The Great Minnesota Get-Together

The Minnesota State Fair is a holiday in my family (on par with Christmas, to be exact). My dad has never missed a fair and neither have my brothers or I. In fact, one of my brothers was like five days old when we all went (we stayed for like two hours ha). I managed to make it back every year that I lived in college too. It was a non-negotiable for me! 

We also always go the first day - it is clean (notably for the animal barns and exhibits as well as streets in general) and everyone is SO excited and fresh-faced for the upcoming 12 days. 

Why the obsession you may ask? This is a very valid question!
I think it is a combination of nostalgia, the excitement of others around you, the people watching, the food (OBVIOUSLY), and just spending time with family and good friends celebrating another great summer in Minnesota. I really cannot summarize my love for the fair in simple terms, but is truly so special for me and my family. I have entered several things over the years, including Challah, lemonade, and pictures (all award winners!) I have high aspirations for baking in the upcoming years. My parents entered their honey, honeycomb, and other bee-related products for several years while they were beekeeping and even managed to win some very big awards! We are so proud to go to as well as participate in the fair every single year. 

Ok, so most people ask me - what do I need to get?! It is important to note that  every family has their own “must-have” food items, as well as brand loyalty (especially for mini donuts, etc.) Here is the list of our tried-and-true favorites. 

Essential Muske State Fair Foods/Drinks: 

**best if shared!!!

  • Tom Thumb mini donuts (always our first stop on the first day)  

  • Corndog on a stick (pronto pups are also acceptable but the corn batter is elite from the few stands that have it) 

  • Mouth Trap cheese curds ONLY  (inside the food building)

  • Roasted corn on the cob

  • Hot Dish on a Stick (Ole and Lena’s) 

  • Milkshake (chocolate, vanilla, or a combo) from the Gopher Dairy Bar NEXT to the cattle barn (not in the dairy building) 

  • Sweet Martha’s (cone only typically, only good when consumed immediately) 

  • Beer flights from horticulture building (MN breweries only) 

  • Blueberry lager (Blu) with foam from Schells stand (next to the Schilling amphitheater)

  • Gizmo sandwich from Carl’s Gizmo (one of my mom’s favorites and apparently Andrew Zimmern’s too)

  • Cream Puffs from the place with the same name (the vanilla is my favorite but be warned the powdered sugar gets EVERYWHERE)

Notable mentions (have had more than once): 

  • Fried banana split (Ole and Lena’s) 

  • Fried candy bar from Deep Fried Candy Bars (I love milky way or snickers)

  • Reuben egg rolls from O’Gara’s - new last year!

  • Frozen white claw slushies from O’Garas - had 3/4 of the visits last year, sooooo good

  • Pierogies from iPierogie in the food building (potato and cheese are my go-to)

  • Nitro ice cream in the food building (super creamy and yum)

  • 1919 Root Beer floats (a classic, founded in New Ulm where my mom is from)

  • Caramel apple sundae from the stand with the same name (are we sensing a pattern here? HA)

  • Gyro from Demetri’s Fine Greek Foods

And there are SEVERAL others that I’ve tried and either don’t exist anymore (RIP monte cristo bites and the most amazing deep fried nachos) or I will not be consuming again (rare but happens about 1-2 times a year!)

Last tip: definitely go through the new food and drink list - we always try at least 5-10 of the new items (spread over the course of 2-3 visits of course). Some notable new favorites from 2022 were the five spice tea from Union Hmong Kitchen and brownie waffle stick from Waffle Chix. Will update this when we try more from this year!!

HAVE A BLAST IF YOU GO!!! And let me know if you tried anything I recommended!



Annie Muske