'09 Minnesota State Fair

[Woody]

Anyone go to the '09 Great Minnesota Get Together? 

What old or new things did you like? Dislike?

What were some of the better exhibits?

I've never been to it yet, I will someday though. 

[Ryan]

I will never go the the fair again.  If you ask me there are too many I.O.W.A.  Go there one day and decide that you are not going to move if someone is walking towards you.  You would not believe how many people actually run into you.  This is actually true any day, but the fair is by far the worst time.

[Mayfly]

I love the fair. Been there once and will go probably 3-4 more times 

Nothing new as of yet that caught my eye. Will have a more in-depth trip later in the week when work slows down.

[schwinger]

I will never go the the fair again.  If you ask me there are too many I.O.W.A.  Go there one day and decide that you are not going to move if someone is walking towards you.  You would not believe how many people actually run into you.  This is actually true any day, but the fair is by far the worst time.

Wow, I thought I was the only one that noticed how rude everyone is... I hate crowds period but the state fair takes the cake. 

[UncleDave]

I am no fan of the crowds, but I do love the fair.  Between hoarse voiced toothless carney rats, food on a stick, all of the different special events and concerts, hot babes everywhere, cool rides, etc there is no other place in Minnesota like it the rest of the year.  Who doesn't like being hollered at by some sweaty toothless dude with a southern accent who smells like rancid milk?   

[dakids]

I hate the big crowds.  I stick to the small county fairs.  No parking hassles, traffic, long lines, and fewer rude people.
Still get the good fair food for a lot less than at the big state fair.

[GirlGuide]

                                           


I LOVE THE STATE FAIR!!!!!!!!!! 


                                          

~gg 

[schwinger]

I hate the big crowds.  I stick to the small county fairs.  No parking hassles, traffic, long lines, and fewer rude people.
Still get the good fair food for a lot less than at the big state fair.

And a Demo Derby ...

I have to agree with you Dakids.

[dakids]

  :puke
STATE FAIR SUCKS

[Go Big Red!]

Still searching for beer on a stick.....

[Woody]

Still searching for beer on a stick.....

They have that this year....saw it on the news!  I prefer mine in a bottle. 

[kenhuntin]

The fair is a great time. If you do not like the crowds get out by noon. I like to see the obese people that cannot walk any further plopped down on the curbs eating ice cream or marthas cookies. (just kidding). The DNR building and fish pond the kids love and raptor seminar. 4H and animals I miss machinery hill. And when Brad Paisley/Taylor Swift or the likes are playing it is the best.

[Dotch]

Having been a livestock exhibitor at the State Fair for many moons, think I am uniquely qualified to comment here and this year was no different than any other. I went to my first State Fair when I was about 9, exhibited sheep and shop projects as a 4-Her there when I was a lad and since 1991 as an open class sheep exhibitor. That must make me an exhibitionist!

Seriously, it gets a little tougher each year for me to get "up" for it. The main problem? Getting in and out. I'm not a big Twin Cities fan to begin with even though I lived there for about 5 years when I was in college. Traffic sucks and you can't pee in your own backyard but what someone gets excited about it. That's why I insist on living as far away from it as I do. Used to be too I'd take an entire week off to get the sheep ready to show. Now we send them out with some good folks from NY Mills who take them all over the US so the MN State Fair is just another stop for them on their route. Should be easier, right? It is from that standpoint but we frequently add animals for this show as their class breakdown is different now than it used to be so we still wind up doing some of it and having to haul animals in. Once you arrive at the fair, getting into the place can be a challenge. Coming in early used to help but everyone else is doing the same thing so even on Wednesday afternoon, there are cars parked and people crawling all over just like the fair is already on. Don't be surprised if there is another day added to the State Fair eventually. The open class sheep barn is shared with the poultry and bunnies on the east end with the open class sheep on the west end. The 4-H bunny and chicken people are in there now too and they have a hard time getting along with the open class poultry and bunny guys, to say nothing of the sheep people. Parking their vehicles so it blocks our access with the trucks and trailers tends to make us a little irrate. Toss in a Barney Fife type cop or two who thinks they need to throw their weight around and it 's almost enough make all of us want to stay home and forget about it. Incidentally, my wife was the open class sheep superintendent this year so interesting to see if she's back again for next year. 

