Minnesota State Fair
The State Fair Gopher 'Fairchild' greets fairgoers.
Location(s)	Falcon Heights, Minnesota
Years active	1859 - Present (excluding 1861, 1862, 1893, 1945, 1946)
Date(s)	12 days before and including Labor Day
Genre	State fair
Website	http://www.mnstatefair.org/

The Minnesota State Fair is the state fair of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Falcon Heights is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. Minnesota ( Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers Labor Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September A state fair is a competitive and recreational gathering of a U A state fair is a competitive and recreational gathering of a U A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government Minnesota ( Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers It has been marketed for generations as "The Great Minnesota Get-Together. " It may be the largest state fair in the United States in terms of average daily attendance,^[1] though the State Fair of Texas runs twice as long and is the largest by annual attendance. A state fair is a competitive and recreational gathering of a U The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The State Fair of Texas is an annual State fair held in Dallas, Texas ( USA) ^[2] It is held at the state fairgrounds, adjoining the Saint Paul campus of the University of Minnesota. The University of Minnesota Twin Cities ( U of M or The U) is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system. The University of Minnesota Twin Cities ( U of M or The U) is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system. The site is in the suburb of Falcon Heights, Minnesota, adjacent to the state's capital city of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Falcon Heights is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. Saint Paul ( abbreviated St Paul) is the capital and second most populous city in the U Residents of the state and region come to the fair to be entertained, exhibit their best livestock, show off their abilities in a variety of fields including art and cooking, learn about new products and services, and enjoy many different types of food—often on a stick. Livestock is the term used to refer (singularly or plurally to a Domesticated Animal intentionally reared in an agricultural setting to produce such as Food Art refers to a diverse range of Human activities creations and expressions that are appealing to the Senses or Emotions of a human individual Cooking is the process of preparing Food by applying Heat, selecting measuring and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure for producing safe and edible Food is any substance usually composed primarily of Carbohydrates Fats water and/or Proteins that can be eaten or drunk by an It typically runs for twelve days, running from late August into early September with the last day being Labor Day. Labor Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September In 2006, attendance was 1,680,579, up nearly 48,000, or 2. 9% from 2005. ^[3]

History

Minnesota Territory first held a Territorial Fair in 1854, although the first Minnesota State Fair didn't occur until 1859, the year after statehood. Minnesota Territory was an Organized territory of the United States from March 3 1849 to May 11 1858, when Minnesota Since then, the fair has run annually except for five different years. In 1861 and 1862, the fair was not held because of the Civil War and the Dakota War of 1862. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The Dakota War of 1862 (also known as the Sioux Uprising, Sioux Outbreak of 1862, the Dakota Conflict, the U Scheduling issues between the fair and the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois caused the 1893 show to be canceled. The World's Columbian Exposition (also called The Chicago World's Fair) a World's Fair, was held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The fair again closed because of war in 1945, as fuel was in short supply. Fuel is any material that is burned or altered in order to obtain energy It was again closed in 1946 because of an outbreak of polio. Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral Infectious disease spread from person to person primarily via ^[4] In its early years during the 19th century, the fair was held in many different locations. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Some were not far from the current site, but others were relatively far-flung, including years where it was held in Rochester, Owatonna, and Winona. Rochester is a City in the US state of Minnesota and is the County seat of Olmsted County. Owatonna is a City in Steele County, Minnesota, United States. Winona is a city in and the County seat of Winona County, Minnesota, United States. For a time in the 1870s, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul held competing fairs. Minneapolis, the younger city of the pair, eventually outdid its neighbor by staging the larger fair with the help of William S. King. Colonel William Smith King ( December 16, 1828 &ndash February 24, 1900) was a United States Representative from ^[5] In 1884, a committee was put together by the Minnesota State Agricultural Society to select a permanent site. A committee (some of which are titled instead as a "Commission" or other terms discussed below in) is a type of small Deliberative assembly that is usually intended One site that was considered was an area around Minnehaha Falls, but the final site chosen was the Ramsey County Poor Farm, the fair's current site. Minnehaha Creek is a Tributary of the Mississippi River located in Hennepin County Minnesota that extends from Lake Minnetonka in the west Ramsey County is a County located in the US state of Minnesota, founded in 1849 As of 2000 the population was 511035 poorhouse or workhouse is a government-run Facility for the support and housing of dependent or needy persons typically run by a local government entity such as a It was a politically-neutral site, being about halfway between Minneapolis and St. Paul. The fair first opened its doors there on September 7, 1885. Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The site was then 210 acres (0. The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U 8 km²), but now stands at 320 acres (1. 3 km²).

