MN State Fair — Fairborne & Fairchild, MN State Fair, St. Paul, Minnesota, August 2010, all photos © 2009-2010 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
The Minnesota State Fair kicked off this week and it’s time for our annual State Fair post on red Ravine. We’ve covered a lot of history over the years, including the debut of Peach Glazed Pig Cheeks On-A-Stick, the fine art of Princess Kay of the Milky Way (and the Butter Queens), Minnesota State Fair poster artists, the history of Fairborne and Fairchild, and the tradition of Tom Thumb Donuts.
This year we honor the work of two writers who have written about the Minnesota State Fair. In 1928, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote his classic short story “A Night at the Fair.” And this year, Debra Frasier, author of On the Day You Were Born and the Minnesota State Fair Foundation’s current Author-in-Residence, has written and illustrated A Fabulous Fair Alphabet.
Debra Frasier — A Fabulous Fair Alphabet
What started as a collection of photographs taken by Minneapolis author Debra Frasier on daily visits to the Minnesota State Fair, has turned into a work of book art. A Fabulous Fair Alphabet is Frasier’s tribute to the “Great Minnesota Get-Together” and the impetus for the State Fair Alphabet Project, a labor of love for hundreds of Minnesotans who are passionate about early learning. The book has also gained national acclaim, with the New York Times noting, “Frasier brings to life a jaunty Ferris wheel, a sunburst-yellow pitcher of lemonade and a swirling roller coaster.”
The book is interactive and there is a wonderful article about Frasier’s process in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. She intentionally left the front-piece page blank in hopes that families will use the page to personalize their copies of the book as a keepsake, a place to store their own Fair memories, images, and words:
Going to the State Fair together is a ritual for many families. Grandparents have passed along their favorite Fair traditions to their grandchildren. The book is a place for all generations to record their experiences together. Imagine if we had a list of favorite words from our relatives’ 1901 trip to the Fair, or 1945, or 2010 for fairgoers of 2060!
-Debra Frasier
Debra Frasier will be giving book signings from Noon to 2 p.m. daily at the J.V. Bailey House (across from the Space Needle) and I plan to visit her there. You can also visit the Alphabet Forest at Baldwin Park, across from the 4-H building. There are teaching materials based on the book, coloring sheets, instructions on making animals-on-a-stick or a cereal box stage, a bibliography of fair-themed books, display letters, a script that deepens the story and a look at how Frasier created the book at her official website.
F. Scott Fitzgerald — A Night at the Fair
F. Scott Fitzgerald is a Twin Cities icon who continues to live on through art and author happenings at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. Most Minnesotans know that he penned the short story, “A Night at the Fair,” but after a comment from one of our readers, I started to wonder how many had actually read the story (myself included).
It begins like this:
The two cities were separated only by a thin well-bridged river; their tails curling over the banks met and mingled, and at the juncture, under the jealous eye of each, lay, every fall, the State Fair. Because of this advantageous position, and because of the agricultural eminence of the state, the fair was one of the most magnificent in America. There were immense exhibits of grain, livestock and farming machinery; there were horse races and automobile races and, lately, aeroplanes that really left the ground; there was a tumultuous Midway with Coney Island thrillers to whirl you through space, and a whining, tinkling hoochie-coochie show. As a compromise between the serious and the trivial, a grand exhibition of fireworks, culminating in a representation of the Battle of Gettysburg, took place in the Grand Concourse every night.
–F. Scott Fitzgerald, A Night at the Fair
If your imagination is captured, you can read all 15 pages at Project Gutenberg. One of my favorite parts is when Scott writes about Ye Old Mill. The same Ye Old Mill at the Fair today. Located at the southwest corner of Carnes Avenue and Underwood Street, and touted as the “original tunnel of love,” Ye Old Mill is the oldest ride on the fairgrounds and is owned by the same family who first operated it in 1913.
The ride runs on a 40-horse power engine that turns the mill wheel and keeps water running through the 1300-foot channel. When you read Fitzgerald’s descriptions, you can imagine Basil and Riply chugging along on the Fair rides and Midway of the 1920’s. Memories preserved through story.