Once we're in and unloaded though, it's a little like the line from the Jackson Browne song, we remember why we came. We get to see the old friends we've made over the years, we get to compete and we represent animal agriculture. More than once we've been confronted by PETA types and resisted the temptation to knock their teeth down their throats but that's exactly what they want; a show. The people watching is always fun between shows. Can't believe some of the get ups people wear or where they're pierced and tattooed. The questions over the years are definitely indicative of how far removed the general populace has become from farming and agriculture. Grandpa and grandma's farm is a distant memory to most these days. Getting out on Sunday afternoon is an absolute zoo. Driving a livestock truck and trailer through the masses makes one wonder why natural selection hasn't weeded out some of these people long ago. Walking one way and looking another as seems to be the habit is a good way to wind up under a set of wheels.

The cops who run the load out process are absolutely wonderful now though relative to what they used to be. My hats off to all of them. Very understanding, don't get excited, helpful, yet willing to get after people when they've got it coming. Case in point: Sunday when I was coming out, I sat in line waiting to get into the grounds to pick up my animals for over 2 hours. Once I made it onto the grounds I got in behind a horse trailer and was puzzled as to why it was just sitting. I pulled up behind it and all the sudden this hoidy toidy horse lady gets out and shrieks at me that she's going to load her horses so I need to stay back. Normally, for safety's sake, we stay squeezed tight so people don't try to get between vehicles. Lowly sheep guy that I am I consented and after she got one horse that was wheeling and turning, the cops were there within seconds, chewing her a new one and forcing her to back in where she was supposed to. Lucky for me the female cop who was taking charge was very nice to me, very apologetic but started to smile when she saw I was laughing about it. Long dark hair, very attractive and very shapely with a nice rear view so when she cleared the crowd ahead of me so I could move up the street, I got a nice show. I love the State Fair! Enough to make me want to come back.    

[kenhuntin]

Right on Dotch. The fair shold be mostly Ag and Horticuture. And I think everyone knows how horse people are they will drive 150 miles to bounce a check for hay. A good sign that a farmer is going to lose out is when you start seeing them stocking horses.  There are so many people that do not have a clue as to where food comes from that it is pathetic. I once had someone tell me that I should not hunt but go buy the meat at the grocery store that was made there. And one time I was  in a drug awareness class at a Lutheran youth convention and a Chicago citizen asked the instructor how people made marijuana. Some of these dopes haven't a clue of to what they are smoking. At least these people can still get some education there while it lasts. I believe there are good people that handle horses and good people that smoke weed if I have offended you.

[Go Big Red!]

Still searching for beer on a stick.....

They have that this year....saw it on the news!  I prefer mine in a bottle. 

I guess I don't care what it comes in as long as it's cold...... As Homer Simpson says, "MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM...... Beer"

[Cody Gruchow]

i am with just about half the crowd in this topic, i hate the state fair, havent gone sense i had a choice and i dout that i ever will again, i liked seeing the animals but it becomes to hard, people are very rude and obnoxious(sp) like dakids says i would agree with id rather go to the county fairs. enough said

[Dotch]

Right on Dotch. The fair shold be mostly Ag and Horticuture. And I think everyone knows how horse people are they will drive 150 miles to bounce a check for hay. A good sign that a farmer is going to lose out is when you start seeing them stocking horses.  There are so many people that do not have a clue as to where food comes from that it is pathetic. I once had someone tell me that I should not hunt but go buy the meat at the grocery store that was made there. And one time I was  in a drug awareness class at a Lutheran youth convention and a Chicago citizen asked the instructor how people made marijuana. Some of these dopes haven't a clue of to what they are smoking. At least these people can still get some education there while it lasts. I believe there are good people that handle horses and good people that smoke weed if I have offended you.

To quote a famous American President, "Ah did not inhale!" No offense taken whatsoever. My neighbor has been stiffed by the horse people for hay and jokingly likes to tell us sheep guys that we're fools because we pay as we go.  The State Fair still provides an excellent opportunity as you point out for people to learn and to be exposed to agriculture. And we as exhibitors need to be constantly aware of that although it's tough not to have a little fun with people once in awhile. Like after the 500th time you've been asked the question about why the sheep are wearing blankets (to keep them clean for the show). It's tempting to tell them that there's been an outbreak of wool moths and if they have any wool sweaters they need to get home immediately and put them into a cedar closet.

I was impressed Sunday when I overheard one Dad tell his son as they went into the sheep barn that this wasn't a petting zoo, that he could look but not touch. I do let people touch the sheep at the fair after the show if I'm holding the animal, especially little kids, the elderly, and always, cute girls.

We used to exhibit at county fairs but the level of competition simply was no longer worth the time and effort. It's much more productive for us to help the 4-H kids at that level. We have several major fairs including Waseca Co., Steele Co. and Freeborn Co. nearby that are fun to go to but for us none measure up to the State Fair.