MN State Fair Earns Visit by National Geographic
The 2019 Great Minnesota Get-Together earned itself a feather in the cap this year with a visit from National Geographic.
The publication that usually explores the world's most exotic places made a special trip to one of Minnesota's most exotic places -- the Minnesota State Fair.
In a piece titled "The most absurd foods you can eat at the Minnesota State Fair," Nat Geo shares a brief history of the Fair, the obsession with foods on a stick, and the array of "absurd" foods available at the State Fair.
Fried gator nuggets, beer gelato, candied bacon donut sliders, and "chocolate chip cookies by the literal bucketful" (shout out to Sweet Martha's Cookies!), all earned mentions. Gluten-sensitive and vegan options including the Grilled Sota Sandwich and bizarre ice cream flavors like Izzy's Night Drive — coffee ice cream with cardamom, chocolate-covered espresso chips, and toffee crunch — also earned nods.
The article by National Geographic explains how and why the country's second largest state fair (the Texas fair is the largest running twice as long as Minnesota's) made $42 million in sales last year.
Read the full piece for yourself here.