MN State Fair On-A-Stick (Happy B’Day MN!)

Minnesota State Fair – Happy Birthday, Minnesota!, Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 2008, all photos © 2007-2008 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.

Let’s Talk History

Summer is winding down; it’s time for the Minnesota State Fair! After 4 years of territorial fairs, the first Minnesota State Fair was held in 1859 near downtown Minneapolis, one year after Minnesota was granted statehood (2008 is the Minnesota Sesquicentennial). The Minnesota State Fair found a permanent home midway between Minneapolis and St. Paul when Ramsey County donated its 210-acre poor farm to the governing body of the State Fair, the State Agricultural Society.

The Fairgrounds now cover 320 acres and contain a number of architecturally and historically significant structures. And this year, there are Sesquicentennial Celebration events taking place under the Big Top at the Great Minnesota Get-Together, including a 150th birthday cake and Minnesota Memories, conversations with some of Minnesota’s most colorful residents.

Many famous people have walked through these gates. It’s hard to believe it’s been 80 years since F. Scott Fitzgerald reminisced about the Minnesota State Fair in his book, A Night at the Fair. Since 1859, rain or shine, the Minnesota State Fair has been held every year except five:

• 1861 — the Civil War
• 1862 — the Dakota Indian Conflict
• 1893 — scheduling conflicts with the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago
• 1945 — war-time fuel shortages
• 1946 — polio epidemic

Grandstand Show, Minneapolis, Minnesota,
August 2007, photo © 2008 by QuoinMonkey.
All rights reserved.

Classic rides grace the Mighty Midway; a couple of new ones, too, like the Heartbreaker and the Wind Surf.  I’m not much of ride person (I get too seasick!). I attend the State Fair for the tradition, the food, and the music (Alabama has performed 18 times in 13 years). This year, Liz and I have tickets to see Gnarls Barkley at the Grandstand. We plan to make a day of it. And if you’re into history, the Minnesota State Fair is full of odd and choice moments in time:

• 1887, 1888, 1889, 1898 – Battle Reenactments of Minnesota at Gettysburg
• 1906 – St. Paul Growers Association built a model of the new State Capitol out of onions
• 1915 – a Baby Contest pitted city babies vs. country babies, Minneapolis babies vs. St. Paul babies
• 1927 – John Phillip Sousa was the Fair’s first big name entertainer. He performed in the Plaza Park outside the Grandstand.
• 1938 – the last year the Fair started on the Saturday before Labor Day
• 1949 – the last year of horse races
• 2002 – the last year of Grandstand auto racing

Close Up Nightshot – Carousel, Minneapolis,
Minnesota, August 2007, photo © 2008 by
QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.

I’m particularly fond of the carousel, and the tradition of outdoor sculptures at the Fair. Over the years, there have been many: the 36-foot-tall Pioneer Woman made of gold fiberglass erected in 1958 to commemorate the State’s Centennial (she’s 50 years old this year); the 1959 statue of Neptune (a tribute to the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway); and my personal favorite, Fairchild the Gopher, a 24-foot fiberglass statue dressed as a Midway barker, complete with striped jacket and straw skimmer.

Stella Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota,
August 2007, photo © 2008 by QuoinMonkey.
All rights reserved.

In 1966, Fairchild the gopher became the official mascot of the State Fair and was joined by his nephew, Fairborne, in 1983. Fairchild (a play on the institution’s title) got his name after a state-wide naming contest. It is also a tribute to Henry S. Fairchild, the man who suggested the Ramsey County Poor Farm become the permanent site of the State Fair (more Fair photographs in my Flickr set Minnesota State Fair.)

You can learn more by visiting The State Fair History Museum in Heritage Square. The museum, open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., showcases memorabilia and artifacts from the Fair’s past and admission is free. Or, for little known Minnesota State Fair trivia, visit the comment section of last year’s MN State Fair On-A-Stick where our friend Teri (who works at the Fair) knocks our socks off with her bounty of State Fair knowledge.