F. Scott Fitzgerald Walking Tour — St. Paul, Minnesota
I’m a writer who has lived in the Twin Cities for over 20 years. Until this summer, I had never seen the place where F. Scott Fitzgerald was born, walked on the steps of St. Paul Academy where he went to school (with a Fitzgerald statue created by Aaron Dysart), or taken a photograph of the sign at the Commodore Hotel where Scott and Zelda lived when their baby girl, Scottie, was born. Those old hotel walls have breathed in tales we can only imagine, real life stories of their drinking and partying at the Commodore bar.
For my birthday this year, our Poetry & Meditation Group walked the 13 stops of a self-guided Fitzgerald tour, from 481 Laurel, where Scott was born, to Mrs. Backus’ Boarding School at 586 Holly, the building where Scott enrolled in dance class. However, the heart of the tour is a four-block radius surrounding the intersection of Kent Street and Summit Avenue, “one of the grandest rows of Victorian Boulevard architecture anywhere in America.” From there, Summit stretches nearly five miles to the Mississippi River in the country’s longest span of residential, Victorian architecture.
Slip on a comfortable pair of shoes, and walk in the footsteps of the writers who came before us. Francis Scott Fitzgerald (named after Francis Scott Key) has a birthday coming up on September 24th; take the tour to celebrate his birth, brushing oaks along streets his parents walked in 1896. At the time he lived in St. Paul, F. Scott visited with writers like Sinclair Lewis and Donald Ogden Stewart. Here’s a link to every stop on the F. Scott Fitzgerald Walking Tour.
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Spaghetti & Meatball Dinner On-A-Stick, Fried Fruit On-A-Stick, Macaroni & Cheese On-A-Stick, Bull Bites, Deep Fried Tater Tots On-A-Stick, Grilled Shrimp On-A-Stick, Vintage Kids & Fair Food!, Leprechaun Legs, MN State Fair, St. Paul, Minnesota, August 2008, all photos © 2008-2010 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
MN State Fair – Foods On-A-Stick
Our Minnesota State Fair post wouldn’t be complete without the annual foods on-a-stick list. Here’s the lineup for 2010. If you are looking for the location of specific foods at the Fair, here’s a link to their FoodFinder with a map of the Fair. The Minnesota State Fair runs through Monday, September 6th. From the 20,000 gallons of milk served by the the American Dairy Association, to the 338,000 dozen mini-donuts consumed, and the 22,000 rolls of toilet paper used at the Minnesota State Fair, there is nothing else to do but ENJOY!
- Alligator Sausage on-a-stick
- Baby Potatoes on-a-stick
- Bacon (Fried) on-a-stick
- Bananas (chocolate covered) on-a-stick
- Beef Kabobs on-a-stick
- Bologna (deep-fried) on-a-stick
- Bomb Pops on-a-stick
- Butterscotch Cake on-a-stick
- Camel on-a-stick
- Candy Apples on-a-stick
- Candy Bars (deep fried) on-a-stick
- Caramel Apples on-a-stick
- Caramel Apple Puppies on-a-stick
- Catfish on-a-stick
- Cheese on-a-stick
- Cheesecake (chocolate covered) on-a-stick
- Chicken on-a-stick
- Chicken Bites on-a-stick
- Chocolate Tornado on-a-stick
- Coffee (frozen) on-a-stick
- Corndogs on-a-stick
- Cotton Candy on-a-stick
- Dessert Pizza on-a-stick
- Dixie Wings on-a-stick
- Espresso (frozen) on-a-stick
- Fruit (fresh) on-a-stick
- Fruit (fried) on-a-stick
- Fry Dog on-a-stick
- Fudge Puppies on-a-stick
- Hot Dago on-a-stick
- Hot Dish on-a-stick
- Hot Dogs (wrap) on-a-stick
- Jerk Chicken on-a-stick
- Key Lime Pie Dipped in Chocolate (frozen) on-a-stick
- Kufta Kabob on-a-stick
- Lamb (leg of) on-a-stick
- Macaroni & Cheese on-a-stick
- Marshmallows (Chocolate-dipped) on-a-stick
- Mashed Potatoes (deep-fried) on-a-stick
- Meatballs (porcupine wild rice & ground pork) on-a-stick
- Meatballs (Scotch) on-a-stick
- Meat Kabobs on-a-stick
- Nut Roll (chocolate-dipped) on-a-stick
- Pickles on-a-stick
- Pizza on-a-stick
- Poncho Dogs on-a-stick
- Pork Chops on-a-stick
- Pronto Pups on-a-stick
- Sausage on-a-stick
- Sausage and cheese stuffed jalapeno poppers on-a-stick
- Scotch Eggs on-a-stick
- Shrimp on-a-stick
