Media
Press Publications, which owns 18 newspapers in Minnesota and Wisconsin, is now charging $25 to publish letters that endorse or oppose a candidate or ballot measure — a policy that has become increasingly common.
Arts & Culture
Dennis Larson retired last year after 18 years in charge of fair food and beverages. Now he’s a free agent roaming the grounds in search of food, like the rest of us.
National
Sen. Bernie Sanders was at the fair Saturday, and Andrew Yang’s campaign will also have a presence. But only three of the Democrats running for president have separate booths on the fairgrounds.
Deep-Fried Alligator came to the fair with some fanfare in 1997, and it’s still going strong. Blarney Beans, however, were introduced in 2012 and have disappeared.
This year, the third generation of Old Millers — John and Marna Keenan, who are in their 70s — enjoyed their first truly relaxing summer ever, after the family sold the historic ride in January to the State Fair.
Media
Starting around 2008, the fair media team realized that they were sitting on some valuable information. Hence the birth of the annual new food rollout.
Political Agenda
The 104-year-old carousel continues to operate its normal summer hours, though many volunteers departed after Colleen Murphy Roth was recently ousted as director of the nonprofit that runs the attraction.
Inside MinnPost
MinnPost is marking its 10th anniversary with a series called 10 at 10, a look back at the stories that have stuck with us.
Political Agenda
While fair-goers will have to decide for themselves about the political utility of the booths, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to critique the important things: style, location and stuff.
A rundown of events around the state celebrating the 4th of July.
