What's New at the 2010 Minnesota State Fair

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ST. PAUL, MINN. (08/17/2010)(readMedia)-- The 2010 Minnesota State Fair runs Thursday, Aug. 26 through Labor Day, Sept. 6 and will feature dozens of new attractions and exhibits, many of which are free with the price of admission. Additionally, several rides, dozens of food options and new competitions will debut at this year's Great Minnesota Get-Together.

NEW ATTRACTIONS & EXHIBITS

The DIRT

Master gardeners, florists, Christmas tree growers and other experts team up to offer informative demonstrations and question and answer sessions from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day in the Agriculture Horticulture Building.

Seed Survivor

Located in The DIRT demonstration area in the Agriculture Horticulture Building, this interactive and educational exhibit teaches youth about the elements needed for seeds to grow into mature plants. Seed Survivor features multi-media and virtual reality games, insect video scopes, sunflower planting stations, talking walls and more.

Green Street

Located at the Eco Experience in the Progress Center, this is a mini-version of a walkable neighborhood with community space, renewable energy and carbon footprint-reducing transportation options. The model street includes a community garden, play area, rain garden, public performance space and "distributed" energy sources including a carport and electric car charging station.

Eco Experience Demonstrations

New Eco Experience presentations in the Progress Center include: information on renewable energy, energy saving tips and the production of sustainable plastics.

Ag Magic Show

Located on the Christensen Farms Stage at the CHS Miracle of Birth Center, this educational and engaging show uses magic to teach kids about agriculture. The Ag Magic Show is sponsored by the Minnesota Dairy Association, Minnesota Farm Bureau and Minnesota Livestock Breeders Association.

Choo Choo Bob's Train Store and Show

The Choo Choo Bob exhibit celebrates trains with operating trains, a play areas for kids, photo opportunities, a train museum for adults, train and railroad items for sale, live entertainment with shows running four times daily, the opportunity for a fair guest to be "Engineer of the Hour" and more. Admission is free for infants; $2 for all other ages with half-price admission on Seniors and Kids Days.

Charro Jerry Diaz

Charro Jerry Diaz will perform at select English and Western Horse Shows and Minnesota High School Rodeos at the Warner Coliseum. Diaz is a fourth generation charro, continuing the traditions that originated with his great grandfather over 150 years ago in Mexico. He dresses in traditional costume and combines mariachi music with skilled horsemanship, bull riding, horse and steer roping, and trick roping.

I Can Camp!

On Friday, Aug. 27, three families, selected by the DNR, will camp overnight at DNR Park on the fairgrounds to promote the State Park Program I Can Camp!

NEW RIDES

The Mighty Midway features rides, games of skill and concessions. There are six new rides on the Mighty Midway: Avalanche, Hard Rock, Magic Maze Glass House, Magnum, Rock-It and Windstorm. Rock-It rotates 360 degrees while spinning riders' seats. Windstorm is an amusement park-size roller coaster with more than 1,400 feet of track, a 30-foot drop and a diving, high-speed turn.

The Kidway features rides, attractions and concessions for children and families. There are two new rides at Kidway: Beetle Bobs and Expo Gondola Wheel.

Adventure Park (sponsored by Coca-Cola) features extreme rides and attractions for thrill-seekers. Returning rides include Skyscraper, Sling Shot, Turbo Bungy and a Rock Climbing Wall. New at Adventure Park is EuroBobbles. Fair guests climb into giant inflatable plastic bubbles and walk, run, jump, dance and float in a 40-foot pool of water without getting wet. These clear balls turn thrill seekers into human hamsters.

NEW COMPETITIONS

Asian Chicken Class

Asian chicken breeds will be added as a poultry judging category. Types include Shamo, Dwarf Ko Sham AOL, Thai and Vietnamese Ga Don.

Suri Class Llama Showcase

Suri Llamas, which are very rare with ultra-fine fleece, will be added to the Lama showcase.

Jewelry Class - Fine Arts

Jewelry has been added as an enterable class in the Fine Arts show.

FFA Supreme Breeding Animal

This title is awarded to livestock considered the best of the best in each judging class.

All Breeds Supreme Halter Show

The grand champion stallions, mares and geldings from the four Draft Breed shows will compete in the All Breeds Supreme Halter Show on Monday, Aug. 30 at 6 p.m. in the Warner Coliseum.

NEW FOOD & VENDORS

The Minnesota State Fair is known for its impressive menu of traditional favorites, family-style dining halls, regional specialties, exotic fare, desserts, beverages and more than 60 items on-a-stick. There are more than 450 foods available at 300-plus food concessions.

