Wait, What? It’s only TUESDAY. How can you be DONE?

Well, I’ll get to that. After missing last year’s State Fair due to a deployment, Hubs and I were very excited to finally get back to (undeniably) Minot’s most exciting event. There’s a lot to cover here, so I’ll spare you the corny, 500 word Mom Blog intro.

The Good

The Food. Yup. Knowing this would be my last time at the Fair here, I tried to eat my way through as many concessions as possible. The Results are as follows:

1.  Waffle Chix. This is definitely on my happy list. This family-owned Concession boasts “Waffle on a Stick” options that had me contemplating breakfast, dinner, or desert. We opted for all three and had the Chicken in a Waffle Stick, as well as a Snickers in a Waffle Stick. After questioning the last time I had a test for Diabetes, I affirmed that these were absolutely AWESOME.
   
   

   The Chicken in a Waffle Stick.

   

   Snickers in a Waffle Stick.
2. Kettle Corn. Okay, So I have no idea who this wonderful man is, but he sells this Kettle Corn all around Minot, year round. I’m always sure to get some…ask the kind ladies for a fresh/warm bag and you won’t regret it! I’d share a picture, however I don’t think anyone wants to see my half eaten bag of Popcorn.
3. A foot-long corndog is a thing. A thing you should have.
4. Wild West Soda, placed right across from the Pioneer Village, was a surprising hit. Boasting over a dozen flavors (including Mixed drinks), AND $3 refills on any cup, you can refresh and try different flavors all through the week.

There was other good, too. *cue preachy mom-blog statement*
As a parent, I went through the Fair gates knowing the odds of sitting and watching anything were quite low.

By mere alignment of the stars, we managed to catch the Zuzu African Acrobats. Now, they were late starting their own show ( 🙄 ) but Eden had a blast.

Hey–did you know goats are actually really friendly? Or possibly just attracted to sugar coated children?

The Livestock Expos, no matter how outrageously stinky, are always a must do. While staring at cow ass after cow ass got old quick, we loved playing with the goats.

The Bad

The good news is, I’m not a pessimist and there’s not much here. BUT…

• Eden was too small to ride ANY rides other than the carousel (or Merry-Go-Round, as it is strangely called). I suspect this is some Carnie Liability thing, because strangely similar rides at Sesame Place were perfectly fine for her age.
• On a similar note, the “Kids Zone” is totally amusing for littles, but kind of rachet looking. There’s pretty much a pile of Little Tikes play equipment in a somewhat useless building next to the bunny barn. All I’ll say is…sanitize and wash your hands after you leave.

The Eh.

So…there is some highly forgettable food. I was underwhelmed by $10 Pork Nachos at a BBQ place (who, even the name I can’t recall). The Lutheran Church Food Stand is probably the most budget friendly place to eat on the entire Midway–however, the fries tasted suspiciously like Ore-Ida.

If you like staring at plants (and you’re hot from being outside for 4 hours), the State Fair Center boasts a huge exhibition from 4-H. Um, yeah. So there’s that.

Now…I totally think for any soul who is seeking excitement in Minot, the State Fair is definitely a Must-Do. Yet, having wrapped up my third year of the State Fair, It is increasingly becoming garden variety.

I can actually affirm many of the rides are identical to years’ past, and even more disheartening, much of the (often mediocre) food remain in identical spots, year after year. A highlight for myself was often the commercial buildings. This year…after strolling through just too many Bamboo Pillow and As Seen on TV type gimmicks, I actually skipped a few buildings. So…yeah, I’m done. At $10 a person, here I am feeling quite content with two Fair days. It’s strange, but I’m glad to have seen a good handful of new things this year.

Looking forward, I wonder if the battle between innovation and tradition will even itself out.
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So there you have it. If all else fails, people watching has always been my favorite pastime. Needless to say, the North Dakota State Fair certainly boasts some very interesting people.

Well then. What’s on your Must-Do list at the NDSF?