A Fair Day

Monday, August 28, 2023

We took the express bus to the fair. There is just no way you can drive there – total traffic jams and disaster. Buses started at 8am and we got there about 7:45. We were second in line and the bus pulled away at 8am. We scored a schedule for the day for the first time in our fair going. In past years, we tried unsuccessfully to find one – every information booth just said we had some….but they are gone. So, today we were able to make a plan and it worked out so much better.

Our favorite fair food is a Gizmo sandwich, so by 9am we were eating the delicious beef and italian sausage covered in cheese goodness, along with a full-of-caffeine-and-sugar Coke. It was DELICIOUS!.

We went to see the History Center’s Minnesota History on a Schtick. I loved the 10,000 Lakes Polka where they tried to name all the lakes (apparently there are over 90 Mud Lakes in MN!) and the trivia game hosted by Betty Crocker and played by the Pillsbury Dough Boy, Paul Bunyan (did you know he had a sweetheart named Lucette Diana Kensack? Now you do) and Snoopy. There was also a state symbol fashion show – the loon and the mosquito were arguing about being the state bird. The loon tried to get the upper hand with, “Hey, you’ve never been on a car’s license plate.” The mosquito promised that many, many, many mosquitoes have been splattered on license plates!

Mini doughnuts came next. We did not buy a bucket of them, because there were two of us. This was a good decision. We also figured out there is a refillable (for $3) state fair cup. We decided that after two refills you would be ahead. We refilled it about 96 times, I think. It was a very good decision to get it.

We went to the Leinie Lodge stage to see the Army 34th infantry Red Bull Band that our friend, Bruce, recently retired from. They gave a nice concert. Everyone in the audience stood up when they played God Bless America. I thought it was weird. They also played the armed forced medley and none of the band members stood up for the army song. I thought that was weird. Years ago, when the brass band played it at a summer concert, I told them the band members should stand when their branch song was played and they did. I think everyone should be recognized. We sat in Adirondack chairs that were missing some of the slats for the seats. They were not the most comfortable…

I had some name recognition…

The cheese curd place had a basket or a bucket. A bucket seemed wrong – but you could get a variety pack bucket and that seemed right. They were really good. I think I liked the jalapeno best, with garlic second best. It was a reallllly lot of cheese curds.

We went to an army quintet performance. They had ten people, so they were the brass quintet plus some extras and a drummer and some clarinets. It was a good performance and THEY all stood up when they played the army song. I clapped a lot.

I love the big horses and the 6-horse hitch class is so great. The coliseum was mostly full, but we found a spot. There were 15 teams competing. I loved every minute of it. I took a gazillion pictures.

A Minnesota staple: Butter heads! I really, really wanted to be in that 40-degree cooler. There is no air conditioning in any building at the fair (Oh, Wisconsin Fair with your lovely big air-conditioned buildings! We missed you) and even though it was only a high of 86 degrees today, we were hot quite a bit.

Ag building! How do you grow an 800+ pound punkin? How do you get it to the fair? I think I like not knowing. It just happens.

Seed art is so weird and so cool. We waited in a pretty long, hot line to see the seed art. I liked it A LOT. I took more pictures of it than of horses. A lot of people just came in the exit and did not wait in the line. Anyone who knows me knows this was not my favorite thing. RULES, people. There are rules.

And Crafts – crafts with beads are best, but I did look at all the crafts.

And ice cream! And art! Keith and I are going to make a wood mosaic. We’ll let you know when it gets done.

An educational moose!

Another Gizmo (to share)

Talent show semi-finals: seven singers and a guy swinging poi and a girl with a scarfy ribbon. I really liked the girl with the scarfy ribbon, but we didn’t linger to find out who won – we hadn’t been to the shopping under the grandstand and it was almost 8:00 – an hour until the buildings closed! We stopped for taffy on the way, as you do. I got the 90-piece bucket because it is the fair. I could pick exactly what I wanted. I did not pick any black walnut. That is actually a flavor of taffy. Seriously. No. I got 30 each butter rum, banana, and licorice! (the licorice is blue. Huh) That’s me in a bucket!!! (Well, they didn’t have cherry or cinnamon, so it’s as me as it could be). The taffies have been helping me write this eternal potd. Thank you, taffies. Oh, did you know there isn’t taffy in the UK? Our English friends asked us to explain taffy. We couldn’t. We used the word taffy a lot. And pull. Pull is a stupid word to try to explain taffy, but you really want to say it. Anyway…

There was a corn dog and a Pronto Pup. I missed the corn dog picture. It looked a lot like the Pronto Pup, but I know you know they are very different. I do not like either of them. Keith offered. No.

We walked down from upstairs shopping in the grandstand on the big ramp. I liked it a lot. It was very empty and quiet, and we could look down on the deep-fried olive stand (as you do) and see the firework lights they had on top. Then we ran into a sign about Benjamin when he was little and he was a bear. And when he was kind and giving.

I think it was a pretty standard day at the fair – no attendance breaking or anything – but there were still a bunch of people with us.

My feet are so incredibly dirty, I have to go take a shower. Oh, and there was all the hot and sweaty. That, too. Thanks for sticking around for the pictures. It was a great, fun day.