- Shrimp (grilled) on-a-stick
- S’mores on-a-stick
- S’mores (deep-fried) on-a-stick
- Spaghetti & Meatballs on-a-stick
- Spudsters on-a-stick
- Steak on-a-stick
- Taffy Pops on-a-stick
- Tater Tots (deep-fried) on-a-stick
- Texas Steak Dinner on-a-stick
- Texas Tater Dog on-a-stick
- Tornado Potato on-a-stick
- Turkey Tenderloin (bacon-wrapped) on-a-stick
- Turtle Puppies on-a-stick
- Vegie Fries on-a-stick
- Vegetable Kabobs on-a-stick
- Waffle (Belgian) on-a-stick
- Walleye on-a-stick
- Wild Rice Corndog on-a-stick
- Wonder Bar (chocolate-dipped ice cream) on-a-stick
Total Number of Foods-On-A-Stick: 71*
New Minnesota State Fair Foods In 2010
(including *2 new foods on-a-stick not on list above)
- • Caramel Apple Puppies (a Fudge Puppy with baked apple and covered with caramel)
@Fudge Puppies, located on the outside west wall of the Food Building
• Cheese Pizza Served With Corn Dogs (a cheese pizza topped with corn dogs sliced the long way)
@Pizza Shoppe, located inside the Food Building
• Chicken Fried Bacon (thick cut bacon, battered, breaded and fried, and served in a boat covered with gravy)
@Giggles’ Campfire Grill, located on Cooper Street and Lee Avenue
• Chocolate Tornado (spiral-cut Tornado Potato dipped in chocolate)
@Sonny’s Spiral Spud, located inside the Food Building
• Cincinnati Chili (spaghetti noodles smothered with chili and topped with shredded cheddar, beans, and diced onions)
@Sabino’s, located inside the Warner Coliseum
• Danny Boy Burger (burger made with corned beef and covered with kraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing)
@O’Gara’s, located on the corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Cosgrove Street
• Deep-Fried Avocado (avocado pieces batter-dipped, deep-fried, and served with Ranch dressing)
@Tejas, located in The Garden
• Deep-Fried Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes On-A-Stick
@Potato Man and Sweetie, located on Liggett Street, south of Carnes Avenue
• Deep-Fried Bologna On-A-Stick
@Netterfield’s Food Court, located on Cooper Street, north of Dan Patch Avenue
• Deep-Fried Breakfast Wrap (scrambled eggs and bacon in a soft shell wrap, deep-fried and smothered in cheese)
@Axel’s, located outside on the southeast corner of the Food Building
•Deep-Fried Shortcake (shortcake batter deep-fried and covered with strawberries and ice cream)
@Granny’s Cheesecake and More, located on Dan Patch Avenue at Underwood Street
• Fresh Fruit Salsa and Chips (salsa made on-site with fresh fruit and covered with tortilla chips)
@Fried Fruit, located in Carousel Park on the east side of the Grandstand Ramp
• Fried Pig Ears (thinly sliced pigs ears dusted in seasoned flour, fried until crispy, and served with lime chipotle glaze)
@Famous Dave’s, located on the corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Liggett Street
• Ghost Wings (chicken wings covered in a habanero pepper sauce)
@Wings and Things, located inside the Warner Coliseum
• Grilled Marshmallow Chocolate and Banana Sandwich
@Moe and Joe’s, located on Judson Avenue by the CHS Miracle of Birth Center
• Korean Moon BBQ (Korean “street vendor” style tacos with beef short ribs, spicy/sweet pork or chicken)
@Blue Moon Dine-In Theater, located on the corner of Carnes Avenue and Chambers Street
• Sausage and cheese-stuffed jalapeno poppers
@Sausage Sister & Me, located inside the Food Building
• Sloppy Joe served over spiral-cut potato chips
@Sunny’s Spiral Spuds, located inside the Food Building
• Turtle Puppies (Fudge Puppy covered in caramel and nuts)
@Fudge Puppies, located against the outside west wall of the Food Building
-posted on red Ravine, Sunday, August 29th, 2010
-related to posts: MN State Fair On-A-Stick (Happy B’Day MN!), On-The-Go List Of Must-Haves (MN State Fair), Nightshot – Carousel, MN State Fair On-A-Stick II – Video & Stats, food on-a-stick haiku, F. Scott Fitzgerald: On Money & Mess, Runes, Oracles, & Alphabets
My must have list:
1. Caramel Apple Puppies
2. Deep-Fried Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes On-A-Stick
3. Korean Moon BBQ
and if I can fit it in,
4. a Chocolate Tornado!
