Our Day At The Minnesota State Fair - 2009

We just love the fair. We get up and go very early every year. Our goal is to eat our way through. Since Heidi has been coming along for the ride our trip around the fair has changed. We used to start at one side and work our way around until we have seen everything and eaten everything.

Now we know our time is limited and we need to fit in the kiddy midway. We don't end up in the Grandstand any more. Nor do we make it into the other buildings where they sell all the cool stuff. It's just to much work to push the stroller through the crowds and listen to a small child ask when we will be done. I do miss those buildings but I know they will be there waiting for me when Heidi is old enough to appreciate the randomness of what is being sold (or old enough to want to go do her own thing while I appreciate the randomness of what is being sold).

We also enjoy the fair with Kristen and Taylor. For the last few years we have not "done the fair" alone but have met up with people or brought people along.

What should we do first? This year we went frugal. I LOVE coupons and any time I can save a few bucks I am happy. I picked up the Blue Ribbon Coupon Book at a discount price from management in the building where I work. It was $4 instead of the $5 you would pay for it at the fair. We also purchased our entrance tickets from my building saving us $2 per ticket! Off to a great start!



Where is Heidi going? Maybe we are too slow... But there are just so many things to eat, I mean look at!
Man, did we save a ton and have a great time! And this coupon book encouraged us to try new things. We never payed full price for a soda. We ate things we had not tried before. We went on more rides than we have before. We earned back our $4 in minutes.
I have posted about the Kiddy Midway, the Animals, and Makayla's Ride on the SkyScraper. Here are some more pictures of our day.


There were plenty of places for Heidi to climb. This is a rock outside the DNR building.

I love this bear, also outside the DNR building.

She also climbed the log pile by the Lumberjack show. We are not good about knowing when shows like this happen and I don't like the idea of sitting on bleachers for hours waiting for a show to start but we happened on this show and had a decent view from behind. Heidi didn't really understand what was going on but she liked the log pile!

She liked the logs so much she turned into a beaver...

We also happened on the parade and Heidi got to see Nordy for the first time in person! She spent the entire 2008-2009 Wild Season stalking the Xcel Energy Center looking for Nordy and never found him. Of course we would see him at the Great Minnesota Get Together!!

We also saw her other favorite home town hero - TC!

I was happy to pose with some cows...

Isn't this thing great?! It really should be in my back yard.

At the kiddy midway we crossed our fingers that Heidi was 42 inches tall. At the Kid Farm we crossed our fingers she was not 4 chickens tall. Looks like we have another year or so!

At the kid farm they get to do small tasks that would happen on the farm ending with selling your goods at the farmers market and taking home a little snack. Heidi loved driving the tractor!

Look, more cows to hang out with!

This one was very Minnesota!

And this one was very MN State Fair!

Very cool! This one should be by my fireplace...

Kristen had a good time test driving the big lawn mowers.

And Heidi just kicked back.
The best way to end your visit is with a big bucket of Sweet Martha's Cookies! Yum!

I already can't wait to go back next year!!