On Sunday, August 30th, Tomkin and I went to the Great Minnesota Get-Together, also known as the State Fair. We went last year, too, and we did/ate a few of the same things this time around, but we also tried a few new things.
We arrived at the fair about 3:00. We had tickets to the 7:00 Kelly Clarkson concert in the grandstand, so we wanted to give ourselves enough time, but not so much that we'd be exhausted. Our very first stop was at Axel's Bonfire for their amazing cheesey tator tots on a stick. I also noticed that they had macaroni & cheese on a stick, so I had to try that, too. Both were DE-LISHous.
Wanting something sweet as a follow-up, I snagged a s'more. Mmmm....
We walked to the area of the Eco Experience building, and Tomkin got a caprese salad on a stick. (Cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil leaves.)
We also tried a cup of Swedish egg coffee. Really good! Less bitter than regular coffee.
We headed inside the Eco Experience, and Tomkin tested how well we reduce our carbon footprint. (We were surprisingly balanced!)
We learned about trash, recycling, and other cool stuff.
Mmmmm, algae.... They should deep-fry this and serve it on a stick!
Hey, it's Farmer Tomkin!
And Farmer Jules!
You never know what you might see at the State Fair. Like someone walking their goat, perhaps.
Or maybe a sheep.
Or an ad like this one (for "Theology on a Stick") in a bathroom stall.
After we left the Eco Experience, Tomkin got a huge beefy and cheesey sandwich called a Gizmo. Messy, but good!
Then we took a little break and rode the Sky Glider. Ahhhh.... It was nice to rest our feet for a few minutes and get to see the fair from a different perspective.
We did a pretty good job pacing ourselves with the food. It would be really easy to get overstuffed and sick on Fair food. We stopped to get some tasty (and hot) roasted corn.
Then we went into another building, where we learned about properly washing our hands. They had you rub a "fake germ" lotion on your hands and then go into a tent with special lighting so you could see all the "germs." Then you washed your hands and went back in. It was shocking to see how unclean they still were! (We learned that the key is friction, and you should keep a brush by each sink so you can clean under your nails.)
One of the highlights of the day was seeing the crop art. People do portraits and other designs using nothing but seeds. Amazing! (And, in some cases, kind of weird.)
This was one of my favorites, of course.
Mom and Candy, this one's for you.
We made a quick stop in the Miracle of Birth building to see some cute baby animals, and then we found a bench where we could just sit and rest a bit. We decided to head over to the grandstand and were VERY disappointed when we saw that Kelly Clarkson had canceled her concert due to illness.
Apparently she had done a sound-check earlier that day, but her throat was bothering her, so a doctor suggested she cancel. We got our money back for the tickets, but it was still a bummer. Thankfully, our spirits were lifted in the Dairy Barn, where we got to see the local pageant winners' heads carved into blocks of butter.
And I got a tasty ice cream cone to cap off the day's grazing.
It was another fun day at the fair! I'm already looking forward to going again in 2010.
On Sunday, August 30th, Tomkin and I went to the Great Minnesota Get-Together, also known as the State Fair. We went last year, too, and we did/ate a few of the same things this time around, but we also tried a few new things.
We arrived at the fair about 3:00. We had tickets to the 7:00 Kelly Clarkson concert in the grandstand, so we wanted to give ourselves enough time, but not so much that we'd be exhausted. Our very first stop was at Axel's Bonfire for their amazing cheesey tator tots on a stick. I also noticed that they had macaroni & cheese on a stick, so I had to try that, too. Both were DE-LISHous. 
Wanting something sweet as a follow-up, I snagged a s'more. Mmmm.... 
We walked to the area of the Eco Experience building, and Tomkin got a caprese salad on a stick. (Cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil leaves.)
We also tried a cup of Swedish egg coffee. Really good! Less bitter than regular coffee. 
We headed inside the Eco Experience, and Tomkin tested how well we reduce our carbon footprint. (We were surprisingly balanced!) 
We learned about trash, recycling, and other cool stuff. 
Mmmmm, algae.... They should deep-fry this and serve it on a stick! 
Hey, it's Farmer Tomkin! 
And Farmer Jules! 
You never know what you might see at the State Fair. Like someone walking their goat, perhaps. 
Or maybe a sheep. 
Or an ad like this one (for "Theology on a Stick") in a bathroom stall. 
After we left the Eco Experience, Tomkin got a huge beefy and cheesey sandwich called a Gizmo. Messy, but good! 
Then we took a little break and rode the Sky Glider. Ahhhh.... It was nice to rest our feet for a few minutes and get to see the fair from a different perspective. 
We did a pretty good job pacing ourselves with the food. It would be really easy to get overstuffed and sick on Fair food. We stopped to get some tasty (and hot) roasted corn. 
Then we went into another building, where we learned about properly washing our hands. They had you rub a "fake germ" lotion on your hands and then go into a tent with special lighting so you could see all the "germs." Then you washed your hands and went back in. It was shocking to see how unclean they still were! (We learned that the key is friction, and you should keep a brush by each sink so you can clean under your nails.) 
One of the highlights of the day was seeing the crop art. People do portraits and other designs using nothing but seeds. Amazing! (And, in some cases, kind of weird.) 
This was one of my favorites, of course.
Mom and Candy, this one's for you. 
We made a quick stop in the Miracle of Birth building to see some cute baby animals, and then we found a bench where we could just sit and rest a bit. We decided to head over to the grandstand and were VERY disappointed when we saw that Kelly Clarkson had canceled her concert due to illness. 
Apparently she had done a sound-check earlier that day, but her throat was bothering her, so a doctor suggested she cancel. We got our money back for the tickets, but it was still a bummer. Thankfully, our spirits were lifted in the Dairy Barn, where we got to see the local pageant winners' heads carved into blocks of butter. 
And I got a tasty ice cream cone to cap off the day's grazing. 
It was another fun day at the fair! I'm already looking forward to going again in 2010.
3 comments:
Okay, the butter photos take the cake for ummm...a little odd!!
Looks like a fun day.
Blessings,
Sarah
The MD State Fair is missing the butter sculptures. I think we might have to take Ripley to a real fair like MN's one day. Glad you had fun. I am hungry after reading this post!
I love the Nut Goodie made from seeds-what a cool idea!
Love,
Mom
Post a Comment