2022 Visit #4: Our Traditional Labor Day Sendoff

Fair trip #4, our traditional family Labor Day Fair sendoff!

We were up bright and early and on the Fairgrounds before 8am, ready to hit the last day of the Fair!

We started our day at the Hamline Church Dining Hall, because Henry woke up HANGRY and we needed to get a lot of food in him fast! Since I already had the Al’s blueberry pancakes, I went for the breakfast combo this time, while Katie devoured a caramel roll and Henry, well, you can see what he was up to. He ate the whole combo, plus the hash browns, plus he hawked some of my sausage as well.

Belly full and mood improved, we wandered over to the Sheep barn, which was actually populated by goats this day. Henry enjoyed wishing them a good morning.

We then headed to one of Henry’s favorites, the speed events at the horse show. I didn’t do a great job with the photos, but here he’s watching the “four-in-line” barrel racing.

We also stuck around for the individual barrel racing.

While they watched the show I went on a food run. We were craving the french fries after we learned that the potatoes are grown 45 minutes away and picked at just the precise time to ensure the perfect moisture content during the Fair. We had no idea that just as much work goes into them as the corn, so now we appreciate them more! Yummy, 3.5/4.

Henry requested donuts so I looped by Tiny Tim’s on the way back. 3/4 but almost TOO sugar coated for me.

This is always Henry’s favorite part of the horse show. If they had an event that was just tractor dirt grooming, Henry would be in heaven.

After the show the eating didn’t stop for our growing boy! We tackled the corn roast next. I can’t rate this one because I didn’t get any!

We slowly wandered north, and along the way I took this ridiculous picture with Fairborne!

Henry was STILL hungry, so we also stopped by the Midway Men’s Club for one of the best values of the Fair, their double cheeseburger. I also didn’t get any of this, but I know Henry gave it a 4/4.

We settled in for The Circus Man on the family stage. Flames and knives and unicycles!

After the show we checked out the Eco building. Henry beat dad at air hockey and then mom at foosball.

The world’s largest floating loon (is there much competition for that title?) was on loan from its usual home in Virginia, MN.

Guess who was STILL hungry?! We got a chocolate-strawberry Kiwanis malt. A classic Fair food. 3.5/4.

We wanted to ride the Space Tower next. Katie got this perfect shot!

Lovely views from the top of the Tower, including this one featuring the Fairgrounds in the foreground and downtown Minneapolis on the horizon.

After the Tower, we took a break at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell and I did another food run (because despite all the food, it was mostly Henry eating!) Among the stops was the Mouth Trap for some cheese curds.

We also tried the Granny’s Apples Strawberry Lemonade from the Food Building. This booth also has a long history we only learned about this year. This was a really great lemonade, made and shaken as we ordered. I’d give it a 3.5/4.

The curds. This year’s batch was probably the best I’ve had here. Extra squeaky! 4/4!

The Peterson’s pork chop. We were having some great luck with the food today because this too was among the best versions of this perennial favorite. Extra large and extra juicy. Another 4/4!

Katie and I each got a couple of bites and then Henry went full carnivore on it.

While we were eating, a band called B2wins started playing on the stage. They play pop and rock hits, except on a ukelele and violin, complete with stage pyro. It sounds ridiculous but it works!

Henry was moved to dance so we relocated to the stagefront. Incredibly, the demographics of the dancing fans was 100% kids with Down syndrome!

The B2wins were very engaging with the crowd. Check out the tiny electric violin!

We all loved the B2wins so much we went to the meet and greet at their merch table afterwards and learned they were going to have a second set. So we stuck around for that and Henry asked them to play Sweet Child of Mine. They closed out their second set with it and Henry jammed with one of them! Henry’s instrument of choice was air guitar. :-)

We were in the perfect location to catch the afternoon parade. Being a Fair with deep agricultural roots, there’s a theme of giant farm animals.

Like we said, giant farm animals.

Many giant farm animals!

Plenty of music too, including multiple drum lines.

And this colorful dance troupe.

But you know who wasn’t having it? This guy from the robotics club. He was definitely so over the parade. :-D

Abe Lincoln. Parades are weird.

Parades are really weird.

This was the parade finale. No, I don’t mean that the streetsweeper came by after the parade to clean up, I mean that the streetsweeper WAS the parade finale. Parades are so, so weird.

Henry was thirsty and there is a new vendor selling Lift Bridge craft root beer and black cherry soda. We tried one of each. Cheers! I’m not a root beer guy but Katie said this was a pretty decent root beer, not too sweet. We’ll go 3.5/4. I like black cherry soda, this was fine but nothing remarkable. 2.5/4.

Somehow, Henry was still hungry, and while drinking his root beer he pointed at this booth and said “I want beef on a stick”. Now, Katie and I are fully aware of the pitfalls of “buy random food from random stand” so we tried to talk him out of it, but he wasn’t having it. Ok, Mickey’s Grill, let’s see what you got.

Henry’s Fair food radar was on point because this was excellent! I’m not sure why there was a gratuitous tortilla handle (which Katie happily ate), but the steak was tender and well seasoned. I’d give this a 3/4.

And with that, our marathon 8.5 hour Fair day came to a close and our 2022 Fair was a wrap! We’ll see you next year at the Great Minnesota Get-Together! Stay tuned for my annual Fair awards post.