The State Fair should be an every-other-year occurrence

Last year when the Minnesota State Fair was canceled due to COVID, it’s fair to say that most Minnesotans were pretty upset. Regardless of whether you go every year or not, many Minnesotans were happy to see its return. The fried food, people watching and milkshakes from the dairy barn were definitely missed during the height of the pandemic, but we’d argue that they don’t need to be enjoyed every year.

Our state fair is consistently ranked no. 1 in the country, but when you’ve been going every single year since you could walk (or before), it can get old and expensive quickly. Aside from the entrance fee, which is $16 for adults, the food is overpriced and never changes much.

Sure, there is a list of new foods to try every year at the fair, but they are the same variations of fried food. Fried olives, fried pickles, fried candy bars and fried alligator are all examples of the food that leaves you feeling bloated and greasy.

This feeling is only made worse by the fact that the State Fair takes place during what seems to always be the hottest weeks of the summer, and when you pack millions of people into 322 acres over the course of two weeks, you get other people’s sweat all over you, see way too many public displays of affection and leave with only a general feeling of unfulfillment. So full but so empty at the same time, if you will.

Now this isn’t to say that the State Fair is bad, it’s not—it just should be an every-other-year event.

There are many great things about the state fair. We both have many great memories of the State Fair, and it’s a good way for families and friends alike to get out of the house and spend time together. It’s great for kids to go on rides, meet their favorite sports mascots and see Princess Kay of the Milky Way get her sculpture carved, but it’s also great for adults who want to try some mini-donut beer, go shopping in the grandstand and see concerts.

All of these things are made even better by the anticipation of waiting a year in between visits.

Minnesotans were excited to see the State Fair come back after a year of COVID, but this excitement could be replicated every other year if you just wait to go. Having that year in between visits also gives people more time to save money for the event, so it lessens the financial burden that the fair brings and hopefully allows you to feel a little less guilty about buying an extra corn dog when you go. All in all, the State Fair really is the “great Minnesota get together,” but you shouldn’t feel obligated to go every year.

Did we mention Sweet Martha’s cookies aren’t that good?