World’s Greatest, Dairy Barn, Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 2007, photo © 2007-2008 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.

What’s New In Food at the Minnesota State Fair?

I’m going to wrap up with my favorite subject — FOOD! Corn fritters, fried green tomatoes, and blooming onions debuted 15 years ago (1993); nearly 500,000 corndogs are consumed at the Fair each year. This video of Minnesota State Fair food lovers snarfing Fair food on-a-stick is a must see. And there’s a breakdown below of all of this year’s foods on-a-stick, as well as what’s new in food at the Fair in 2008 (check out the Minnesota State Fair Food Finder).

I’ll come back after next week to give you a rundown on all the foods on-a-stick I ate (and let you know how Gnarls Barkley turned out). Oh, one more thing — if you want to save a little money, look for the Blue Ribbon Bargain Book Bonus Coupon. Liz just came home from Cub Foods with groceries, State Fair tickets for $8 each (Admission is $11 at the door), and our Blue Ribbon Bargain Book ($4 before August 20th). She’s a big Minnesota State Fair fan and early bird bargain shopper!

Ways To Save $$$ At The Minnesota State Fair

(BRBB) BONUS COUPON –

• The State Fair Blue Ribbon Bargain Book has 100 coupons worth over $500 in savings on food, merchandise and attractions. New this year, the book contains a bonus coupon good for a free ride or admission at one of the five favorite fair attractions, including the Butterfly House, Pirate Island Shootout, Space Tower, Sky Ride and Ye Old Mill.
• Blue Ribbon Bargain Books are available through August 20th for only $4 wherever pre-Fair discount admission tickets are sold. During the Fair, books may be purchased at State FairWear Gift Shops on the Fairgrounds for just $5.

SUNSET SUNDAY SAVINGS –

• On Sundays, August 24th and August 31st, this evening promotion will feature a minimum of 20% off at participating vendors from 8 p.m. until close.

Fried Fruit On-A-Stick Family, Minneapolis,
Minnesota, August 2007, photo © 2008 by
QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.

MN State Fair – Foods On-A-Stick

1. Alligator Sausage on-a-stick
2. Bacon (Fried) on-a-stick
3. Bananas (chocolate covered) on-a-stick
4. Beef Kabobs on-a-stick
5. Beer Battered Brats on-a-stick
6. Bomb Pops on-a-stick
7. Butterscotch Cake on-a-stick
8. Candy Apples on-a-stick
9. Candy Bars (deep fried) on-a-stick
10. Caramel Apples on-a-stick
11. Catfish on-a-stick
12. Cheese on-a-stick
13. Cheese (fried) on-a-stick
14. Cheesecake (chocolate covered) on-a-stick
15. Chicken on-a-stick
16. Chicken Bites on-a-stick
17. Chocolate Chip Cookies on-a-stick
18. Coffee (frozen) on-a-stick
19. Corndogs on-a-stick
20. Corned Beef and Cabbage on-a-stick
21. Cotton Candy on-a-stick
22. Dessert Dumplings on-a-stick
23. Dixie Wings on-a-stick
24. Espresso (frozen) on-a-stick
25. Fruit (fresh) on-a-stick
26. Fruit (fried) on-a-stick
27. Fudge Puppies on-a-stick
28. Hot Dago on-a-stick
29. Hot Dish on-a-stick
30. Hot Dogs (wrap) on-a-stick
31. Key Lime Pie Dipped in Chocolate (frozen) on-a-stick
32. Lamb (leg of) on-a-stick
33. Macaroni & Cheese on-a-stick
34. Marshmallows (Chocolate-dipped) on-a-stick
35. Meatballs (porcupine wild rice & ground pork) on-a-stick
36. Meatballs (Scotch) on-a-stick
37. Meat Kabobs on-a-stick
38. Nut Roll (chocolate-dipped) on-a-stick
39. Pickles on-a-stick
40. Pickles (deep fried) on-a-stick
41. Pizza on-a-stick
42. Poncho Dogs on-a-stick
43. Pork Chops on-a-stick
44. Pronto Pups on-a-stick
45. Rueben on-a-stick
46. Sausage on-a-stick
47. Scones on-a-stick
48. Scotch Eggs on-a-stick
49. Shrimp on-a-stick
50. Shrimp (grilled) on-a-stick
51. S’mores on-a-stick
52. S’mores (deep-fried) on-a-stick
53. Spaghetti & Meatballs on-a-stick
54. Spudsters on-a-stick
55. Steak on-a-stick
56. Taffy Pops on-a-stick
57. Tater Tots (deep-fried) on-a-stick
58. Turkey Tenderloin (bacon-wrapped) on-a-stick
59. Vegie Fries on-a-stick
60. Vegetable Kabobs on-a-stick
61. Waffle (Belgian) on-a-stick
62. Walleye on-a-stick
63. Wild Rice Corndog on-a-stick

