Minnesota State Fair Grounds

Busier Than Ever: State Fair Shatters First Friday Attendance Mark

mn state fair - 2016 - breaks friday attendance record

For the 152nd time since 1859, a deluge of Minnesotans dressed in brotanks and fanny packs has flooded St. Paul for the latest installment of the Great Minnesota Get Together. Even as you read this sentence, from Albert Lea to Roseau, and all points in between, citizens of the 32nd state in the Union are making the pilgrimage to our capital city for the chance to see beauty queens carved from huge butter blocks while double-fisting a couple of pronto pups and washing them down with an entire bucket full of cookies. The Pioneer Press ...

Remember the Beer Dabbler Come January!

Minnesota Beer Dabbler Glass

Although for some Minnesotans January can be a flurry of busyness and outdoor activities (while for others it's the complete opposite), the 24th should absolutely take priority for the most important Midwest winter activity: drinking beer. The 2015 Beer Dabbler Winter Carnival has been a growing tradition for Twin Cities beer aficionados: hosting the entire elite cast of our state's breweries (and beyond). The event will offer live music, food trucks, various important beer people, a handful of politicians and much, much more. ...

Minnesota Politics 2014: Where are the Debates? Where's the Drama?

Al franken - 2014 Minnesota elections

Some Minnesotans might be surprised to hear that we're at the brink of a major political storm. A slow stream of articles have touched on some of the races sprouting from the August primaries, but a full-scale clash (annoying TV ads, smear campaigns, debates, etc.) between the parties is still on hold. The building pressure will likely result in short but sharply negative contests. One of the major...

The State Fair Gets a Major Makeover

Minnesota State Fair Makeover Our beloved State Fair will look a little different when we are reunited once again in a little more than a month. On Thursday, fair officials released the new makeover, which includes a new transit hub as well as the nearby West End Marketplace. The makeover was a $15 million project that expanded the fair by 22 acres.
"It is...

'St. Paul Summer Beer Fest' Just Around the Corner!

St. Paul Summer Beer Fest

Arguably the best beer festival in the state in terms of beverage, music and miscellaneous factors, the 6th annual St. Paul Summer Beer Fest should not be turned down lightly. With the official list of breweries just released, if you haven't made plans... it's time! I won't go into all the embarrassing details about my past few years at the Fest, but in short: I had a great time. The afternoon long party simply sells itself; attendees always return every June (perhaps with a few more...

Minnesota Horse Expo (Explained With a Dozen Forced Puns)

Minnesota Horse Expo Colorful Riders

Who's ready to start horsin' around? Later this month at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds there's going to be all kinds of trotting and neighing as the 2014 Minnesota Horse Expo gets underway. Like so many of these events, it will only be truly experienced if one actually shows up and participates; this article can lead a horse to water but it can't make it drink. Without putting the cart before the horse, I should mention that upon entering not only will you have free rein to see hundreds of horses, dozens of breeds and almost a thousand information...

Minnesota State Fair Plans to Transform Heritage Square

Heritage Square

With the month of August upon us, many Minnesotans consider this the best month of the summer. This means the Minnesota State Fair, an event that is without a doubt one of Minnesota's biggest attractions, is only a few weeks away. The State Fair means food, people watching, and of course, more food. As each year passes, there are of course small changes (and some big) to the event. Heritage Square, a fixture at the fair for sometime, will soon be one of those changes. Heritage Square is a spot to walk around, try various foods (like the delicious kettle corn), take in a concert...

The "Happiest 5K on the Planet" Returns to the Twin Cities

Color Run 2013

About six weeks before the Minnesota State Fair comes to town, giving fair goers everything from deep fried cheese to salt water taffy to 44 ounce Coca-Cola for a few bucks, the fair grounds play host to a different thrill seeker -- the runner. Over 68,000 runners congregated to the fair grounds to partake in what has been dubbed the "Happiest 5K on the planet," a.k.a. The Color Run. For those who aren't runner lingo savvy, "5K" stands for five kilometers. Each kilometer is just over .6 miles, so the whole race equates to 3.1 miles. Organizers give each runner a white shirt and headband...