The Great Minnesota Get Together

Oh, Minnesota State Fair, I love you so much!  We went twice this year.  Once Monday Morning with the kids, once last night without the kids to see Weird Al Yankovic.

I didn't eat enough the first time around, but I made up for it last night.  This year I wasn't disappointed by anything (oh, woe was the year they first had deep fired candy bars - mostly batter, mushy candy inside...yuk).

So, the first day I put on my ugly yet comfortable sneakers:

And I ate:

HOT DISH ON A STICK!

That's a stick with a meatball, tater tot, meatball, tater tot, meatball on it. 

Battered and fried.  

Served with a cup of wild rice mushroom soup sauce.

I ate it at 9:30am.  YEAH! Breakfast at Ole and Lena's FTW!

We also ate foot long hot dogs, mini donuts (I only had one - turns out I'm not as big a fan in my adulthood), and honey/sunflower nut and chocolate/almond ice creams at the honey building (I remember liking the honey ice cream last year - this year, not so much).The kids went on lots of rides and we all returned home hot, happy, and in some cases, asleep in our carseats.

Then last night we left the kids with my parents and headed off on the shuttle bus from Southdale Mall (where we saw our awesome babysitter and her friends) to the Fair again.  This time to get a quick bite of some of the things we missed on Monday, and to see Weird Al Yankovic at the Grandstand.

BIG FAT BACON! 

(On a stick)  (With lime chipotle sauce)

(INCREDIBLE!)

CHEESE CURDS!

(Do you eat yours with ketchup? 

I liked them better without.)

Then off to the show.  We found our seats - and sitting next to us were our friends Katie and Trace!  My cell phone pictures are crap, but here's a nice one of the crowd.

 So. Many. Cell Phones.

After an amazing two hour show including high kicks, about 25 costume changes and a lot of big laughs, we lined up along the side of the stage.  The Beaulieus and we had backstage passes and were led into a tent with about 50 other people.

Then this guy came out and called Trace's and Bill's name as well as Mad Magazine artist Tom Richmond's name.  He was there with his wife and two of his kids.  It was like the best incarnation of being called to the principal's office.  The eight of us went out to Al's trailer and chatted for a little while and took pictures.

 Trace, Al, Bill

Not only is Al a terrifficly talented performer, he is also an amazingly nice man.  He greeted me with a big hug, "Virginia!!" as if we were old friends.  Bill did a show with him last December, and I spoke with him on the phone then, but this was the first time we met in person.  I only had one nerdy  moment, right after this picture was taken, where I told him I was at the 1986 State Fair show when he opened for The Monkees. I was so happy to meet him, and he was just lovely and easy to be around.

On our way out, we got Sweet Martha's cookies.  It was the end of the night, and I'm sure I got about three times as many cookies as I would have been allotted at 3pm.

 The three that made it home for my kids.

In conclusion: If you have a Fair near you, urge them to get Hot Dish on a Stick (Ole and Lena's stand) and Big Fat Bacon.

Also, if you ever get the chance to see Weird Al Yankovic in concert.  Go.  Even if you "don't know his music", by the end you'll not only realize you knew his music, you'll have seen an amazing, energetic, wonderful, funny two hour show by a truly talented (and really nice) man.