Day 1 at the Fair

What a wonderful first day of the 2018 MN State Fair! 15 hours, 27,000+ steps, food, music, and family all combined for a great day. The weather was PERFECT which led to HUGE crowds for day 1. We didn’t get a quick overview of the entire fair for two reasons: the crowds and I felt awful for several hours this afternoon.

New Spaces

The Hanger is a food, beverage, and music venue in the former pet pavilion space. We ate the brisket slider flight and the food was solid. The venue has some kinks to work out in their process and speed, but I expect this will work out in the next couple of days. There is ample seating and both indoor and outdoor space.

The new pet pavilion is covered and open air. I’m interested to see what the exhibitors think of the new space. As a spectator I enjoyed the new space because there was a bit more room to move. The pet supplies shopping is in a giant, hot, dark tent and not ideal. I believe there are plans to replace the tent with a structure next year. The demo space was nice and offered plenty of seating.

The new, much-needed, restroom at the north end of the fairgrounds is HUGE and fills a need that had been long neglected on the north side.

Day 1 Food

Today was a bit of a lame food day because I didn’t eat between noon and 6:30 because I felt awful. Thanks to Dr. Mom and a nap in the park I was recovered for a strong evening performance.

We started the day with breakfast at O’Gara’s and I was happy with our breakfast of eggs, toast, hash browns, and sausage for $8.50. We had the choice of over easy or scrambled eggs and sausage or bacon. The food was great and fresh and the space offers plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. I’ll be back again for breakfast.

Next, we ate the brisket slider flight from The Hanger pictured above for $10 the brisket was excellent. We then strolled down to Giggles’ Campfire Grill for a Maple Bacon Ale. The next several hours I avoided food as I didn’t feel well. For dinner we shared a wild rice cheeseburger from Wild Rice Specialties in the Food Building. This is on my must-have list, but I wasn’t impressed this year because the cheese wasn’t at all melted.

I picked up a beef and bean taco at Taco King. The taco was decent, but I think there are likely better tacos out there for $5.

The final food of the day was hot dish on a stick which is also on my must-have list. This was as good as it always is and I may have it again this year.

Day 1 Entertainment

We started the day visiting the pet pavilion to view the new configured north end of the fairgrounds. We got to visit with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (which I have), see, friends and as a surprise saw a couple of dog-agility friends! I’m a terrible photographer and Angel wasn’t thrilled.

We then explored The Grandstand to visit two vendors we really like: Holly House Boutique (crafty items by local artists) and Adam Turman (MN themed posters, t-shirts, puzzles, glasses and more). Following the Grandstand we went to Dino’s Gyros to watch the Dueling Piano show. The show was entertaining, the seating area fantastic, and the beverage selection adequate.

Our next entertainment was the daily parade at 2:00. We like to sit outside of the Administration Too building because this is where the marching bands are judged. We watch the parade on the first day because Rosemount HS marching band always marches day 1.

We checked out the International Bazaar and then went to a show at The Bandshell, Carlene Carter; neither of us enjoyed the show and we didn’t stay. I spent the next hour or more laying in the park because I didn’t feel well.

At 5:00 we went to the Family Fair at Baldwin Park state to watch Sean Emery. Sean has performed at the state fair for 27 years. His show is funny and entertaining for kids and adults. I highly recommend this show.

We spent time walking through the barns to see rabbits, chickens, sheep, horses, goats, cows, and the largest boar. We visited the barns after 6:00 and they were not busy.

I took a quick spin through the Agriculture/Horticulture building to see the flowers in the center. The flower kaleidoscopes are back and beautiful. If you like flowers and you haven’t seen the kaleidoscopes you should make a point of visiting.

Bandshell tonight showcases Tower of Power and the show was packed! All available seating was full, the adjacent park was full, the street behind the show was full and the band put on a great show. I snuck out after a few songs for the less crowded Shane Martin show at the International Bazaar. Shane’s show was a collection of country/rock/pop and both covers and original songs. The show was entertain and the small space in front of the stage played host to several dancers.

New Kid Insights

I noticed a lot of new items for kids today. The TPT booth has hats, meet and greet with The Cat in the Hat, hats, character cut-outs, bean bag toss, connect 4, coloring tables, and tic-tac-toe games for kids. This booth also offers a lactation station and cell phone charging.

I noticed photo cut-outs at the honey producers in the Agriculture/Horticulture building (wear a beard of bees), MN Lottery (ride a bike), MyTalk 107 and Kare 11 had fun photo booths, and EquiMania. I’m sure there are others I am forgetting. The Kare 11 photo booth looked like a great place to get a family photo. I couldn’t get photos of any of these without someone else’s kids so I elected not to take photos.

Don’t forget about the coupon in the Blue Ribbon Bargain Book for rides if you are going to spend time on the Kidway.