State Fair

Eelpoutguy wrote:

Last time I was there was 10 years ago. When I walked out it felt like I had been robbed.
It’s like they give the Vendors a license to price gouge.

Lmao

It can get pricey that’s for sure. Imagine bringing a family of 5 or 6. The bill would be 300 bucks by the time you were done.

I think Sweet Martha’s cookies are about the most overrated thing ever. Even warm with a cold milk from the dairy booth. They don’t beat a good old fashion recipe-on-the-bag Toll House cookie that you’d make at home. Just my opinion.

ThunderLund78 wrote:

I think Sweet Martha’s cookies are about the most overrated thing ever. Even warm with a cold milk from the dairy booth. They don’t beat a good old fashion recipe-on-the-bag Toll House cookie that you’d make at home. Just my opinion.

Absolute truth here….preach brotha!

ThunderLund78 wrote:

I think Sweet Martha’s cookies are about the most overrated thing ever. Even warm with a cold milk from the dairy booth. They don’t beat a good old fashion recipe-on-the-bag Toll House cookie that you’d make at home. Just my opinion.

Thank you!

The bacon on the BIG PIG!

We used to go but no longer do as it is more work than it is worth. It’s just too overcrowded. Paying the cost for myself, wife, and daughter to park and enter… and then be annoyed by the crowds just doesn’t make sense. The only reason I debated going was because I’m casually shopping for a SCUT and thought it might be the place to compare some in close proximity.

ThunderLund78 wrote:

I think Sweet Martha’s cookies are about the most overrated thing ever. Even warm with a cold milk from the dairy booth. They don’t beat a good old fashion recipe-on-the-bag Toll House cookie that you’d make at home. Just my opinion.

Even if they were good they are cookies.. you can get those anytime anywhere. Don’t know why you’d do that and pass up things you can only get at the fair.

Working there on Monday and Wednesday in the Humana booth. Thursday we will go as a family. We get there at 7, park in a free area, see everything we want to see, and headed home by Noon. The kids all get to pick one food each and we have a few things we all share. It’s a $200-$300 day typically.

We used to go and take the kids, but going back before covid the crowd sizes just went crazy and it became dangerous IMO. Too many people packed into too tight of a space with no crowd control or safety.

The final straw was a few years ago. The crowds were just crazy and you could hardly move in the streets, it was shoulder to shoulder and the gates were still wide open letting more people in. A rather–errrr–heavyset lady on a rental mobility scooter was apparently not familiar with the controls and she had the damn thing in reverse and she hit the throttle and slammed into an occupied baby stroller of the couple standing right next to us and pinned the stroller against a curb. Then of course she panicked and kept a death grip on the throttle and kept slamming into it again and again. I had to literally push her almost off the scooter to get her to release the throttle and that was like the poor ol skinny grouse in a sumo match with the opponent on a mobility scooter.

That was it. Place is a death trap when it’s crowded. Think of what will happen if something panics the crowd and everyone runs for an exit. I can easily see a stampede happening there unless they improve safety. They need to limit attendance to safe crowd levels and block more people from coming in.

I believe it was around 1971 or so the last time I was there. Somehow, someway I manage to find cookies and other stuff thats not real healthy for me to gorge myself on. I have a real hard times with crowds, it doesn’t matter if it’s the fair or a sports show. I always end up behind the guy or gal with a double stroller and 3 kids who stops dead center in the aisle and blocks traffic both ways. No, it’s just easier for me to stay away.

suzuki wrote:

My main reasons for not going:

1. Covid and crowds.
2. Purposely outlawing legal
conceal & carry.

Hey Suzuki, in MN “No carry” signs do not carry force of law unless the sign meets specific criteria AND you’ve been asked to leave.

What momma don’t know won’t hurt her but might save your life. Just saying. P.S. I’m not a lawyer just a citizen who cares about rights, as always don’t take my legal advice as fact without doing your own research.

KPE wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>suzuki wrote:</div>
My main reasons for not going:

1. Covid and crowds.
2. Purposely outlawing legal
conceal & carry.

Hey Suzuki, in MN “No carry” signs do not carry force of law unless the sign meets specific criteria AND you’ve been asked to leave.

What momma don’t know won’t hurt her but might save your life. Just saying. P.S. I’m not a lawyer just a citizen who cares about rights, as always don’t take my legal advice as fact without doing your own research.

