@jonsblond – Seriously, I’ve heard people from all over the country say MN has one of the best if not the best state fair. If you and your family ever do come up, look me up and I can give you a list of other things to do while you’re here (as well as insider info on the fair)....we’ve got a lot more to see and do in the Twin Cities than most people would ever believe (until they actually came here). It’s held every year for the 12 days up to and including Labor Day. We have concerts there every night (major headliners), as well as various other stages with free live music, a huge midway, a separate kids midway, a dozen huge buildings with exhibits and several merchandise/exhibitor buildings, a children’s theater, live animal barns, a horse show, a parade, live radio and TV broadcasts, tons of giveaways (big and small, like stuff they’ll just give you and other stuff you can sign up to win), and fireworks every night. Seriously, we will go out there at 9am and walk around until 11pm and not see everything in one day, it’s just massive. I’d say it’s definitely worth a trip from Illinois some day. And PS, strangely enough, probably the best thing they have to eat on a stick there in my opinion is this corn on the cob, they grow it right there it’s just incredibly sweet, and they dunk the think in melted butter, it’s like a desert.