretty amazing!

Then the sweepstakes winners are always a must see.

I connected with Elysia and we made for pie! It was fun to see these two together. My co-workers during my short Tipsy Pie Baker stint!

My plan was to get to the west end to see History on a Schtick at the Schell’s stage by 11:00am. Along the way we saw the San Felipe Taco booth that took over the spot where I liked to get the “World’s Greatest” fries.

And as we walked past Big Fat Bacon, Elysia commented that it smelled like ~The Ranch~! (Our home away from home retreat in Amery). The bacon is not on my food favorite list, but it is for others I know!

The first Friday is always Governor’s Fire Prevention Day out here. We walked through Carousel park, but only the Explorers are doing demos here. The rest of the action is up by the pet pavilion.

This is the new KSTP mural, had to get a pic! Asked an explorer for the photo assist!

We scooted through the KSTP booth, and the line to spin the giant wheel was all the way down the street. I can say, “never have I ever” spun that wheel.

We got to the west end and found Sarah working hard at “i like you”. Her hat! I’ve often referred to myself as a “state fair professional”, but this is much better. if you’re looking for great Tshirt deals, Minnesota swag and hotdish related things, stop by!

We had time to grab some food & beverages before the show started. E got her breakfast beer, Grain Belt Blu and despite my allergies to beer, I had to try a sip. It’s yummy! It’s blueberry 💙 I picked up bull bites & bang bangs to share for a protein punch after breakfast pie!

The History on a Schtick show is not to miss! As a friend Laura described it…”Dudley Riggs meets History Center”. Every day 10 & 11am at the Schell Stage. My favorite number “It’s all about Paul” a lament from Paul Bunyan’s sweetheart Lucette Kensack.

After the show we connected with Michael. The three of us have become a little state fair posse! Michael showed up sporting his Talent Show Tshirt. All he needs is a pair of Birkenstocks and he’s the spitting image of Dad ❤️. Michael says “I’m a cooler version of Don”!

They grabbed a couple Nordic waffles, and we started walking east, with the final destination of fire trucks in my head!

Along the way I caught a glimpse of this awesome double scooter bike contraption! I can see Randy & I getting around the fair like this…one day soon?!?

We stopped by Northern Tool and it was too busy to actually go into the tent. It’s a much smaller operation than in pre-COVID times. Out front they have a stand with cute tool sticker sheets for kids.

As we walked up Underwood I found more food concession changes. The Gyro (coupon) place that was near the Giant Wheel has moved and they have a nice dining tent setup behind. My favorite Gyro is still Demitri’s, but if you’re up on the north end, this is pretty good too.

Michael likes to get a t shirt from Chevy and we were able to walk right up, register with all our one digit off information (to avoid mailing lists and phone solicitation) and since we both did it, he got both kinds of shirts. I forgot to get a picture, but Mike captured me scoring a goal playing Chevy truck bed bags!

The next stop was Fire Trucks! I have picked up hot pads here for many years and this year they are much thinner than before. I asked the fire fighters distributing the swag if I could feel confident in these inferior hot pads protecting my hands…. One responded “double up” as he tossed me another! That did not boost my confidence. I realized that I just became that person at the fair complaining about a free giveaway….

I continued my search for a the good fire swag while Mike and Elysia moved on to explore all the new Hemp vendor exhibits behind the Hangar. I scored sunscreen, CPR barrier mask in cure little carriers and a hot water sensor Duck, which Michael said “makes bath time lots of fun”

There is a new exhibit inside the North End Event Center called “Survival”. I convinced Mike & Elysia to check it out with me. There was a bit of a line, but the compelling feature was A/C. It felt good to get out of the sun for a bit. The exhibit is interesting, ten (or so) different vignettes with survival suggestions, tools and tips for various outdoor scenarios.

We had a bit of fun with the bears and E did her best Wilma Flintstone.

The last exhibit was “urban survival” and there was a sofa and chair. I’m not sure if we were allowed to sit or not, but we relaxed in the A/C practicing our survival skills. Too bad food & beverages are not allowed.

The last vignette is a campfire scene. Elysia and I settled (not so easily) onto short stumps and pretended to “go on a bear hunt”.

We moved through pretty quickly. It’s a ~lot~ of reading and not much interactive stuff. There are knots to tie, building a shelter, climbing in some things, and some blocks, but I think kids under six might not be entertained. it was cool and shady and the couch was pretty comfortable!

Once back out into the sunshine we chanced upon one of the Arts~A~Fair presenters and took a minute to enjoy the Ragamala Dancers.

Always thinking about the next food or beverage opportunity, we decided to head to Giggles. The food lines were long out front so we scooted around to the bar only line and grabbed some refreshment. Elysia decided on the new Olive lager, served like a beer-tini!

Tim was happy to be supervising his busy staff!

The Eco building wasn’t crowded so we wandered inside to check out the giant paper mache moose and the floating loon they brought down from Silver Lake in Virginia MN. Both are pretty awesome to see!

There still is Eco-Bingo this year with a purple cooling buff (neck gaiter) as the prize. To find the BINGO stations just look for the big orange balls in the air. We decided not to play.

But we did find some really “Gouda” cheese samples being offered which led us to Sweet Potato Sweep!

I chose my sweet potato wisely and was able to defeat Elysia down the racetrack!

