Tri-State Neighbor: South Dakota Farm Newspaper

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota State Fair's agricultural and creative competitions drew close to 32,000 entries this year, with competitors vying for a share of ribbons, trophies and more than $950,000 in prize money. Competitions included events for livestock, school projects, dog trials, baked and canned goods, fruit, vegetables, crafts, bee and honey products, fine arts, flowers, butter and cheese.

The Fine Arts Center featured the largest juried art show in the state. The People's Choice Award went to "My Grandmother, Maryanna,” a pencil drawing by Nicholas Bly Pope of Minneapolis. Lynn Maderich of St. Paul, won the Kids' Choice Award for her oil on linen piece entitled “One Summer Evening.”

More than $315,000 were raised at the 4-H Purple Ribbon Auction to benefit 4-H programs.

Supreme champion titles were awarded for a second year to the best grand champions out of all beef and dairy breeds. Supreme Dairy Female went to a Jersey cow shown by Tony Kasper of Family Kasper Dairy in Owatonna, Minn. A Shorthorn shown by Joseph O'Sullivan of Maple Lake, Minn., was awarded Supreme Beef Female. Robert Schlutz of De Es Ro Angus Farms in Columbus Jct., Iowa, showed the Supreme Beef Bull.

Kristy Mussman of Claremont, Minn., was crowned the 55th Princess Kay of the Milky Way.

The award-winning CHS Miracle of Birth Center welcomed dozens of baby chicks and ducklings to the world along with 184 other newborn animals including 136 piglets, 13 calves and 35 lambs.

High school marching bands from Minnesota and Wisconsin competed in the State Fair's daily mall parade. Irondale Senior High won Class A honors, Waseca took first in Class B and Park Falls won in the Class C division.

More than 6,500 fans cheered on the best amateur talent in the state at the 36th annual State Fair Amateur Talent Contest Finals Aug. 31 at the Grandstand. Winners were Open Division: First place went to Callie Syverson and Brett Anderson of Windom, Minn., for their vocal/dance duet of “If You Hadn't But You Did.” Cottage Grove resident Christa Krussow took second place with her ventriloquism medley. Third place was awarded to Connor Engstrom of Mountain Lake, Minn., for his guitar solo “Holy Orders.” Teen Division: Jeff Zhang of Maple Grove took first place performing the piano solo “Diabolical Suggestion-Prokofiev.” Second place was awarded to Liz Redpath from Edina, Minn., who performed a vocal solo entitled “The Girl in 14G.” Third place went to Brandon Cormier of White Bear Township for his yo-yo performance entitled “Fall Down - Storyside B.” Preteen Division: First place went to Derek Hartman of Blaine, Minn., for his piano solo “Sonata in G Major, 1st Movement.” Brandon and Connor Duffy from Lino Lakes, Minn., took second place with their violin/piano duet “Csardas.” Third place was awarded to Monticello's Paige Huschka for her vocal/piano solo “Love Song.”

Kim Magee of Mounds View, Minn., and Daniel Murray of Blue Earth, Minn., were the overall female and male Milk Run winners with times of 18:06 and 16:33 respectively.

The 2008 Outstanding Senior Citizen Awards were presented to Betty Wenner of St. Peter, Minn., in Nicollet County and Don Brand of New Ulm, Minn., in Brown County. A ceremony was held at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell Aug. 28 to honor 103 seniors representing 56 Minnesota counties.

New additions to this year's State Fair included: State Fair Chautauqua, a live multi-media experience celebrating Minnesota's Sesquicentennial; a brand-new International Bazaar; free horse shows; an FFA Market Goat Show; an Open Class Junior Barrow Show; a 4-H Lama show featuring llamas and alpacas; and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Exhibit.

The 2008 fair featured more than 15 new foods including chicken bites, deep-fried ice cream, deep-fried s'mores on-a-stick, deep-fried tator tots on-a-stick, dessert chocolate pizza, fish tacos, Big Fat Bacon on-a-stick (1/3 lb. slab of bacon caramelized in maple syrup), grilled shrimp on-a-stick, Italian breakfast strata, Leprechaun Legs (deep-fried green beans), neapolitan cream puffs, Norwegian-style cheese curds, frozen pickle juice pops, Pig Lickers (chocolate-covered bacon), Walking Tacos and Yaki-Soba noodles.

Total paid attendance for the 2008 Minnesota State Fair was 1,693,533, surpassing last year's attendance by 11,855 and making it the fourth best attended fair ever. Grandstand attendance was 84,769 (not including Amateur Talent Contest Finals). Sales of food and beverages were up and weather was exceptional.

The 2009 Minnesota State Fair will run Aug. 27 through Labor Day, Sept. 7.

For more information visit www.mnstatefair.org, call (651) 288-4400 or e-mail fairinfo@mnstatefair.org.

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