FUN AT THE FAIR

County fair time was the highlight of summer for me. It was the BIG EVENT for the entire community. I was active in 4-H and would compete against my friends to win Grand Champion or at least a blue ribbon in each category that I entered. People would compete in open class ranging from food, arts-n-crafts, crops, and animals. There was a large carnival with rides, beer tent, free entertainment, food, and vendors selling their wares. It was exciting and exhausting.

I ventured to the Hennepin County Fair last weekend (June 16th). My last visit was eight years ago. Housing developments have swallowed up the farms as the city encroaches on the fairgrounds. The fair occurs at Lion’s Park in Corcoran. Due to the rainy weather, the parking lot was a mud pit and the park had woodchips scattered about to disguise puddles.

The fair consists of a small carnival area, a large tent for open class competition, a couple tents filled with vendors, food booths, entertainment tent, beer tent, and 4-H tent. There was a petting zoo, lumberjack show, and track used for a tracker pull and demolition derby. Considering that Hennepin County has one of the largest populations of Minnesota, the fair is tiny. I suppose it is due to the dizzying array of entertainment in the Twin Cities area. The Ramsey County Fair is rather small, too.

The main irritant was lack of real toilets and running water. All the housing development means that sewer lines must be nearby. The park needs that upgrade very badly as well as gravel in the parking lot. It would be amenable to locate a unique form of entertainment to make the fair special. Hennepin County charges an entry fee whereas Ramsey County does not. The Dakota County and Washington Fairs charge a small entry free. They offer an outstanding experience, probably because they still have more rural residents. I do love the fair but feel sad for the urban kids who will never experience the thrill of the big event in town.

Fair needs flair.
© Copyright 2013 Ima B. Musing: all rights reserved.

CASH MOB ST PAUL MN EVENT NUMBER ONE

Announcing our FIRST Cash Mob St Paul MN event!! Help support a local business by spending at least $20 cash at this event. More details are on our Facebook page "Cash Mob St Paul MN" Join our community and come to our events as they fit your schedule.
Date: July (look on our page for exact date)
Time:  6pm
Location: TO BE ANNOUNCED a day or two before the event, please check back on the Facebook page for details. Somewhere in the East Metro area of the Twin Cities (Ramsey, Dakota, or Washington County).

The cash mob rules are simple.
1. Spend $20 cash (more or less but cash does speed up the check out process).
2. Chat with three people that you don’t know but please bring along a friend or two.
3. Enjoy yourself! We want this to be a fun experience for everyone.

Please RSVP with “Join” if you can make it, SHARE THIS INVITATION WITH OTHERS via Facebook, and invite your friends. If you can’t attend, you can temporarily join with a “Maybe” to invite your friends and then decline at a later date. Please decline before the event if you have to cancel. Join our Facebook community page at “Cash Mob St Paul MN” to receive notification of future events.

Optional: Wear something green to the event to indicate that you are a member of the Cash Mob…just an idea, not a requirement.

Thank you ever so much!

PS If you can’t join us for this event, please patronize the business another time and let them know that you heard about their business from Cash Mob St Paul MN.

© 2012 Ima B. Musing