We walked out of the Eco Building and my internal state fair clock was ticking right along and brought us to a perfect parade perch just 20 minutes before it started.

We all had time to take turns getting a bite to eat and I decided on my first foot long of the season.

A huge wasp landed on my wrist as I was taking the picture and I swooped my arm downward forcing it off with wind currents, thankfully successful as my EPI pen was back on the perfect bench a block away!

Our parade vantage really was perfect.

So far, the mounted flag bearing officers are the only horses in the parade this year. I’ll have to investigate and find out more.

The mascots were nice and close. I want to get a picture of both of them at some point.

It was sports mascots galore!

Five marching bands, art cars, bouncing gymnasts, stilt walkers & unicycles, but no horses.

Today was too beautiful and a little too busy to spend time inside buildings, so we walked past Fine Art, 4H and chanced upon the new Pickle Pizza stand. Long, long lines and so far reviews have been good.

We snuck around behind and took a gander at the MN Dot display and checked out Betty Whiteout!

Michael wanted to peek inside the can you check out all the bells and whistles, but I made him take a seat!

Michael decided to head home for a short fair break before returning later with Kathleen. Elysia and I kept wandering. We wanted to quickly fill our water bottles at Culligan, but found lines almost out into the street!

My mom, Carol Jo, always said, if there’s a line, go to the left. We also knew on the left side of the building are ten water coolers as opposed to the four out front. Today boasted big crowds and it was hot and sunny, but until it was our turn to fill our bottles, we couldn’t understand the lines. It turns out the water coolers are all touchless technology. This bamboozled 90% of the people attempting to fill cups and bottles.

Just a tip, don’t touch the sensor! Keep your hand about an inch away and it all works just fine! Hopefully people will figure it out more quickly, or maybe Culligan will put up instructional posters. They probably don’t care and see it as a prolonged advertising opportunity.

Hydrated and ready to get out of the sun for a bit we walked down the shady side of Cooper checking out the exhibits as we went.

We joked about getting this water bike for E’s cabin. There’s no way we’d have the strength to pedal it after getting it down the stairs to the lake! Plus they’re $1K down to order and $1K on delivery.

Next stop was the Sherriff Jail booth. We picked up a couple Deterra drug disposal packs free and decided instead of a pedal water bike, we just need an air boat!

Next stop, Ag/Hort. We checked out the scarecrows and quite a few caught my eye!

The rotating floral exhibits are hosting a variety of flora today. Hostas, coleus, roses, succulents, begonias, caladium and I stopped to talk irises for quite a while with the lovely couple from the Iris Society of Minnesota.

Elysia is a mushroom expert. While I won’t ever eat one, and identification will never be of interest to me, I was amazed that all the mushrooms on this display were picked three days ago in Minnesota.

So much to see in the building yet, but I wanted to see the first round of veggies before they start to rot. As a new vegetable gardener, I understand there is a standard to attain, represented here at the fair! I don’t think I grew any prize winning beets or eggplants, but they were delicious!

The giant pumpkins this year are astounding! The largest weighing in over #1600!

I did grow a beautiful crop of onions. I realize I need to learn this technique for drying and preserving them!

Leaving Ag/Hort I knew we were close to Grammie’s bench, but we got totally distracted by BINGO which was going to start in 10 minutes and there was no line! we paid $10 (donation to the foundation) for our cards and I made Elysia pose in front of the giant blue ribbon.

We settled in for 30 minutes of fun with an entertaining, very rapid caller. It was cool and got us out of the sun a bit longer but we won bupkus. The prizes are state fair tickets and some other foundation swag.

Elysia and I found my Grammies bench as she went to join some classmates in town for a reunion and I headed back up to the bandshell to meet Michael and Kathleen and sit for a bit and watch the talent show.

By the time I got to the meeting spot, they were on the way down to Cafe Caribe to say a quick hello to friends. I found the energy to follow them, knowing that my favorite state fair beverages awaited me there!

With drinks in hand, I walked back up to the bandshell. I sat waiting for the talent show to begin and checked my Apple Watch.

Today I was pacing myself much better. Day one I’d logged 10K by 10:00am!

My seat wasn’t the greatest as the sun was setting directly in my eyes, but I settled in for the show.

Mike & Kathleen arrived, mid-way through the show.

They had one more Tshirt score to show me!

One talent show complete, we walked up the hill to Baldwin Park for the county show. Benches were full and we had had enough sitting so we decided to head back down to the main drag to find some dinner for Kathleen. Taking the less trodden path along the picnic grounds, we stopped to enquirer about the quality of the two person hammock on sale for $25 with a coupon deal at Paddle North. Not sure enough to make a purchase, we kept on the path down to the grandstand. It was decided that Juanita’s would be our dinner. Kathleen is determined to eat only clean foods out here, which doesn’t seem like a bad idea! She got a chicken fajita and I shared a bowl’o’beans & chicken with Mike. I realized I hadn’t eaten since my foot long at the parade.

Needing a beverage we thought about trying the new Lift Bridge root beer, but unfortunately that’s not possible.

We kept moving on a trajectory taking us to the Bazaar to hear The Good, The Bad & The Funky play. I just tried to keep up with these two.

Elysia rejoined us and the bazaar was packed, but we found a bench right outside which was loud enough and plenty entertaining with a lovely view.

We hung out for most of the concert, but were ready to head home before the grandstand fireworks. It had been a really fun day!