From farm animals to ferris wheels, and corn to cable cars, the Minnesota State Fair has it all. The fair is probably a microcosm of America – a no-holds-barred display of capitalism, consumerism, politics, resourcefulness and yes, gluttony. I say this without malice, since these are traits that most Americans wear on their sleeves.
It’s a smorgasbord (hey, this is Minnesota – had to throw in a Scandinavian reference here) of all things American and a cornucopia (ahem) of Americana. It’s the largest state fair in the United States by average daily attendance, and the second largest by total attendance after the State Fair of Texas, which usually runs twice as long.
The fair is also home to labour unions, politicians (some very unsavoury) and media groups, each with their elaborate stands. On a typical day, one can see a cow give birth, observe ‘As Seen on TV’ salesmen in their finest snake-oil-peddling form, buy tchotchkes from around the world and eat every possible fried thing on a stick. Food in fact is the main draw of the fair, with vendors coming up with every imaginable food item that can be stuck on a stick, from your routine hotdogs to shawerma and even candy bars.
And since everything in Minnesota is on a stick, can humans be far behind? Human on a Stick offers Segway tours of the Twin Cities – the frying is left to the sun!