My streak of writing about the Minnesota State Fair continues. Sort of.
Since the mid-1970s — with the Star Tribune, MinnPost and a one-year blog for the Minnesota Monitor during which I went each of the 12 days — I’ve covered food and people, animals and politicians, attractions and much Minnesota-ness at every summer’s end.
My approach was usually a quest for serendipity. Somehow, I figured, a good story would present itself as I ambled for miles around the fairgrounds. I once interviewed the loneliest politician at the fair, a third-party candidate banished to a half-finished booth on Machinery Hill. I wondered about the different French Fries and little donuts and found some kids to help conduct taste tests.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Joe Kimball[/image_credit][image_caption]Traffic backed up for several minutes at several spots on the route. Cars are shown headed east towards the 4-H building before turning north to the next food spot.[/image_caption]
But there was little happenstance at the fairgrounds this year.
After the 2020 State Fair was canceled due to COVID-19, fair officials came up with the idea for a State Fair Food Parade. With a $20 ticket — plus a $5 fee — cars could drive slowly through a prescribed route past 16 traditional food vendors. Tickets sold out the first day of online sales. It began Thursday, went through the weekend and continues Aug. 27-30 and Sept. 3-7.
We had tickets for 11 a.m. Friday. It was strange.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Joe Kimball[/image_credit][image_caption]Tom Thumb donuts — one of the fair foods that’s easily eaten while driving.[/image_caption]
We arrived at the check-in at 10:44 a.m., then sat in a queue where the Crazy Mouse Coaster would be in a non-virus year. At 11:03, we pulled ahead into the rolling food fest.
First stop: Turkey to Go. Got a sandwich to go. $9.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Joe Kimball[/image_credit][image_caption]All animal buildings and most food booths are closed up this year, including the horse barn and the big green pepper booth.[/image_caption]
We skipped the bucket o’ French Fries, operating out of its usual building across from the Dairy Building.
All the animal and exhibit buildings were closed, as are most of the permanent kiosks and booths. So the experience isn’t much of a State Fair Experience.
Other missing perennial favorites: the Sky Ride, Big Fat Bacon, cold beer, butterflies, the grand stand booths and concerts, siding and gutter sales, Machinery Hill, 4-H and Ron Schara.
Oddly enough, what I perhaps missed the most, though, was the politicians. Both major parties and some minor ones have permanent locations at the fair, and many individual politicians have smaller booths where they, or their operatives, get to regale potential voters for 12 days just two months before the November election. Not this year.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Joe Kimball[/image_credit][image_caption]All workers on the route wore masks, including this wonton deliverer, who said the work actually is easier and better this year for the food employees, but that the owners aren’t earning as much money.[/image_caption]
Two spots with live entertainment helped pass the time on the actual 1.5 mile parade route. A little more than half-way through, at the Visitor Plaza, the Jack Brass Band played their lungs out, while a rotating schedule of acts played at the far north end, just past the Little Farm. Twin Cities Trapeze was performing when we went by, which was by design. The owner happens to be our daughter, Katie, who was swinging on the bar as we passed.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Joe Kimball[/image_credit][image_caption]Twin Cities Trapeze Center is one of the live entertainment acts on the food parade route.[/image_caption]
No orders for us at Sweets & Treats, which has cotton candy, popcorn, sno-cones and caramel apples. Wontons at Que Viet, $8, were good.
We skipped pronto pups, malts and steak-on-a-roll booths, but got $6 Jamaican chicken patty at West Indies Soul Food. We should have ordered two.
I got a foot-long hot dog, $7, to bring to my dad. Didn’t need cheese-on-a-stick or lemonade, but got a walleye cake, $9.50 at Giggles’ Campfire Grills and a $5 taco at El Sol Mexican Foods.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Joe Kimball[/image_credit][image_caption]Buckets of Sweet Martha’s chocolate chip cookies are the best selling food item each year at the fair and that tradition may continue at this year’s food parade.[/image_caption]
We made our way out out of the grounds just after 12:30 p.m., and pulled over at a roadside rest of sorts, where some folks stop to eat some of their goodies. There’s also a place to buy State Fair merchandise.
Parked under a tree and eating there were Jaylynn Speidel and Brandon Abel of Burnsville, who’d come to the parade with her mother and sister.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Joe Kimball[/image_credit][image_caption]Jaylynn Speidel and Brandon Abel enjoying some of their fair food at the end of the route.[/image_caption]
“I’ve been coming to the fair every year from before I can remember, at least 28 or 29 years,” Speidel said. “I want to keep this tradition going.”
I gained 5 pounds just reading this.
I hate to say this, but I think it’s because there isn’t that much else to do here. No mountains. No ocean. No Times Square.
Even in an August when there is no state fair, I can’t get away from state fair stories.
I guess for the media, these stories write themselves, and who doesn’t like to be able to mail it in once in a while?