The song goes “Our State Fair is a great State Fair, don’t miss it, don’t even be late.” Minnesotans are pretty proud of our Fair, it’s twelve days of food, entertainment, food, people watching, concerts, food, shopping, and did we mention food? Good thing calories consumed at The Fair don’t count!
The GMLTC started with the Grandstand last year, and then just added on and added on some more. And since I took these pictures four days ago, there is probably more stuff added since then! The Fair is just a couple miles north of the Twin Cities Model Railroad Museum.
The real Fair runs 12 days from August to Labor Day, ours will be set up until the later part of September.
Some pictures!
The main entrance off Snelling Avenue. My Dad helped build the real thing back in the late 1970s. 🙂 The lines to enter are usually longer than this!An overall shot, two 60″ x 40″ tables set up in an L. We’re trying to pack in as many landmarks and minifigs as we can. The Grandstand started it all. The real thing seats around 9000, ours is only a couple hundred. There is a ‘Princess Rock’ band on the stage.Fairchild welcomes visitors to The Fair, here he’s standing on one of the information kiosks.
Food stands! The Fair is famous for ‘food on a stick’, it makes it easier to eat and walk around.
The Blue Barn is near the west entrance to the Fairgrounds, where many of the shuttle buses drop off attendees.Almost every year Sweet Martha’s Chocolate Chip cookies sell more dollars worth of food than any other vendor. They sell millions of cookies every year! Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, and Cookie Monster are having more than most people eat.The deep fried pickle stand was built by some of our KFOL teen train engineers. The 1919 Draft Root Beer stand.Bayou Bob’s sells alligator on a stick, and one of the hidden treats at The Fair – frozen grapes. So good on a hot day.Next door to Bob’s is the Roast Corn stand. Just butter on mine, please.
Some of the different entertainment venues.
The northern part of the Fairgrounds used to be called “Machinery Hill”, because that’s where the agriculture equipment was displayed. Now days there are fewer tractors and other equipment, but we had to at least have a few on the layout. Who knew that R2 units qualified?
The Giant Slide has been at The Fair for as long as I can remember, at least 45 years. Grab a burlap sack to ride on, and down you go! The Space Tower is an observation tower that gives a great view of the grounds and surrounding neighborhoods. We’re trying to get ours to go up and down, but haven’t quite got it working yet. The SkyRide gondola crosses the grounds east to west. Ours works, but needs attention. Finally, the Haunted House is a popular attraction on the south end.
Another shot of the Haunted House. There are zombies out and about! Ye Old Mill raft ride is just to the left, I didn’t get a good picture of it.Over the years, some of the big old trees on the grounds have died, and have been turned into chainsaw sculptures. I don’t think these guys are doing it the safest way they could! A Pronto-Pup stand is in the background.The Northwoods Stage is on the north end, and has lumberjack competitions, and jumping dogs catching frisbees in the pool.I don’t think there are squirrels selling acorns, but I’m not really certain!
GMLTC.ORG 