The Minnesota Great Get-Together! MN State Fair

Having grown up in Winchester, Virginia, we were approximately 2hrs away from Richmond, our State Capital. Even though I remember our county (and surrounding Counties) had their Fairs, I don't ever recall us actually making the trip to Richmond to the State Fair.

After I moved to Minnesota, all I kept hearing about in the month of August was "Are you going to the Fair?" Now, remembering back home how much of a joke our County Fairs were, I initially thought, "Of course not", but soon realized that the State Fair here in Minnesota, was not your typical Fair.

I soon realized that the Minnesota State Fair was, and still is, one of the largest Fairs across the Country. It truly is an awesome experience, I believe I was overwhelmed the first time that I went. There was so much to see and do, and even over the course of the last 14yrs, it's amazing to see how much it has changed.

I really enjoy going with my friends, but this year looks to be either just myself, or with one other friend. not the group of 4-6 of us that usually go. One of the first things we try to do when we enter the Fairgrounds is get a small bite to eat at this really awesome taco stand. From there, we just walk around and try to see as much as we can. Usually going into the Horse Barn, Sheep Barn, Cow Barn, Pig Barn, Poultry Barn to see all the different animals.

Once we're done checking them out, we try to find a place for a nice cold beverage and rest for a bit. A couple of years back, we stumbled upon this one food vendor with Pot Roast sandwiches where the meat is so tender and juicy. So, we try to make sure it's still there and get a sandwich.

One of the fun activities to do is visit the Minnesota Heritage area where you see how many of the settlers lived and survived back in the Prairie days. How they traveled, lived, cooked, and worked.

Another fun thing to try at the Fair is all the food. Many places try new things, like Fried candy-bars, or "something' on a stick. We do try to walk around the Midway where all the amusement rides are, but don't ride them.

This year there is so much road construction going on in the area, I think if we go, we'll do what we've done the past few years....ride one of the buses. For just $5, you get a round trip ride from many locations around the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and surrounding suburbs to the Fair and back. It's well worth the price as you don't have to worry about finding parking and fighting the traffic.