Minnesota State Fair is the most popular in the country

[question everything]

From TIME magazine

(snip)

It’s the one I grew up attending, and not only is the Minnesota State Fair the nation’s most popular, as measured by average daily attendance, its history also tracks the migration of fair fare from biological necessity to whatever it is that’s going on now. For decades, hungry fairgoers found sustenance inside dining halls operated by churches. There were dozens on the fairgrounds before the Great Depression. One of the two that survives today, the Hamline Methodist Church Dining Hall, is famous for its ham loaf and still innovating: its snowcap mini waffle sundae made the list of “new foods” available at the 2019 fair.

The list, the release of which always makes news, includes only three “on a stick” foods this year, possibly marking a transition, though likely not a healthy one. The loneliest stand at my last state fair offered “fruit on a stick.” A passerby read the sign aloud to his companion, paused and, in a deadpan that was itself delicious, asked: “Do you remember fruit?”

https://time.com/5624284/why-do-people-eat-state-fair-food/

[TheRealNorth]

1. Sweet Martha's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I always thought the Sweet Martha's Chocolate Chip Cookie stand was the most popular food stand at the Minnesota State Fair.

It's like what Cream Puffs are at the Wisconsin State Fair.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Cheese curds!

A few years ago I tried the batter-fried Snickers bar. It was too much, I could handle only a couple of bites. The pork shop on a stick is good, and I always get a Pronto Pup. When I was a kid we lived within walking distance of the fair, and I developed a taste for Pronto Pups at that time. They have to be Pronto Pups, not some generic corn dog, and they can be eaten only at the fair.

[dflprincess]

3. Oh yes, cheese curds!

Though, at the risk of being accused of blasephemy, I think the ones at Target Field may be better (not as salty).

I will also confess that I go with a corn dog, though there is only one stand I will buy it from. But, as with your Pronto Pup, I can only eat them at the fair. I've also developed a taste for the battered fried olives (on a stick, of course).

I just hope it's not too hot when I go, nothing puts a damper on my eating at the fair more than hot, humid weather - and then I feel like I've missed the whole experience.