Minnesota State Fair 2015

 

My what a busy few days it has been!  We had an overnight with Cubby on Friday, I had a girls’ outing with Captain’s mom and Princess on Saturday, and we did up the Great Minnesota Get Together with some good friends on Sunday.  

Since Captain and I started dating 30 years ago, we have only missed one state fair, and I really can’t even remember why.  Must have been something major, though.

We have gone by ourselves some years, some years we just took the kids, and other years we have gone with friends.  We always try to go on 4-H livestock weekend whether our kids were showing or not.  Young Man had multiple trips with livestock, both with his dairy cow and with dairy steers.  Princess had non-livestock exhibits on two different years as well.  

We have our favorite things to do every year, but the biggest must see is the butterheads being carved.  If you tell me you don’t know what the butterheads are, you are seriously lacking in your Minnesota history education!

Princess Kay of the Milky Way is the goodwill ambassador for Minnesota’s dairy industry.  The first Princess Kay was crowned in 1954, making it the second longest running dairy ambassador program in the country, second only to Wisconsin’s Alice in Dairyland.  And Alice doesn’t get carved in butter like Princess Kay does.

Each year since 1965, Princess Kay and her 11 court attendants each spend a day in a revolving refrigerated glassed-in display area having their likeness carved from a 90-pound block of butter provided by AMPI out of New Ulm, Minnesota.  For the last 40 years, sculptor Linda Christensen has churned (see what I did there?) out entertainment for millions of state fair goers.

We have known a few ladies who have had butterheads over the years, and we can even say we had a Princess Kay in our wedding, even though she had just completed her reign three weeks before we got married.  I happened to find a picture of her butterhead being carved when we were going through the new State Fair History Center where Heritage Square used to be.  Does anyone recognize her?

We love history around here because you never quite know everything about anything, and there is always something new to learn.  Such as these tidbits we found in the floor tiles of the History Center:

Other highlights for us are the 4-H building where the best of the best from 4-Hers across the state is displayed.  Personal favorites for me are the photography exhibits and the woodworking exhibits.  Plus, If we time our visit to the 4-H building right, we also get to see the 4-H Arts In performance.

Captain and our friends made it into the 4-H building while Princess and I were checking out some lawn swings outside the building.  I was trying to get a picture of the Curious George mascot when suddenly, Captain comes back out the door like a bullet and insists “I found something you just have to buy.”  Well, after I picked myself up off the ground where I’d fainted (Captain never makes impulse purchases...EVER), I followed him into the entryway where the Clover Store is.  They sell clothing and accessories related to the promotion of 4-H.  Oh. My. Gosh.  There were the cutest little white onesies that said in bright green lettering “I want to be a Minnesota 4-Her when I grow up!”  He was right--we had to buy that!

The Horticulture Building houses FFA and open class exhibits and is home each year to Minnesota's Biggest Pumpkin which this year weighed in at a hefty 1473 pounds!  We’ve got steers out here that weigh just about that much!  Perusing the educational booths on various aspects of agriculture production in Minnesota is often entertaining, and this year Princess learned that Crystal Sugar is made from sugar beets, so she can no longer say that beets “taste like dirt.”  

As always, food was a big part of the state fair experience with the usual staples of cheese curds, Sweet Martha’s cookies, Aussie potatoes, and poutine, but we always like to try one of the new foods they have.  This year’s choice was the maple bacon funnel cakes in the food building.  Holy sugar high, batman….but oh so worth it!

We don’t do rides as a rule, but this year Princess agreed to ride the space needle with Captain while our friends and I sat in the shade and rested while we waited for them.  When the kids were younger, we couldn't leave the fairgrounds before riding Ye Old Mill.  When we were in the History Center earlier, I saw a little tidbit that there have actually been weddings at Ye Old Mill for people who either fell in love or got engaged there in years past.  Sweet!

One of our last stops is always the International Bazaar (or as we call it the Bizarre Bazaar) because...WOW...there is some weird stuff in there!  Best stop of the day is the stall that sells leather purses, and this year was no different.  I don’t care what anyone says...a woman can never have too many purses.  

So our State Fair 2015 trip is over and done now.  It doesn’t matter who many times we go, the adventure is always new and fun!  If you’ve never been to the Great Minnesota Get Together...first of all, shame on you...and second, don’t let 2016 go by without at least giving it a whirl one time.  

Pass the cheese curds!