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skyWire, sounds perfect! Get out the loose pants. I want two of the Deep-Fried Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes On-A-Stick. One for the Fair, one to take home. What about the Deep-Fried Bologna On-A-Stick? I thought you liked that. I also am game for the pizza with corn dogs on top. Who can resist that? 8)
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Every year I read this post and want to come to the fair and eat every single thing on a stick. I figure it would take me at least 3 days and a stomach pump to make my way through all the “on-a-stick” food. That would be approximately 25 food items a day or five every hour for 5 hours for three days. Or I could stay for 7 days and have ten items a day. My heart stalls at such a thought, but I want to taste them all.
QM, I always think of this post as the herald of autumn and look forward to new food-on-a-stick items. Thanks.
I’ll be back to read more about the alphabet woman.
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Wow, the number of foods-on-a-stick is growing! I looked at some past posts, and one year (2007, I think) there were 53 or so, and then the next year maybe 10 more. We’re up to the 70s. I guess that means these variations are having some staying power.
Mmmm, I’d try the Korean Moon BBQ, and the deep fried avocado sounds not so much good as just interesting (enough to try, anyway). The sausage-and-cheese stuffed jalapenos sound yummy. Love stuffed jalapenos!
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LOL Bob! I love that you calculated it out. I shared your breakdown with my co-workers. Very enlightening analysis on eating your way through the fair. And that is just with the stuff on a stick. The next breakdown will be how much that would cost! The more days it takes you to eat, the more daily admission fees one has to pay.
I am not sure about the bologna thing, QM. It is not sounding too good right now. The jalapeno poppers sound like a must try, YB! They showcased ’em in an online newspaper article and said they pack a mighty punch.
Thankfully we are going twice this year so I can check some of these off my bucket list.
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No one has mentioned the Camel on-a-stick! I think I have to try it. Friday we’ll be with two other adventurous souls. Maybe they will want to split it 4 ways.
Bob, that’s hilarious how you calculated it all out. We’d definitely need the stomach pump if we took that challenge on.
yb, yes, the list has indeed grown. I think the foods on-a-stick are really popular. They keep trying new ones every year. I notice each year when I post the new list, the old list has dropped a few items. I guess they didn’t make it.
skywire, the jalapeno poppers sound good. Yes, let’s try them. I’m going to have to come back to this post and recap my list before Friday, mark down where we can get some of these new items. My mouth is watering.
Bob, maybe you can come up from Kansas City for the MN State Fair one year. We could go bug Teri, meet her for the parade or at the Moo Booth. Sometimes, we plan to meet up with her at certain locations. Yes, that’s the ticket. Come to the Fair one year, Bob.
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QM, how long is the fair open each day? If it is open for 12 hours I could make it through all the food-on-a-stick in two days and cut down on admission fees.
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I have to know: is Camel on a stick actually camel meat??
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Jude, I had to know too so I googled “camel-on-a-stick” and got a site for Minnesota Public Radio which talked about the latest “on-a-stick” food and it was the camel meat on a stick, tastes like bison according to the guy who’s making it. They used Australian camels.
Saw a short document on Nutria and how they are destroying Louisiana aquatic environments. Next year, I think we should open a Nutria-on-a-stick stand at the Minnesota State Fair.
