FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. — Sometimes when you hear an AWESOME musical artist, stumble upon a restaurant that hits different, or make some other life-changing discovery, the first instinct is to share it with people you like so they can enjoy it too.
That's the intention of this KARE 11 staffers State Fair Picks list... Not to jam you with opinions, or force-feed fairgoers with something that really isn't their bag, but to share gems of Minnesota's summer swan song that newsroom citizens just can't live without. If they sound good (and you haven't discovered all the things on this list already), maybe you'll love them too.
Contributors include:
- Alicia Lewis - KARE 11 Sunrise anchor
- Morgan Wolfe - KARE 11 weekend anchor
- Justine Zirbes - KARE 11 Saturday producer
- Brian Lundeen - KARE 11 assignment desk
- Lydia Morrell - KARE 11 digital
- Lauren Leamanczyk - KARE 11 anchor/investigative reporter
- Heidi Wigdahl - KARE 11 reporter
- Deb Lyngdal - KARE photojournalist
- Jamie Rogers - KARE 11 director
- Adam Beiningen - KARE 11 photojournalist
- Ben Dery - KARE 11 meteorologist
- Ryan Williamson - KARE 11 sports producer
Best Eats
This one always spurs a healthy debate. Alicia and Brian both gave a shout-out to the Pickle Dog, with Ms. Lewis explaining "It’s so Minnesotan! A good old-fashioned pickle roll-up. It’s one of the few options that are not deep fried or on a stick."
Morgan and Justine are all in on the Turkey to Go turkey sandwich. "It's a State Fair classic," Justine notes about the piled-high sammy.
Some of our staffers like to stretch their legs beyond the everyday. Both Lauren and Jamie say their go-to is the Holy Land Deli Chicken Shawarma and falafel, while Deb can't go without the Gizmo - a ground beef and Italian sausage sandwich covered in secret red sauce and topped with melted mozzarella. Ryan opts for the Giant Egg Roll, on a stick, of course.
Ben goes straight for the decadent - Deep Fried Candy Bars, especially the Snickers. "What's not to love about a gooey, melty Snicker's bar with a crispy exterior?" he poses.
Lydia gives the Herbivorous Butcher high marks for providing gluten-free and vegan options that taste great.
Heidi prefers to get back to the roots of the State Fair, starting every trip with a stop at the Corn Roast. "It's a perfect first food before getting into the fried food," she explains. A side benefit - you can also tell mom you ate your veggies... even if they're dipped in a giant pot of butter.
Scrumptious Sips
Alicia and Morgan are into the brewskis, as Alicia leans towards the Mini Donut Beer while Morgan enjoys just about any cold grain beverage from the Ball Park Cafe's wide selection. Adam also opts for a cold beer, but he likes the Dill Pickle Beer.
Brian notes that the wine slushies at the Minnesota Wine Building are definitely worth the stop, Ryan gives kudos to the Bomb Pop Seltzer at Ball Park Village, while Deb suggests a Caribbean Smoothie and Heidi opts for the Blue Barn's blueberry basil lemonade.
While one could debate whether or not a malt truly is a beverage, there is NO DOUBT that a chocolate malt or shake from the Dairy Building is just about an everyday must for Justine. And as to the whole "is ice cream a beverage" deal? "If you consume it through a straw, it's a drink," she reasons.
Jamie and Lauren are also on team Dairy Building Malt.
Ben is a rootsy guy, and he'll guzzle the All-You-Can Drink milk... even though the price gets bumped this year from $2 to $3.
Excellent Exhibits
This one was about as definitive as one of Anthony Edwards' slam dunks. "Baby animals, Duh!" says Justine about the Miracle of Birth barn. Alicia loves the little critters too, but admits she's never witnessed a so-called miracle. "I’ve never stayed to watch a live birth… I am afraid I’ll need to use my empty Sweet Martha’s Cookies pail for another reason." The Miracle of Birth Barn tops Morgan and Ryan's list as well.
Adam says he's not a huge exhibit person but always scopes out the butter sculpture booth in the Dairy Building. Heidi heads to the Creative Activities Building to check on the baked goods competition. "I love seeing all the loaves of bread lined up!" she admits.
Ben is KARE's resident outdoor buff, so the fact his favorite exhibit is the DNR fish pond comes as absolutely no surprise. "I like to know that there are some types of fish in Minnesota I have yet to catch," he says.
Brian is the wild card here, revealing he's a HUGE fan of the Seed Art exhibit. Lydia plays the homer card, shouting out the KARE Barn for its free penny press, live music and of course... free water.
Favorite Music Venue
The obvious choice is the winner here, with the Grandstand hosting the fair's biggest names in music - Justine, Lauren, Morgan and Heidi all give the concrete concert venue props.
"Grandstand! Weird Al was my first Grandstand show and it was perfect," Ms. Wigdahl recalls.