One of the first annual events to occur is the creation of a sculpture made of butter. Butter is a Dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented Cream or Milk. Each year, a new Princess Kay of the Milky Way is selected to promote Minnesota's dairy industry. Princess Kay of the Milky Way is the title awarded to the winner of the state-wide Minnesota Dairy Princess Program, an annual pageant competition organized by the Midwest A dairy is a facility for the extraction and processing of animal Milk &mdashmostly from goats or cows, but also from buffalo, Sheep Part of the job involves posing for several hours in a walk-in, glass-walled refrigerator as a 90 pound (41 kg) block of butter is carved into a head with her likeness. Butter makers started sculpting their products at the fair as far back as 1898, although the head-sculpting tradition didn't begin until 1964.

The main entrance to the fair from Snelling Avenue heads onto a road named Dan Patch Avenue for a pacer horse who won every race he ran in from 1905 to 1909 when he was retired. Dan Patch (April 29 1896-July 11 1916 was a brown standardbred Horse sired by Joe Patchen (dam Zelica and was the outstanding pacer Harness racing is a form of Horse-racing in which the horses race in a specified gait The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae.

One of the most significant dates in the fair's history was September 2, 1901 when then-Vice President Theodore Roosevelt was visiting and first uttered the famous phrase, "Speak softly and carry a big stick. Events 44 BC - Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death Theodore Roosevelt (ˈroʊzəvɛlt October 27 1858 January 6 1919 also known as T " Roosevelt became president just days later after William McKinley was assassinated. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by William McKinley Jr ( January 29, 1843 September 14, 1901) was the twenty-fifth President of the United States, and the last

Attractions

Livestock departments

A large portion of the Fairgrounds are occupied by livestock barns, where various farm animals are displayed. The animals and their owners take part in livestock shows to compete for awards. Most of the shows take place in the coliseum, a large indoor arena on the fairgrounds. Open class livestock competitions are held in horses, beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine, sheep, dairy goats, llamas, poultry (chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, pigeons and rabbits), and stock dogs. The llama ( Lama glama) is a South American Camelid, widely used as a Pack animal by the Incas and other natives of the Andes The dog ( Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated Subspecies of the gray wolf, a Mammal of the Canidae family of the order ^[6] On August 31, 2007, a bull escaped from its handler charging several fairgoers before charging a fire hydrant reaching its demise. Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. No people were seriously injured in the mishap. ^[7]

Food

Pronto Pups

Cheese curds

One of the primary attractions at the State Fair is the wide variety of foods to be had. Pronto Pups are a brand of Corn dog which have been sold at the Minnesota State Fair, other state fairs and events throughout the country since 1941 This article is about cheese curds as a regional delicacy For general information about the dairy product see Curd. Many foods at the fair are served "on a stick. " Classic fair foods such as cotton candy are readily available. Many foods reflect Minnesota's agriculture; cheese curds, milk shakes, corn dogs, and FootLong Hot Dogs are popular favorites. Many foods at the fair are deep fried or come on a stick; from the classic corn dog to alligator-on-a-stick or deep-fried candy bars. New to the fair in 2006 was hotdish on a stick, a variant of a classic staple of Minnesotan cuisine. Hotdish is any of a variety of baked Casserole dishes popular in the Midwestern United States, and especially in Minnesota, North Dakota

Machinery Hill

Machinery Hill is a large area of the fairgrounds. For several decades, it held the largest annual display of farm equipment in the world, with many companies showing off tractors, combines, and various attachments. Agricultural machinery is any kind of Machinery used on a Farm to help with Farming. A tractor is a Vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high Tractive effort at slow speeds for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used The combine harvester, or simply combine, also known as a thresher is a machine that combines the However, modern displays generally focus on cars, trucks, lawn mowers, and recreational machines like motorbikes. A lawn mower or lawnmower is a machine that has one or more revolving blades to cut a Lawn at an even length MotorCycle is the title of a 1993 album by Rock band Daniel Amos, released on BAI Records. Farm implement dealers tend to direct their efforts to more targeted "farm shows," abandoning the State Fair to more urban or suburban types of exhibitors.