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Jude, good question. Bob, thanks for looking that up. I assumed it was real camel meat because everything on-a-stick is usually the actual thing on-a-stick! Did not know they were Australian camels though. I tasted bison when I lived in Montana. It was common at the time. I’m not much for that gamey taste of wild meat but I know a lot of people like it. In fact, hunting season starts in a few days. Lots of people obtain their meat that way.
I still think I have to try it, just to say I tried it. Last year it was pig’s cheek on-a-stick. This year, they have pig’s ears on-a-stick, I think it’s at Famous Dave’s. I might have to pass on that. Will think about it.
Bob, about the hours, I think the booths close at 9pm and the Midway is open longer. But I’ll have to check with Teri or look it up. She’s in the know about all things FAIR!
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Oh, Bob, I was thinking, if you actually did make it through all the food-on-a-stick in two days, you’d probably obtain at least 15 minutes of fame. The media covers everything at the Fair. Think about it for next year. We could give the media a heads up and maybe raise some money to fund the next year or so of your writing. Or maybe even your book. 8) But, seriously, think of how ill you might be afterwards. UGH!
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For those who want to read, here’s the article Bob was talking about about camel on-a-stick. Also mentions the Korean Moon Barbecue Tacos which ybonesy wants to try, and so does Liz!
MPR: Camel on a stick among fair’s new fare this year (LINK)
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I loved reading about Fitzgerald (whom I admire and sort of fear) and Debra (whom I know and talk to almost daily). Both making a great impact on St. Paul and writing in general. I see kids walking all over the Fair with headbands they’ve made at Debra’s booth in Baldwin Park.
This year, I am seeing so many people reading books at the Fair. They are mainly employees reading during their break. But they’re reading! They’re not texting or talking on their phone or staring like sloths into the air. It’s wonderful.
And now, I’m off to my 16th day in a row at the Fair. Impressive, eh?
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Teri, I’m impressed. How many things on a stick have you had?
QM, sounds like a great idea. The key would be not to eat everything on each stick but to taste it like a wine taster. I would have to train for the event. I’m getting my training calendar together right now. See you at the fair next year.
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I’ve been waiting for this post. I think I would have to pass on the camel on-a-stick & also the fried pig ears. Although our dog, Abbey, just loves pigs ears!).Everything else sounds fairly (pun) yummy! Hope everyone has a great time! D
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Teri, have they ever had a book on a stick? I thought it wonderful that so many are reading! After reading an article about the free at the fair, and the long lines people wait in to get a cloth bag or yardstick, perhaps someone could give away a book on a stick. I would give away the Constitution. More people ought to know what is in there. What book would other people put on a stick at the fair?
Bob, glad to hear you are starting to train for next year! Maybe Jude can roll in along with ya 😉
By the way, the fairgrounds are open 6 am to midnight. The Food Building is open 8 am to 10 pm. There are food vendors everywhere outside of the food building so some of them may be open those extra 4 hours. Bob, how does this calculate in the food items per hour per day???
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Teri, I’m encouraged that more kids are reading, especially with all the distractions at the Fair. And thanks for encouraging me to read “A Night at the Fair.” I absolutely loved the opening paragraph. And how he describes the Midway. It fit in well with the F. Scott Fitzgerald Walking Tour we took this Summer, and the fact that Debra Frasier’s book is designed to encourage families to write down their own stories and memories for future generations at the MN State Fair.
I think of you every day there, plugging away at your job. I forget the exact number of how many hundreds of people work behind the scenes to make everything run smoothly. Yesterday I heard there was a loss of power for a couple of hours — a semi hit a power pole? Glad no one was seriously injured. It’s like a small city there in the Summer.
Something I didn’t mention in the post (because I focused on it in last year’s post) is that the 2010 commemorative art features the work of Minnesota artist Deborah Voyda Rogers who (according to the State Fair website) “showcases the fairgrounds’ iconic architecture through bold pastels and shapes. Posters of the commemorative art are available at State FairWear Gift Shops, State Fair Foundation Kiosks and online at http://www.statefairwear.com and proceeds support the Minnesota State Fair Foundation.”