All entrances have metal detectors, going to be tough to get anything past them.

Use to go, don’t want to go anymore.

Why there so many bullheads in that pool

Eelpoutguy wrote:

Last time I was there was 10 years ago. When I walked out it felt like I had been robbed.
It’s like they give the Vendors a license to price gouge.

For example – Sweet Martha’s charges $16 (two years ago) for a bucket of $1.50 worth of cooked cookie dough and she does $4 million in sales.
Parking $16, admission $14. $44 bucks for 2 just to walk thru the door.

Just can’t do it anymore.

Agreed! I took my 3 boys a few years ago and I think we had close $100 spent before even getting through the gate (bought a coupon book besides parking, tickets, etc).
I will NEVER understand why people pay that money for those dang cookies. Get a tube of the nestle tollhouse and make it at home yourself.

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Eelpoutguy wrote:</div>
Last time I was there was 10 years ago. When I walked out it felt like I had been robbed.
It’s like they give the Vendors a license to price gouge.

For example – Sweet Martha’s charges $16 (two years ago) for a bucket of $1.50 worth of cooked cookie dough and she does $4 million in sales.
Parking $16, admission $14. $44 bucks for 2 just to walk thru the door.

Just can’t do it anymore.

Agreed! I took my 3 boys a few years ago and I think we had close $100 spent before even getting through the gate (bought a coupon book besides parking, tickets, etc).
I will NEVER understand why people pay that money for those dang cookies. Get a tube of the nestle tollhouse and make it at home yourself.

I have the exact same feeling about Viking football games. Pay to park, pay to get in to sit next to a bunch of drunken pukes and get your brains blown out with piped in music to try and make their boring ass brand of football exciting. No thanks, i’ll sit in my chair and complain on here for free.

BUT…….BUT……THE COOKIES are a state fair tradition…….ask my wife

its basiclly why we only go every 5 years or so. it is a bit spendy……

the more i think about it, main reason i dont wanna go is the transit bus route are down to only 3 instead of 10. was sure nice to get to the maple grove station and let them take us the rest of the way.

the weather the next few days is hit and miss rain….naw…….then i’m leaving for northern minn on tuesday……….so no dice.

Dutchboy wrote:

No thanks, i’ll sit in my chair and complain on here for free.

Not everyone recognizes their strengths so early in life Dutchy, but here you are living the dream!

I could care less about going to the fair in general, but Sweet Martha’s (and a few other fair classics) are like stale popcorn at a movie theatre, a lukewarm ballpark hotdog or draft beer at a ballgame, or shorelunch or backstraps over an open fire, somethings are just better in their native habitat.

I know where my lane is.

Enjoy life guys…enjoy your one life!

Holy smokes, are we sitting in the blue hair home complaining?

I agree Live a Little, cant take it to the grave.

Dutchboy wrote:

I know where my lane is.

Haha I appreciate it bud! Looking forward to a few Grain Belts next summer.

Get busy living, or get busy dying. -Andy Dufresne

We live near the Iowa State Fairgrounds and go there every year. We are going to the Minnesota State football game this Thursday night and then to the Minnesota State Fair on Friday to see what it’s all about. I heard they had a Grainbelt Blue slushy?

tpmorgz wrote:

I heard they had a Grainbelt Blue slushy?

Yeah, they have lots of gross things there

I think it’s just a topper of slushy if I remember right, haven’t been there in a while. There might also be a Schell Sangria version still too.

My wife drug me there last Friday. A bunch of junk food and $8 beers set us back approx three hundred bucks. I go about every 5 years but I would be ok if this was my last time there.
Overall Friday’s weather kept the riftraft at home and it wasn’t very busy which helped. Sweet Martha’s was $18 per bucket

Attendance 2021 down 39% from 2019 (Thursday through Sunday).

I was there today, only because my daughter was marching in the parade…hadn’t been there in 10+ years. Some places were charging 40$ to park…a mile away! Took my son who had never been, we each had a foot long corn dog…at 9$ each and he played a few carnival games…which are basically 5$ each. Neither kids were too impressed so hopefully won’t have to ever go back

Jason wrote:

Sweet Martha’s was $18 per bucket

Holy balls. Next year it’ll be a $20 bill!

Going to see Tim McGraw tomorrow, can’t wait!
Keylime beer and Cheese on a stick. A good day!

I used to really enjoy going to the fair, but it has certainly gotten out of hand.