Summertime in Minnesota means “going up North,” listening to the Twins on lazy weekend afternoons and eating out on the deck. Now’s that time of year when anxious school kids and parents count down the last days of summer vacation and look closer at the calendar for when school starts.

But before diving into the school books, for most kids, there’s still one last gasp of summer in the form of the Minnesota State Fair. The only state fair that is bigger attendance-wise is the Texas State Fair, which runs twice as long. The Minnesota State Fair runs for 12 days and concludes on Labor Day.

For young ones and the young at heart, the Minnesota State Fair offers a little bit of everything: thrill seeking carnival rides, dairy princesses carved from butter, the latest tractors on machinery hill and artwork made from sunflower seeds. But every true Minnesotan knows that the primary reason to attend is the food. And, what choices you have!

Long-time State Fair favorites include: mini-donuts, cheese curds, a shake from the dairy building and pork chops-on-a-stick. And speaking of “on-a-stick,” you can find all kinds of food on a stick including: lobster, hot dish, alligator, bacon, spaghetti, and even beer-on-a-stick. A State Fair day is one of those days you’re not going to want to forget to brush and floss.

We hope everyone has the opportunity to enjoy a fair visit this year, relax and have some fun.