The “Twelve Days of Fun” that is the Minnesota State Fair opened on Thursday, and we continued our tradition of gathering there with our family again this year. We could feel there were more people than is typical on opening day… expected it to be a record-breaker and it was. Of course it didn’t hurt that the weather was perfect and thunderstorms were expected the next day!
It never ceases to amaze me how many people gather for “The Great Minnesota Get-Together“. But what is even more amazing is how much food is produced and consumed during those twelve days. The iconic “Sweet Martha’s Cookie Jar” began over 30 years ago, and this year added a third location on the north side of the fairgrounds. It even has ‘cookie bite’ window where you can watch the cookies being made. The State Fair website states they can produce 3 MILLION cookies in one day!!!
In addition to cookies, one of my annual ‘must have’ treats is Fresh French Fries… maybe it has something to do with growing up on a potato farm. If you are a lefse lover don’t miss Jacobs Lefse in the Creative Activities Annex, it is some of the best I have ever had! John tried a Meatball Sundae from the Salem Lutheran Church Dining Hall this year.
Our grandkids love the International Bazaar and asked for the jumping-flipping thing-y first thing! I don’t remember the name, but it’s ok with me because it is next to Fresh French Fries!
If you have a camper, we can offer an insider tip from our son. They started renting a campsite on the fairgrounds for 2 nights when their kids were little so they had a place to take naps and decompress during the day. It has become a tradition for them to come Wednesday night, then we join them for opening day on Thursday. A fun time is had by all!
There is so much to see we only scratched the surface in one day… may have to go back again for another visit this week…
