Minnesota State Fair - Summer 2009

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And now for something completely different!

I've been contacted by people from all over the world who have read my blog and I'm now up to 8700 hits. So I'm taking a momentary break from Saudi Arabia blog entries, to give you some photos from where I live.

There is nothing more Minnesotan than the Minnesota State Fair, which takes place at the end of August. Here are some photos that my daughter took while we were there.

These photos are the essence of being Minnesotan. In fact, these could be used in an anthropology class at the University of Minnesota to help explain the psyche of Minnesotans. What they stand for, what they eat, what's important.

And please note: in NONE of the photos will you see snow (well, maybe snow cones, but that's different).

I hope you enjoy this Minnesota commercial break from our regularly scheduled Saudi program.

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Photos

Dairy Princess in Butter
This is really hard to explain, but true. All of the people who run for Dairy Princess get their heads carved in real butter. I'm not making this up! The butter head with the crown is the winner. Saudi has kings and princes, but we have butter heads of Dairy Princesses.

Giant Tomato
You have to have giant fruit at the state fair. Also giant pumpkins (not shown). It's just what you do. It's tradition.

Yes, it's a pile of garbage
Some might call it art, but we call it a pile of garbage.

Speaking of Art...
What's more mid-western than this?

The Farmer and his Wife
Can you tell the difference between this and the original?

The Turkey Booth
You can buy a turkey sandwich, but the sad part is that it's right across from the poultry barn, which you can also see in the photo.

Ted and Linda
This is the proper attire for the State Fair.

TV News
A big thing at the State Fair is to attend the news live. Newscasters in Minnesota are local celebrities.

Al Franken
If you want to be a REAL politician, you show up at the State Fair. This is Al Franken, who was FINALLY elected US Senator, after 10,346 recounts of the election. Sorry Norm Coleman. It's over. Really.

Garrison Keillor 1
If you've ever listened to Minnesota Public Radio or have heard of Lake Wobigon, you know that Garrison Keillor is practically president of Minnesota.

Garrison Keillor 2
If you've never heard of Garrison, you have no idea what I'm talking about. It's too hard to explain. Go Powermilk Biscuits.

Ted and Linda
It's the fair. We're happy. We've eaten mini-doughnuts and Sweet Martha's chocolate chip cookies. Who wouldn't be happy?

Hotdish on a Stick
Hotdish is Minnesota speak for casseroles and it's practically the state food. And everything at the fair must be on a stick (state law). So hotdish on a stick is really appealing. We even have deep fried candy bars on a stick. Yummy.

Giant Slide
You can see the Giant Slide in the background if you double click on the photo. You slide down on a burlap bag. Don't ask why, just do it!

French Fries
If you go to the Minnesota State Fair, make sure you get the fries at one of the yellow booths. The others aren't worth the calories. Trust me on this one.

Brett Favre
OK, you have to be either from Minnesota or Wisconsin to appreciate a Brett Favre scarecrow. You should have one. Really.