Getting it together for ‘The Great Minnesota Get-Together’
By Carol C. Harder
Oscar Hammerstein II sure had the sentiment down to a “T” when he added the lyrics to the music of Richard Rodgers to create the memorable songs for the musical movie, “State Fair” – especially the refrain to the lead song, “Our State Fair:”
“Our state fair is a great state fair,
Don’t miss it, don’t even be late.
It’s dollars to donuts
That our state fair
Is the best state fair in our state.”
This Thursday, August 21, our state’s state fair version, “The Great Minnesota Get-Together” kicks off at the State Fairgrounds in St. Paul.
When it comes to creating and exchanging memorable stories, the Minnesota State Fair is one great stage – where the stories and experiences positively change lives. These are the stories from young, old; rural, urban – and are told and re-told every year. The storytellers are you, me – and even Garrison Keillor. In fact, it was Keillor who wrote that, “to be in a crowd is the crucial motive for coming to the State Fair.” Continuing, Lake Woebegon’s premier resident added, “We live insular lives – working in cubicles, riding around in cars, hanging around with people who are a lot like, and think alike, ourselves and connecting with people via social media – but not so often face-to-face – and the fair is where you can see, at long last, who else lives in Minnesota other than you, your family and your friends.”
Our state fair has inspired generation-after-generation to embrace agriculture, art, science, music, industry, history, 4-H and FFA.
From its agricultural beginnings – before Minnesota was even a state – to its current success-on-a-stock, the state fair is ingrained in the cultural fiber of Minnesota. It is an independently-funded organization with no government appropriations.
In addition to the 12 days of the Minnesota State Fair, close to 100 other organizations use the fairgrounds for other events during the course of the year – car shows, equestrian events, livestock exhibitions and concerts.
With generations of involvement, several historical books have been written about the state fair by Minnesota authors. Kathy Koutsky and Linda Koutsky introduced their state fair history book like this – “Fairs are the cornerstones of American traditions where we promote the rich bounty of our lands and the magnificent talent of our citizens.”
Their story about “our” state fair goes like this, “Even in its earliest days, when men wore top hats and women wore crinolines, the rides were spectacular, the food was hearty, produce was Paul Bunyan-size, livestock were well-groomed and the fairgrounds buzzed with the latest in technology.”
Today’s Minnesota media also helps fan a multitude of memorable state fair stories that revisit the past or tell about who is at the fair or what’s new at the fair today. A “Star Tribune” article re-iterated the importance of the state fair in this way – ” . . . the state fair brings out Minnesotans’ deepest sense of place. It’s where they relive first dates, purple ribbons and grand champion trophies. People eat from a menu of nostalgia.”
For my own part, state fair stories and memories give this storyteller plenty to talk about – from the significant economic impact on the pocket book (and the waistline) as different foods are tried with the foot-long hot dog with sauerkraut a staple or about spending a few days at the “4-H Hilton” – the dorms at the livestock barns or event the water fights in the wash racks.
Yes, the state fair yesterday and today has touched generations of Minnesotans’ who live in every county and corner of this state – from Mountain Lake to Ely.
As the state preps for this year’s fair, please remember that we are a better society because of great lessons learned, experiences we’ve had and the history through which we’ve lived through together – at this state’s great get-together.
* Carol’s Cyberspace will be posted on Cross-Counties Connect on an occasional basis. The author is retired writer Carol C. Harder of Mountain Lake, who has had experience sharing her thoughts and conversations for the past 12 years as a newspaper columnist.