Shows

The State Fair is host to numerous shows, including concerts, comedy shows, product demonstrations, and the State Fair Talent Contest. The Grandstand is a large outdoor concert hall that also features 3 floors of interior exhibition space. It hosts the largest of the fairs concerts and until 2002 was also the site of stock car races run on a small oval track. Stock car racing is a form of Automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Great Britain In 2003 the facility completed the first phase of a $35 million remodeling project that removed large sections of bleachers and increased seating capacity to 17,000. ^[8]

Art

One of many wooden sculptures on the fairgrounds, this one depicts a farmer.

The fair displays an annual art exhibition that is the result of a juried competition of works of fine art. Fine art is any Art form developed primarily for Aesthetics rather than Utility. Media include watercolor, oil, and acrylic paintings, photographs, sculptures, pastels, ceramics, glass, and textiles. Entrants must be living residents of the state. In 2006, 345 works were displayed from 2117 submitted pieces of art. ^[9]

One unusual display at the fair consists of the entrants in the crop art competition. Crop art or seed art is a visual art created by fixing vegetable matter, especially Seeds to a background The artwork must be made of plant matter (seeds, stems, flowers, fruit, etc. ) suitable for growing in Minnesota. ^[10] For decades the display was dominated by Owatonna-native, Lillian Colton (1912–2007), who created crop art portraits professionally,^[11] having effectively captured scores of celebrities such as Ernest Hemingway, Barbra Streisand, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prince, Princess Diana, and Willie Nelson in her crop art. Owatonna is a City in Steele County, Minnesota, United States. Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21 1899 — July 2 1961 was an American novelist short-story writer, and Journalist. Barbra Streisand (ˈstraɪsænd "STRY-sand" born April 24 1942 is an American Singer, Film and Theatre Actress Prince Rogers Nelson (born June 7 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American musician Willie Nelson (born April 30, 1933) is an American country Singer-songwriter and Actor. After winning nine purple ribbons, she stopped competing, but continued displaying her work at the fair. ^[12]

Competitions galore cover dozens of categories in needlecraft, garment-making, wood-working, models, painting, doll-making, taxidermy, stamp-collecting, scrapbooking, baking, food preservation, etc. Woodworking is the process of building making or carving something using Wood. See also Scale model A physical model is a smaller or larger physical copy of an object A doll is an object that represents a baby or other human being but includes likenesses of animals and imaginary creatures Taxidermy ( Greek for "skin arrangement" is the art of mounting or reproducing Animals for display (e Stamp collecting is the Collecting of Postage stamps and related objects such as covers (envelopes or packages with stamps on them Scrapbooking is a method for preserving personal and family history in the form of photographs printed media and memorabilia contained in decorated albums or scrapbooks Canning is a method of preserving food in which the food is processed and sealed in an airtight container ^[13]

Milk run

The annual 5 km run begins on the fairgrounds, winds its way through the Saint Paul campus of the University of Minnesota (both in Falcon Heights) and the Saint Anthony Park neighborhood, and ends back at the fairgrounds. Saint Paul ( abbreviated St Paul) is the capital and second most populous city in the U The University of Minnesota Twin Cities ( U of M or The U) is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system. ^[14]

4-H

4-H^[15] has a significant presence at the fair, both in their own building and in the livestock areas. 4-H in the United States is a Youth organization administered by the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service (CSREES of the United States Contests include herdsmanship, showmanship, judging teams, public presentations, non-livestock exhibits, and county club exhibits. Showmanship is an event found at many Horse shows The class is also sometimes called "Fitting and Showmanship" "Showmanship In-Hand" "Showmanship at Livestock displays include beef and dairy cattle, dairy and market goats, poultry (chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and pigeons), rabbits, sheep, and swine. Beef cattle are Cattle raised for Meat production (as distinguished from Dairy cattle) Dairy Cattle, generally of the species Bos taurus, are Domesticated Animals bred to produce large quantities of Milk The domestic goat ( Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of goat Domesticated from the Wild goat of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe Poultry is the category of Domesticated Birds which some humans keep for the purpose of collecting their eggs, or kill for their Meat and/or The chicken ( Gallus gallus, sometimes G gallus domesticus) is a domesticated Fowl which is traditionally believed to have descended from For duck as a food see Duck (food; for other meanings see Duck (disambiguation. Goose (plural geese) is the English name for a considerable number of Birds belonging to the family Anatidae. A turkey is either of two extant Species of large Birds in the Genus Meleagris native to North America. Rabbits are small Mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world Pigs, also called hogs or' swine', are Ungulates which have been domesticated as sources of food leather and similar products since ancient times ^[16]

