An Open Letter to County Fair Season in Central Minnesota
Dear County Fair Season:
Long time no see. Well actually it has been about a year, but still, you were missed.
I have always been a county fair fan, it has literally been since birth. I was born during the Todd County Fair in 1995, and at the time my grandma was working for the fair. She brought over a purple "grand champion" ribbon for my hospital crib, and even though I was hours old and oblivious to the world, a deep love of county fairs was instilled in me.
In high school, I had the privilege of being the summer intern for the University of Minnesota Extension Office in Todd County for three wonderful summers. That meant I would spend the months of June and July prepping for the county fair. Then once the event came around I would get to set up, and then be at the fair EVERY SINGLE DAY. Talk about a dream come true.
Moving into my adult life, one of my favorite things I got to do as a radio DJ was do my afternoon show live from the Benton County Fair in Sauk Rapids. On its base level, it was a few afternoons of sitting in a trailer on the fairgrounds and talking into a microphone, but it was SO MUCH FUN.
I love everything about the county fair experience. The animals, the exhibits that 4-H kids put so much work into, the animal shows, the free entertainment, the gathering of communities, and of course the food.
I absolutely love a county fair, and of course, I love that they all culminate at the Minnesota State Fair where we get to see the best of the best for exhibits, animals, entertainment, and food.
Happy County Fair Season! Soak up every glorious second of it.
-Abbey
Central Minnesota County Fair Schedule 2022
New Minnesota State Fair Food for 2022