I was more engaged in the poster work last year because I actually had a chance to attend the ice cream social where the art was unveiled. So I met the artist, Leo Stans. But the old architecture is one of the things I love about the Fair. I read that the Arts Center and the Progress Center date back to 1907. Which building is it that’s art decco, the one with the blue lettering? I know I looked it up at one point. I’ll have to check out this year’s art more when I get to the Fair. It’s only a few days away for me!
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Oh, skyWire, love the book on-a-stick idea! I really think they should do that next year. You could read while holding the book on-a-stick in one hand, and have your fave food on-a-stick on the other. All the senses engaged. What better!
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QM,
I think the 4-H building (the large white tower with green lights) would be the art deco one, though I’m no architect.
skywire,
At Promo Plaza they *are* giving away books. It’s only one title, a Harlequin romance. I have no idea why. I suspect Harlequins are on the way out, and this is their way to introduce them to a younger generation. I wince when I see them. But they are free, and I guess it may be a gateway book to something with more substance. haha
Bob,
I haven’t eaten one food-on-a-stick this year. I’ve been so hot and busy. Plus…standing in a food line? It’s too much for this one.
I love my job.
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Teri, I’m shocked that you have not eaten one food-on-a-stick, but then you have been working very hard I’m sure.
skywire, I think I could taste all of the foods-on-a-stick in one day at the rate of approximately 6 per hour for 12 hours straight. I might be able to do more per hour if I could arrange to have the food on the stick ready for me without waiting in a line to get it…kinda like a pre-pay and an express window to pick it up at. Of course, I might need an assistant or two to buy while I’m standing in a line. Or, I could sit up a table somewhere close to the food and have people run food-on-a-stick to me to save time. The thought makes my stomach hurt, but I know, with a little practice I could do it.
Love the book-on-a-stick idea. You could glue a tongue depressor to the spine of each paperback book and then give away another one as a place marker. skywire, I think you’ve got an award winning idea there.
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sky,
If you do a book-on-a-stick idea, you’d make enough in 12 days to live on for the remaining 353.
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It seems food-on-a-stick has really created some interest. Perhaps this could be one of the writing topics posted for practice? I haven’t thought about this type of food since I was a kid. Except for with my dog, whom my husband has recently introduced to corn dogs. which she loves after a big trip in the mountains (but she loves pretty much any food, so I’m not sure it’s the stick phenomena that excites her).
I think the deep fried shortcake calls to me. It’s hard to believe short cake with strawberries could be improved, but who knows, frying it could be a transcendetal experience.
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oops, I meant to say transcendent experience.
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I like the idea of book on-a-stick! How about short story-on -a-stick, or poem on-a-stick? This way, if the weather is as hot as it’s been, it could serve two purposes…Read & then fan yourself! Double duty & might encourage more people to read? D
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For all us older people, remember when churches didn’t have air-conditioning (in fact very few places had it) and funeral homes provided paper fans with religious scenes and a discrete advertisement on them? I think it’s time they were resurrected like alittlediddy suggests.
Have blank paper fans with small, discrete advertisements on them and a place where people could draw or write on the fan with art materials. It would be a creative thing and serve to keep the fair goers cool on hot days.
I think skyWire and alittlediddy have some great ideas for next year’s fair.
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Bob,
Remember car trips with no air conditioning? Hot and sticky in the back seat, nothing cool to drink, brothers who pinch?
I remember thinking, “What? This is a vacation?”
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Teri,
Hated…absolutely HATED…those trips. I didn’t have any brothers and my sister was away at college by the time I was 8 so I didn’t have anyone in the back seat to pinch or be pinched by.
I remember sitting in the middle of the back seat so the wind from all four windows would blow on me. I still prefer to ride in a car with the windows down.
Any food-on-a-stick yet?
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Hey, the poem on-a-stick, now that’s doable! We should have a booth next year with all kinds of literary things on-a-stick. I’m still trying to figure out how the place marker would work. The bookmark. How would it stay in place?
I remember those old fans. We used to sit on Aunt Cassie’s Victorian porch and fan ourselves with them. And I remember living in the South where many of the places we would go did not have AC. It was so HOT. Not comfortable for someone who sweats a lot. Now when I visit, I go from AC to AC. It’s just too darned hot. I hope it’s cool at the Fair tomorrow! We had quite the rainstorm this afternoon.