Science

In recent years the science building has been housing the Eco Experience exhibit, which features activities and exhibits including the design and construction of an eco-friendly house, a rain garden, exhibits addressing climate change, energy conservation, renewable energy, biodiesel fuel and vehicles, and organic farming. A rain garden is a planted depression that is designed to absorb rainwater runoff from impervious urban areas like roofs driveways walkways and compacted lawn areas Climate change is any long-term significant change in the “average weather” that a given region experiences Energy conservation is the practice of decreasing the quantity of energy used Renewable energy is Energy generated from Natural resources mdashsuch as Sunlight, Wind, Rain, tides and geothermal Biodiesel refers to a non-petroleum-based Diesel fuel consisting of short chain Alkyl ( Methyl or ethyl) Esters made by Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on Crop rotation, Green manure, Compost, Biological pest control, and mechanical Cultivation The exhibit has received awards from the Western Fair Association, the International Associate of Fairs and Expositions, and the Minnesota Environmental Initiative. ^[17]

Entertainment

Music

Every year there are many musical venues which have included performers such as REO Speedwagon, Def Leppard, Styx, Lynyrd Skynyrd. REO Speedwagon is an American rock band which grew in popularity in the Midwestern United States during the 1970s and peaked in the early Styx ( pronounced: /stɪks/ is an American Rock band. Their hit songs have included " Come Sail Away " " Babe " " Lynyrd Skynyrd (ˌlɛnɚdˈskɪnɝd is an American Southern rock band There are also many other free entertainment venues from local bands.

Rides

The Midway

The Midway is a carnival-like setting that contains most of the rides at the State Fair. A midway at a Fair (commonly an American fair such as a county or state fair is the location where Amusement rides Entertainment and Fast The attractions include several funhouses, roller coasters and other thrill rides as well as numerous games of skill.

Adventure Park is where the extreme thrill rides are located. This includes the Ejection Seat and other rides like it. It is located across the street from the Midway, but is not a part of it. Adventure park also shares this block with a french fry stand, which is a crowd favorite. French fries ( North American English; sometimes not capitalized chips ( British English) fries or French-fried potatoes (formal

There are rides outside of the designated areas as well. The most popular of these is the Giant Slide, on which fairgoers go down a large metal slide on burlap sacks. The Haunted House, located on Judson Ave. A haunted house is defined as a house that is believed to be a center for Supernatural occurrences or Paranormal phenomena is another favorite of fairgoers. Further down the block is a water raft ride. The log chute is another popular thrill ride. The fair's oldest ride, Ye Old Mill, is located near the food building. It is a tunnel of love style ride that is enjoyable to all ages.

Kidway is the carnival area on the fairgrounds geared toward children. Kidway is located between Dan Patch and Wright Avenues on the north end of the fairgrounds.

The J. V. Bailey House

The J. V. Bailey house is one of the oldest buildings on the fairgrounds. It was dedicated on Sunday August 27, 2006 and is run by the State Fair Foundation. Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The building, located on Cosgrove street, was formerly the Greenhouse Superintendent's Quarters, which explains why it is connected to the greenhouses. It is a historic building, dating back to the 1800s when the fairgrounds land was the Ramsey county poor farm.

Management

The Minnesota state fair is considered a quasi-state agency, under the direction of the Minnesota State Agricultural Society. The management of the fair is handled by the Board of managers. The state fair has not accepted any governmental funds since 1949. Revenue from the fair is reinvested into maintenance and the next year's fair.

The Minnesota State Fair Foundation is an organization that works to improve and preserve historic state fair buildings. The foundation is a 501(c)3 organization, and also supports State Fair agricultural, scientific and educational programs. The foundation provided funding for the new Miracle of Birth center.

Attendance Records

Gallery

Audrey Mohr of New Ulm, Minnesota (right), Princess Kay of the Milky Way 2006-2007	Showing a Holstein cow	Draft horses	Skyride, Machinery Hill
The Fine Arts and 4-H buildings	Jams, jellies and honeys	Riding the carousel	The Giant Slide
Daytime crowd	Breads and baked goods	Golden Gopher Spirit Squads during the Maroon and Gold Day Parade in 2003	August 25, 2007

External links

• Minnesota State Fair Foundation

• State Fair Trivia.
• History

References