Minnesota State Fair draws crowds for final weekend

This yr’s 12-day run of the Minnesota State Honest marked a return to regular on the sprawling but crowded fairgrounds after two summers of pandemic disruption.

The extensive smile on Tracy Harris’ face was as vivid because the music coming from the quartet on stage.

“It’s a full pleasure to be right here,” she mentioned. “It’s an exquisite day. And simply take a look at these guys singing, they’re lovely.”

She sat on a bench within the shade because the 4 Dads, a part of the Plymouth Rockers Performing Senior Refrain, belted out oldies on the truthful’s many facet phases.

Harris mentioned it’s filling a spot in her soul. She’s been coming right here for greater than three many years.

“It is a good way to finish the summer season so positively was fairly an absence — not having the ability to go to the truthful for the previous few years. So it is tremendous enjoyable to be right here once more,” she mentioned.

It’s protected to say the truthful feels just like the gatherings of previous. The truthful was shelved in 2020 amid COVID-19 considerations, and attendance was method down final yr given restrictions and persevering with unease. This yr, it’s headed for the two million mark once more, with virtually 250,000 exhibiting up Saturday alone.

The ultimate weekend included a safety scare. A combat on the Halfway between what authorities mentioned have been teams of younger individuals escalated. Even with dozens of regulation enforcement officers on scene, any person fired a gun and hit one other individual within the leg. It was a non-life-threatening wound, however the crowd frantically scattered and the truthful closed early.

Honest Police Chief Ron Knafla mentioned the scene was chaotic however order was shortly restored.

“I do not know what else might have been accomplished. To have interaction in such a brazen act in a crowd of individuals with no regard for the security or the lives of others … It is simply disgusting, for my part,” he mentioned. “And I do not know what else to say about it.”

Safety was beefed up for the ultimate two days.

And by the elbow-to-elbow crowds, the incident didn’t seem to scare guests off.

“It occurs. If you happen to fear about issues like that, it is no completely different than it is ever been,” mentioned Shane Ebertowski, of Cambridge.

He gave his daughter and a pal house as they headed for rides and video games. He had no qualms about their security or truthful safety basically.

“I suppose I do not dwell my life that method,” he mentioned.

The truthful supplied its conventional potpourri of visible stimulation, ubiquitous sound and ample sustenance — pies, ice cream, scorching canine, candy corn and oh, a lot extra.

Steve Anderson is among the many many individuals to check out the pickle pizza, a few of the latest truthful fare. He mentioned he returned to the truthful as quickly as he might after the 2020 cancellation.

“I used to be again final yr. Come on. Not gonna scare me away with somewhat virus,” he mentioned.

Annette Roth, of Robbinsdale, mentioned though there was a good final yr, it didn’t really feel just like the truthful.

“Individuals have been unfold out. And I feel there was way more, in fact; we needed to put on masks. So this time, it is a sense of again to regular,” she mentioned.

Roth and her sister gazed on the prize-winning cookies, desserts, breads and different baked items within the inventive arts constructing. It’s a must-stop on their annual truthful tour — now occurring 55 years.

“Our mom introduced us to the truthful as a ‘trip.’ I imply, it was someplace. It is since you’re out of a completely completely different zone. Proper? You are not excited about what is going on on. You are simply in a suspended actuality,” she mentioned.

The suspended actuality got here to an finish Monday night time. However do not fret, the truthful returns Aug. 24, 2023, simply greater than 350 days away.