I can't let the year go by without saying something about the Great Minnesota Get Together! You got it; the Minnesota State Fair!
If you have never been, I would say it should be part of your 'must do' list. My brother and sister both long for the opportunity to make it back to the great state of Minnesota just for this event. I have been to other State Fairs, but seriously I really don't think anything compares to this one.
I am fortunate enough to go this year, next Tuesday to be exact, and I am already planning out where I want to go, what I want to see, and of course what I want to eat. I may have to starve myself before and after as the food there is amazing. Anything you can imagine that could be put on a stick, deep fried, covered with chocolate, or drank in large cups is available.
When I told my brother I was going he said "please have some chocolate covered bacon, chocolate chip cookies and a dairy barn ice cream cone for me". My sister wants me to have a dairy barn cone and mini donuts. Others have written and said the same thing "have this or that for me". Gracious! I will have to fast before and after the trip for sure with all the requests.
There is something about a Fair that brings people together. I never knew anyone in the Twin Cities who participated in 4-H growing up until my work decided to go to the fair. All of a sudden everyone I ask at work about the fair seems to have a connection with the Green 4-H building and we begin to swap stories of what we did as kids that won some ribbon at the State Fair!
I guess that is why the tag line of "The Great Minnesota Get Together" is so appropriate. People come together and bond over a memory. A common past experience. A common past love.
So, maybe you can't make it this year to this event, but I have to say that I am totally looking forward to it. Not so much for the food (but yes I will have some of the favorites), or for the rides (not sure what I would do on them), or even the cows (yes I like to look at the cows). I look forward to connecting with people who I spend a third of my life with in a completely open and different environment.
I will definitely take pictures and try something new while seeing all the things I want to see.
So, tell me...if you have been to the fair, what is your best memory?
This is the interactive part of this blog!
The State Fair was the one thing I looked forward to every summer as a kid and it was my “reward” for surviving baseball and swimming lessons – my two least favorite things I had to do as a kid and it was the one thing I looked forward to every year. It was my chance to just run around by myself or with other friends from school and 4-H and have fun before we had to head back to school – even if it was only for 2 or 3 days, it seemed like a week and I was determined to see everything I could, every year I went. We would always get up at 3:00am and either get on a school bus loaded with other 4-Hers and drive down to St. Paul, or Mom would drive us down. I only stayed at the 4-H dorms once, as I always lucked out and got to stay at the dorms at the University of Minnesota. The Bandshell, butter carving of Princess Kay of the Milky Way in the Dairy building, the Conservation building when they had all of the live animals, Mexican Village (before it was the International Village); the Midway; the Grandstand and the Coliseum – explored these for hours just walking around seeing all the demonstrations and items for sale, great people watching, and great food. There is not a fair like this anywhere else!
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