To anyone attending the Minnesota State Fair for the first time, it may seem like a typical oversized Midwest Extravaganza, with all its appealing and not so appealing aspects. People of all ages, shapes and sizes milling around the fairgrounds with every sort of food imaginable-usually on a stick. Hawkers of wares, of good and dubious quality in the grandstand, political booths, radio and TV station appearances, the midway with the typical cheesy pitchmen, trying to take your money from a supposed easy (how could you lose?) game of shooting or darts. Rides that are either new, or look like the metal could crack at any minute, baking and sewing contests, quality art displays, butter heads, smelly buildings with appealing animals. You know the scene.
But, to native Minnesotans who have attended the fair for years, it is so much more. It is nostalgia, memories, finding out what is the new food on a stick to try that year and visiting what attractions interests you year after year. How many MN couples have memories of their first kiss in the 98 year old Ye Old Mill ride?. It seems a ridiculous ride to kids now.. Not to thrilling to go around a dyed blue water tunnel, that has areas of complete darkness, intermeshed with fifty year old window displays of cut out elves and bambis. But, it continues to be poputar, mainly for all the fun memories it construes for people. We, habitual fair attenders all have our own unique memories-the relatives and friends we have attended with over the years. The 12 hour a day jobs we’ve held at food stands, their (not mine) first (and maybe last) bungee jumping experiences. These memories are all individual and all uniquely a Minnesota experience.
– Natasha Spence