Minnesota State Fair 2023
On Saturday we went to the Minnesota State Fair! It was AMAZING. First of all, the weather was incredible, a high of 75 degrees, a little overcast, and breezy.
I had a list of snacks I wanted to try and things I wanted to see. We entered the fair through a gate near the animal barns, which was perfect. We saw the pigs, goats, sheep, cows, and horses. We even learned how to walk a pig thanks to a couple of young ladies in the pig barn.
After getting our fill of cute animals, it was time to get started on our list of snacks.
Pronto Pup (hot dog dipped in pancake batter, deep fried, ketchup and mustard painted on each side)
$7 | Rating: 6/10
This was a fun first snack to get the fair started, but we both prefer a corndog to this Minnesota State Fair classic.
Fresh French Fries
32 oz - $9.50 | Rating: 10/10
These fries were next level good. A similar size/shape/style as Five Guys fries but the perfect balance of crispy exterior and softish potato inside. We thought getting the 32oz cup was overkill, and then we ate them all. I will probably dream of these fries.
The Perfect Pickle (dill pickle chips, fried, and served with ranch)
$9 | Rating: 8/10
These fried pickles were dill-icious (see what I did there?), but could have had more dill/garlic flavor, the breading was nice and crunchy, and the ranch was really good. I would absolutely get these again.
Cheese Curds from The Mouth Trap
Regular - $8 | Rating: 10/10
The best cheese curds we’ve ever had. I don’t know what kind of magic is in these Minnesota cows, but damn, keep it up. I did dip mine in ketchup because I’m a feral ketchup girlie who can’t be stopped, but Christopher was a purist and ate them unadulterated, as intended.
Large Fountain Coke from a place in the Food Building that I didn’t take note of
32 oz - $4 | Rating: 10/10
You could buy a 20 oz bottle of coke for $3.50 at a lot of the food booths, but we all know a fountain coke is far superior so when I saw the sign at this place, it was a no brainer.
Lemon Dole Whip from Tasty Whip
Cup - $8 | Rating: 9/10
We had lemon dole whip for the first time at Disneyland last month and it was so refreshing, we looked up how to buy the mix online and soft serve machines just incase we decided we needed to have it at home. This lemon dole whip was good, but somehow not quite the same, it almost had a little strawberry taste to it, so maybe they had used the machine for multiple flavors, who knows. Still delightful.
Corn Roast
$4 per cob | Rating: 10/10
Again, there is some kind of magic happening at this fair, because I have never had corn this tasty in my life. It was roasted perfectly and I think they dip it in butter or something before they hand it to you, then we put a little salt and pepper on it, holy shit. SO GOOD. I wish I could have this teleported to my house every day.
Deep Fried Milky Way from Deep Fried Candy Bars
$6 | Rating: 8/10
Since the deep fried Mars bar disappeared from the Scottish Highland Games in Orlando a few years ago, I have had a deep fried Mars bar shaped hole in my heart. This was a decent replacement, it wasn’t super fresh, like the fried batter had cooled a bit and softened a little, but we were able to eat it without burning our mouths right away, so I guess it was an OK trade off. It’ll never be a complete replacement for my beloved Mars bar, but it was close, loved it.
Porkchop on a Stick from Peterson’s Chicken -n- Chops
$11 | Rating: 10/10
This charbroiled, bone-in, pork chop on a stick was smokey, flavorful, and juicy. Christopher said it was the best pork chop he’s ever had and that the fat was extra tasty. I am not generally a pork chop girl, but I liked this one a lot.
Bucket of Chocolate Chip Cookies and a Glass of Milk from Sweet Martha’s Cookie Jar
Bucket - $19, Milk - $3 | Rating: 10/10
Fresh chocolate chip cookies in a bucket that is more than overflowing? Yes, please. These fresh, warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies were the perfect end to a delicious day. We got the bucket because it just felt like the right thing to do even though we do not need that many cookies for the two of us. We did bring some home on the plane so we could extend the fair experience for another day.
We took a nice little break halfway through the day to ride the Skyride from the West End Market area to the Food Building area, it was $6 each for a one way ticket.
We really enjoyed the seed art in the Agriculture Building.
The Agriculture building also had a set of really beautiful themed plantscapes in the center.
We got to see some bees, tons of honey, and lots of things made with honey. Some of the treats looked so good. I wish the winners made their recipes for people to buy so you could taste them, but I guess that would be an insane amount of baking or canning, so I get it.
We walked up behind this little photo board, and didn’t know what it looked like on the front, so I convinced Christopher to stick his face in it so I could take his picture and surprise him with the result. We did one smile and one frown, just in case. It was awesome.
There was a whole room of fresh Christmas Trees!! A nightmare for my allergies, but a dream for my Christmas loving heart.
We got to see the beginning of the butter sculptures in the Dairy Building. At this fair they carve the winner of the Princess Kay of the Milky Way pageant and the nine finalists. So I’ll have to check online at the end of the fair to see how they all turned out.
We didn’t ride any of the MidWay rides, because yikes, but they were really pretty all lit up at night.
This was a magical day at the fair. After going to the Iowa State Fair I knew this one would be big and cool, but it exceeded all of my expectations. So many animals, so much delicious food, and can I mention the perfect weather again?! It was the perfect day at the fair.
Have you been to the Minnesota State Fair? What is your favorite part? Let us know in the comments.
Minnesota State Fair logo used without permission, sorry MN.