Just because it's the biggest, however, doesn't mean it's the only game in town. Alicia, Adam, Ben and Ryan named the Leinie Lodge, which also books notable names but serves 'em up for free.
Deb went off the board with the Amphitheater in the West End but in truth, there are great stages all over the grounds at Falcon Heights to hear good music.
Favorite Place to Decompress
When the sights, smells, and - let's admit it here - the NOISE of the Minnesota State Fair becomes a bit too much, KARE staffers all have a favorite place to get away and hit the reset button. Brian and the author of this piece both concur - the Fine Arts Center is a quiet retreat with soothing images, cool colors and voices dropped to a barely discernable murmur.
Lydia opts for another place to get away from the chaos - the DNR Fish Pond. "It was so peaceful - and I love to look at the different fish and spot the types I know. Plus they give away free things!" she shares.
While not quiet, Heidi finds the 4-H Building super-relaxing. "Lots of room to walk around, places to sit, and I love seeing all the work from talented 4-H’ers!" she says.
Ben hops on the Skyride, citing the great views and "a brief moment of semi-quiet."
Deb is the photojournalist who works with Belinda and Bobby on "Grow with KARE," and last year discovered the Healing Garden, which she describes as "lovely."
In a united homer play, nearly half the staffers - Alicia, Justine, Morgan, Jamie and Lauren named the KARE Barn as their favorite place to relax, although some of 'em mentioned the backstage, air-conditioned trailers, which is totally cheating.
Favorite Ride
Again, old-school fair favs seem to dominate here. Morgan, Lauren, Jamie, Ben and Alicia all opt for the burlap sack charm of the Giant Slide, even though it puts them squarely on the turf of our broadcast rivals at FOX 9 (just kidding - we love those folks).
Heidi likes her rides at an even slower pace, naming the venerable Ye Old Mill as her fav. "I have to go on it every year. It’s also a nice ride you can relax on," she says. A nice way of saying you have to fight pretty hard not to fall asleep.
Deb and Brian prefer a ride with a view, naming the Space Tower and Skyglider respectively, while Ryan will spin on a State Fair classic - the Giant Ferris Wheel.
Lydia confesses that she's not a ride person, but enjoys the Mighty Midway for the games. "I love the chance to win a prize."
Favorite Animal Barn
Morgan wins with her quick answer - "All of Them!" Others were a bit more specific. Ben, Lauren, Jamie and Alicia loop back to the Miracle of Birth barn, while Ryan votes for pigs, Brian horses, and Deb sheep and goats.
Lydia gives a shout out for the cow barn, but for a reason you might not expect. "You can pet cows and watch people blow dry their cows to get them ready for competition!"
Adam gets his feathers ruffled by the poultry barn - "Those birds are insane," he opines.
Both Justine and Heidi brought up the rabbits, even though they don't "officially" have a barn of their own. Heidi reasons that she always wanted a rabbit of her own when she was growing up, while Justine is practical with her choice. "They are the cutest, and smell the least bad." Word.
Favorite People-Watching Spot
Sometimes, fairgoers themselves are the most interesting sideshow, sporting outfits and hairstyles all over the map and coming in all shapes and sizes.
Justine and Brian both chose the Skyglider for its birds-eye view on this mass of humanity. Down on terra firma, the answers generally reflect the places with the biggest crowds. Adam likes the Midway (Mania!) while Heidi prefers seeing scared people exit the Haunted House... her mom likes the dancers outside as well. Morgan likes taking in the masses waiting outside the Sweet Martha's Cookies booth.
Alicia mentioned the cow barn, adding that it's fun to see if visitors will step in the cow pies.
Ryan chose the corn booth, probably because it's funny to see people with kernels stuck in their teeth.
Ben likes to get all Gump on it - He grabs a little food, finds the bench named after a family friend and just watches the world go by.
Finally... when you have a captive audience, generally it's easier to look around and check out the folks who come to the fair. That's what Lauren and Jamie like to do when doing live shows at the KARE Barn.
Other Experiences of Note
Alicia, being the early riser she is, loves walking the streets of the fair right when the gates open - everything is cool, quiet and CLEAN. "Grabbing a hot coffee and croissant from French Meadow, it’s not crowded yet, the lines are not long, the FAA students are showing their prized animals, vendors are just getting ready for the day, it’s kind of like the calm before the storm."
As a journalist, Heidi mentions the Minnesota Newspaper Museum as a hidden fair treasure. She says they hand out a special bookmark for each year, and she's been collecting them for 10 years.
We'll give Ben the final word with a great story that reflects the Minnesota State Fair's history and humanity. He and his wife both worked the summer swan song as kids - Little Farm Hands and the Coliseum - and like to stroll through both places to see what's changed... besides their lives.
Hope there's something new in here for you to taste, drink, experience and enjoy. See you at the fair!