Walkin’ Around Checkin’ Stuff Out. #46
Minnesota State Fair.
Anybody that knows me knows how much I love the fair. It really is the best time of year. The way people feel about the holidays is how I feel about the fair. 10 days of amazing insanity…and each day I’m not there kills me.
I had the great fortune of tagging along with the HeavyTable crew as they tried all of the new fair foods. You really should subscribe to their substack…it’s the best coverage out there of all the new foods, not to mention it has a story M.C. Cronin and I did at the fair of quite the opposite of new foods. The new foods never did much for me…how many of those foods makes it on anyone’s yearly “must-have” lists? Let’s be honest…not many. I like the classic fair…the places and things that have been there for as long as I can remember…places like The Lunch Box.
The Lunch Box.
I’ve seen this place at the fair ever since I was a kid. The fun bubbly sign and red stools is a signal that no matter how much changes at the fair, this place keeps on keeping on.
We need these places at the fair…not slick, not fancy. Feels the same as it did decades ago (minus the introduction a digital payment system) and is the best way to keep us connected to the past. I love the red diner stools bolted to wooden boards and anchored into the ground. Brought out each year at this time the same way they have for over 60 years.
Family-run since great grandpa opened the place in 1962…we were served by 3 generations of family members. That’s pretty amazing.
No crazy over-the-top new items on-a-stick…just solid, affordable (for the fair) food. We had biscuits and gravy and a pretty decent grilled ham and cheese sandwich that was served to us by the great grand daughter of the owners.
Be sure to hit up the HeavyTable to read the full story.
More Minnesota State Fair.
I could spend all year just doing state fair drawings.
It’s all about the people watching. The food, the rides, the art and music…it’s all great, but for me the Minnesota State Fair is all about the people watching. And they’re real people…not the influencer/Instagram perfectly fake bullshit.
I could sit in one spot for hours at the fair…in fact, I do. Just letting the parade of people stroll by. It’s more fun and interesting than any movie or TV show I could watch.
A quiet moment (there aren’t many at the fair). This woman found herself a quiet spot to do some damage on some sort of sweet treat she found and didn’t feel like sharing. I like her style.
Ok…not the fair.
It can’t be all about the fair…well it can, it’s just that the fair didn’t start until Thursday and I had a few other drawings to go before that.
I saw this happy dog at the Lake Harriet Bandshell. She really wanted to keep walking and meeting people, but her owner was more interested in sitting down and looking at her phone.
NE Farmers Market.
The brat and corn feed at the Northeast Minneapolis Farmers Market was fantastic. Made me feel guilty for not buying all those beautiful veggies and making something healthy to eat…but I was too stuffed from all the brats I ate.
Stopped for the brat and corn feed and stayed for the people watching.
Lake Harriet Bench.
Most of the benches around Lake Harriet have plaques dedicated to (usually dead) people. I noticed this dude reading each plaque as he walked. I wondered if he was looking for one dedicated to a friend or family member. It made me think I need to spent a little more time reading those as I walk around the lake as a tip of the hat to the people honored.