The great state fair

My first visit was on my first night at college ... nearly 40 years ago. They bundled a bunch of freshmen into a bus and dropped us off at the Minnesota State Fair. In three hours, they said they would pick us up again.

That's all it took -- three hours to fall in love.

Damn near every state has a fair of some sort. It is an uniquely American tradition. (My friend Steph Harris says the county fair near where she grew up in northern New York is actually bigger and better than the state fair in Syracuse.)

The Minnesota fair isn't far from our house. It is a marvel to see. Think of the oddest food you can name -- something that would never appear in a grocery store (like elephant ears) and you'll find it here. It has the usual elements - a fun Midway, a place called Ye Olde Mill where couples can ride a canoe in (for the most part) the dark for a few minutes, animal exhibits, arcades, fun houses, a rollercoaster, etc.

But where this fair makes its mark is the many unusual exhibits - such as a Butterfly House and Machinery Hill - where people get to check out tractors, motorcycles and fireplaces.

On a day like today (high 70s and sunny), the place will be packed to the brim.

They used to run horse and car races here. They stopped that a while back but they have great outdoor concerts at a big venue (Tim McGraw tonite) and smaller ones with groups like the great Nitty Gritty Dirt Band at others.

But the biggest thing is the people watching. It is the one place where people seem to go to forget their troubles. Oh, politicians have their booths here. But none of them seem to do a booming business. People go to the fair to forget about that sort of stuff. They want to eat mini-doughnuts and cheese curds at their own pace. They want to simply walk outside and enjoy the last days of summer before school starts.

The most amazing thing to me about the fair is that, even though 100,000 plus people walk through the gates every day and the place is huge, you still manage to run into an astounding amount of people you know. Old classmates, old workmates, old girlfriends. You tend to forget your past issues and complaints. You simply smile, walk at your own pace and enjoy the sights and sounds of the place.

In this fast-moving complicated world with cellphones, dvd players, computers, etc., it is a nice break.

Frankly, we need more of these diversions. But this one will do nicely for now.