The Great Minnesota get-together

[AustinBoston]

Every year, the biggest state fair in the world (sorry, Texans, but we win this one) just gets bigger.  The Minnesota State Fair opens August 23 and runs through Labor Day, September 3.  There are rides, food, demonstrations, food, parades, food, concerts, food, animals, food, and oh, just about any food you can imagine, on a stick.  

Did I mention the food?  Why last year, we got our first glimpse of the Minnesota Hot Dish (a.k.a. casserole) on a stick!  Where else can you get deep-fried Twinkies

[CajunCamper]

All I can say is WOW!!!!!!!

I looked at the entertainment, I would love to see the Allman Brothers. I saw them at Jazz Fest in New Orleans one year, they are awesome.

Would also love to see Prairie Home Companion.

Sounds like a great time.

CajunCamper

[Kelly]

... and here I thought you were planning a rally, AB!

We love the Great Minnesota Get-together and are planning our pilgrimage for next week.  The girls earned gate tickets from the Summer Reading Program at the local library and I bought advance gate tickets for DS and myself the other day.  Also stocked up on ride tickets.  Maybe I'll share with the children.  

The kids are finally old enough to do more than eat and ride rides ... okay, there isn't much more than that!  But I do enjoy seeing all the handmade crafts and foods in the Creative Arts building and you can't call it a day until you've seen all the big tractors on Machinery Hill.  Or watched all the demonstrations in the Grandstand building.  Or watched the children load themselves down with free (useless) stuff.

See you at the Fair!

[AustinBoston]

...you can't call it a day until you've seen all the big tractors on Machinery Hill.

My understanding (and recollection from last year) is that most of the big farm stuff has disappeared.  The equipment makers concentrate on farm shows and avoid the state fair.   But they still have lawn tractors and that kind of stuff, so you can go and dream of something to take care of that new lawn you now have!  :p

Austin

[AustinBoston]

Well, the 2007 Minnesota State Fair (a.k.a "The Great Minnesota Get-Together) closed yesterday.

It broke it's all-time attendance record, with a total of 1,681,678 people entering over 12 days.  This is more than the entire population of 12 different states.  (Idaho, Maine, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Montana, Delaware, South Dakota, Alaska, North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming all had 2006 populations less than 1.6 million, accoring to WikiPedia's list of states by population).  The equivalent of one out of every three people in the state of Minnesota went to the fair.  We attended on this past Saturday, which was the most-attended day of the fair, with just over 200,000 people in attendance.

Make plans to join us next year!  We'd love to have you!

Austin

[Kelly]

We went last Wednesday and spent 12 hours 'sploring and really didn't see as much as we wanted to!

We got there at 9:00 and decided to leave when DS got lost .  He did manage to find his way to the Care and Assistance building and they called the cell.  He was only gone for about 10 minutes, but it sure scared the heck out of me!!  So ~ we got our Sweet Martha's cookies and our Tom Thumb donuts and rode the Skyway back to the other end of the fairgrounds and called it a day.

AND ~ we saw tractors.  Old Allis Chalmers, John Deeres, etc.  You couldn't climb on them, but they were fun to look at.  And my lawn is too small for a tractor ... I'm watching the clearance sales for a push mower, though!   :p

[aw738]

No FARMALL'S???

[cyclone]

Hey Kelly - the way it's been around here lately, I could sell you a barely used push mower. The last time I used it was around July 24, I think.  Lawn barely needed it, but I was going on vacation for 10 days, and silly me - figured it would be too long if I waited until we got home.  I still don't need to mow, but I may use it to mulch the dead leaves that are falling like crazy.

[Kelly]

No FARMALL'S???

LOL ~ I think they were with the ETCs ... along with a few old Fords.  


And I'll take the push mower if you deliver it, Jan.  You're about due for a trip to Minnesota, aren't you?  

[cyclone]

Actually, I am about due for a trip north.  I'll be heading to Iowa in a couple of weeks.  Road trip with my parents (I'm helping Dad with the driving and getting cheap hotel rooms on the way).  Other than the dates of the trip, I have no idea what the itinerary includes.