Teresa, I think it’s a good Writing Topic. So your husband fed your dog corn dogs? That’s amazing. Yes, the deep fried shortcake. That actually sounds good and sweet. There is a pizza with corn dog bits on top. I think I have to try that tomorrow. I’ll keep you all posted.
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And we’re off! See you at the MN State Fair on a cool, FAll day!
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Can’t wait to hear about your day at the fair! I’ll also put some thought to the poem on-a-stick. I don’t think it would be that difficult! D
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[…] year’s Minnesota State Fair post focuses on writers and we weren’t disappointed. Author Peter Smith did a book signing at the […]
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We had a GREAT time with our friends at the MN State Fair yesterday. Check out the link above this comment for a rundown. They were all out of camel on-a-stick! One of the few disappointments. I guess they only had it for a few days at the Fair. Well, we tried!
We did meet authors Debra Frasier and Peter Smith. And visited the Alphabet Forest where I spelled out red Ravine (check out the link above for details). We’ll be heading back Monday for Ye Old Mill and maybe a ride on the Double Ferris Wheel with Teri. Yikes. Will my height fear get the best of me? We’ll see.
Today I’ve got to get going. Liz has tickets for a MN Twins game downtown at the new stadium. My second this year. And we’re off again!
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Just catching up with comments here. Where have I been??? Busy, busy first week at work after a week away in Vietnam, as those trips always generate so much momentum. But I do love the poem-on-a-stick-slash-fan idea. And Teri, you’re so right about these big festivals and fairs being huge income generators for the vendors. I have a friend who makes with her jewelry booth what some people earn in one year during the 2+ weeks of Balloon Fiesta, even after deducting the enormous booth fee.
QM, did you really want to eat camel? I don’t know, I’m just not into those exotic meats. Bison is about as different as I’ll go, and even that tastes weird to me. No croc, snake, camel, ostrich for this girl. 8)
Hope you have a great time today and over this long weekend, QM and Liz and others. Today is Dee’s 15th birthday, so we’re off to do some things with her and a couple of her friends, then dinner tonight. We might go kayaking tomorrow, try out one of the gifts that Jim got for her.
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ybonesy, I love trying all the new foods at the Fair, especially those on-a-stick. I did want to try the camel. Just to try it. We would have split it four ways with our friends. Last year it was the pig’s cheeks. One new food that I had this year that I loved was the Deep-Fried Mashed Potatoes on-a-stick. It was SO GOOD. We are off to the Twins game in a minute. (I feel too busy. Fun. But busy.) I’m thinking things will slow down in ….October?
Happy Birthday, DEE! Have a fun day with the family, ybonesy.
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[…] MN State Fair On-A-Stick (F. Scott Fitzgerald — A Night At The Fair) […]
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Mmmm . . . butterscotch cake . . . on a stick . . .
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When I listened to Patricia Hampl’s staged essay The Big Time: F. Scott Fitzgerald on MPR’s Midday this week, she brings the stops on the F. Scott Fitzgerald Walking Tour in this post to life.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s great granddaughter Black Hazard sings in the performance that celebrates the Fitzgerald Theater’s 100th anniversary. Really worth the listen.
I’ve provided all the links you’ll need in this comment on the post F. Scott Fitzgerald — A Birthday Celebration (LINK). F. Scott Fitzgerald was born September 24th, 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota. And died in his 40’s, December 20th, 1940. His wife Zelda was born July 24th, 1900 and died a few years after Scott on March 10th, 1948 in a fire that broke out in Highland Hospital.
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Gearing up for the Minnesota State Fair this week. The Alphabet Forest will be back! Met Debra Frasier last year and am looking forward to visiting again.
Minnesota’s Homegrown Author Showcase. Presented with Target, Debra Frasier and the Children’s Literature Network, this is our second year providing free and fun educational activities in the Alphabet Forest in Baldwin Park. New this year, meet a different author each day!
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[…] Cheeks On-A-Stick, and our State Fair posts are always chock-full of history. Last year we covered F. Scott Fitzgerald’s A Night At The Fair, Ye Old Mill, and artist Debra Frasier’s debut…of the Alphabet Forest at Baldwin Park. Debra is back again this year and you can read more about […]
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