Total Number of Foods-On-A-Stick: 63

Freshmade Nutrolls, Minneapolis, Minnesota,
August 2007, photo © 2008 by QuoinMonkey.
All rights reserved.

New Minnesota State Fair Foods In 2008

• Chicken Bites on-a-stick (blackened chicken breast meat served with horseradish sauce)
@Axel’s, located on the outside southeast corner of the Food Building
• Deep-Fried Ice-Cream
@San Felipe Tacos, located in the Food Building
• Deep-Fried S’mores on-a-stick (marshmallow, chocolate and graham cracker, battered and deep-fried)
@Oodles of Noodles, located inside the Food Building
• Deep Fried Tater Tots on-a-stick (tater tots made with hashbrowns, cheese, bacon, onions and sour cream deep-fried)
@Axel’s, located on the southeast corner of the Food Building
• Dessert Chocolate Pizza
@Pizza Shoppe, located inside the Food Building
• Fish Tacos (southern California-style fish tacos)
@San Felipe Tacos, located in the Food Building
• Fried Bacon on-a-stick (Big Fat Bacon) (1/3 lb. slice of bacon fried and caramelized with maple syrup and served with dipping sauces)
@Big Fat Bacon, located on Carnes Avenue near Nelson Street in front of the DNR Building
• Grilled Shrimp on-a-stick
@Grilled Shrimp, located on Underwood Street near the Ye Old Mill
• Italian Breakfast Strata (layers of Italian sausage and cheese with Italian bread)
@Oodles of Noodles, located inside the Food Building
• Italian Ice (frozen non-dairy confections with up to 20 different flavors)
@Isabella’s Italian Ice, located on the corner of Liggett Street and Dan Patch Avenue
•Leprechaun Legs (lightly battered, deep-fried green beans with dipping sauce)
@O’Garas, located inside the Food Building
• Neapolitan Cream Puffs
@Cream Puffs, located on the corner of Liggett Street and Dan Patch Avenue
• Norwegian Style Cheese Curds (cheese curds battered in a Scandinavian batter, deep-fried and served with Lingonberry-flavored dipping sauce)
@Ole and Lena’s, located on Liggett near Carnes
• Pickle Pop (pickle juice frozen in a plastic push-up sleeve)
@Preferred Pickle, located inside the Food Building
• Pig Lickers (chocolate-covered crisp-fried bacon pieces)
@Famous Dave’s, located on Dan Patch Avenue near Liggett Street
• Walking Taco (taco ingredients served neatly in a Dorito bag)
@Church of the Epiphany, located on Underwood Street between Carnes Avenue and Judson Avenue
• Yaki-Soba Noodles (buckwheat style noodles, wok-fried with spices and vegetables)
@Island Noodles, located inside the International Bazaar

MN State Fair Poster 2008, Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 2008, all photos © 2007-2008 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.

-posted on red Ravine, Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

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