This year's food additions include: deep-fried bacon cheddar mashed potatoes on-a-stick; deep-fried bologna on-a-stick; rainbow trout on-a-stick; chicken chipotle pizza on-a-stick; caramel apple puppies (fudge puppy with baked apple and covered with caramel) and turtle puppies (fudge puppy covered in caramel and nuts); cheese pizza served with corn dogs (a cheese pizza topped with sliced corn dogs); chicken fried bacon (thick-cut bacon battered, breaded and fried and served in a boat covered with gravy); chocolate tornado (spiral-cut tornado potato dipped in chocolate); Cincinnati chili (spaghetti noodles smothered with chili and topped with shredded cheddar, beans and diced onions); Danny Boy burger (burger made with corned beef and covered with kraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing); deep-fried cheeseburger sliders; deep-fried shortcake (shortcake batter deep-fried and covered with strawberries and ice cream); fresh fruit salsa and chips (salsa made on-site from fresh fruit and served with tortilla chips); fried pig ears (thinly sliced pigs ears dusted in seasoned flour, fried until crispy and served with lime chipotle glaze); ghost wings (chicken wings covered in a habanero pepper sauce); grilled marshmallow, chocolate and banana sandwich; Korean Moon BBQ tacos (Korean "street vendor" style tacos with spicy/sweet pork or chicken); sausage and cheese-stuffed jalapeno poppers; sloppy Joe served over spiral-cut potato chips; shrimp or BLT fajitas and seafood salad.

New food vendors include: Hot Apple Dumplings serving hot fresh-baked apple dumplings with ice cream; Manny's Tortas offering Cuban, chicken, vegetarian or Hawaiian-style gourmet Mexican tortas (sandwiches served on a roll with cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion, avocado, jalapenos, refried beans and chipotle pepper mayo), also featuring non-alcoholic pina coladas served in a pineapple; Icandylicious offering retro and contemporary bulk candy; Sutter's Taffy offering salt water taffy made fresh on site; and Safari Express (located in the International Bazaar's Midtown Global Market Kitchen Aug. 30 – Sept. 2) serving traditional East African Somali fare with camel on-a-stick and fresh whole spiced mango on-a-stick.

For a listing of all foods and where to find them, visit the official food finder of the Minnesota State Fair, Fairborne's Fabulous Fair Food Finder, at mnstatefair.org.

The fair also features over 1,000 non-food related commercial vendors and exhibits. This year there are more than 30 new vendors and exhibits. New additions include: a retro arcade at the X-Zone, Webkinz, My Little Rodeo (rodeo-themed kids wear, etc.), My BFF (My Best Friend Fish - a kit to grow live fish right before your eyes), Animals in Disaster (an interactive educational exhibit where visitors will be taught about preparing and dealing with their beloved pets during a disaster), I Like You (handmade items by Minnesota artists and crafters), Awesome Rods (Emmrod brand compact casting fishing poles), Builders Association of the Twin Cities (Parade of Homes and Remodelers Showcase information and guides) and Arrowhead Toboggan & Sled Co. (handmade toboggans).

OTHER NEW ELEMENTS

State Fair Four

State Fair Fours celebrate the Great Minnesota Get-Together's best food, attractions, shopping, entertainment, bargains and experiences. These lists of fair favorites are created by fair fans at mnstatefair.org to showcase what they love about their Minnesota State Fair.

2010 Minnesota State Fair Commemorative Art by Deborah Voyda Rogers

White Bear Lake artist Deborah Voyda Rogers is best known for using brilliant pastel and rich color to create vivid renderings of landscapes, nature, architecture and animals. The original pastel piece, created exclusively for the State Fair, boldly showcases some of the Great Minnesota Get-Together's most prominent and historically significant architecture. Commemorative merchandise featuring Rogers' art is available at State FairWear Gift Shops on the fairgrounds, as well as in the Fine Arts Center and at State Fair Foundation Kiosks. Proceeds support the Minnesota State Fair Foundation 501(c)(3) and its mission to preserve State Fair buildings, grounds and educational experiences. The original art will be displayed in the Fine Arts Center during the fair.

State Fair Survival Kits

During the fair, the State Fair Foundation is offering State Fair Survival Kits to new and renewing Friends of the Fair (while supplies last). The kits include essentials for a great day at the fair.

A Fabulous Fair Alphabet

Celebrated Minnesota author and illustrator, Debra Frasier, has created the book A Fabulous Fair Alphabet. From the thousands of signs and letters she photographed at the State Fair, Frasier designed 26 alphabet collages that follow the arc of a day at the fair. This year the State Fair Foundation invites fairgoers to play the new Find Your Fabulous Fair Alphabet game. Designed by Frasier, this vocabulary building game challenges families to collect words they see, read, hear, feel or taste at the fair. Players who complete a game card with words from the fair win a blue ribbon from the Fabulous Fair Alphabet Booth at Family Fair in Baldwin Park. Families can also take pictures with fair letters, purchase the book that inspired the game and participate in other alphabet activities in Baldwin Park. An exhibit of the book's original artwork is displayed at the J.V. Bailey House between noon and 2 p.m. daily, where fair guests can meet the author and purchase a book. Books may be purchased for $15 at State FairWear Gift Shops, the Fabulous Fair Alphabet Booth in Baldwin Park and the J.V. Bailey House. A portion of the proceeds supports the State Fair Foundation's mission.

mnstatefair.org Goes Mobile at m.mnstatefair.org

The State Fair's new mobile website m.mnstatefair.org is live, allowing users of smart phones to use search tools including Food Finder, Merch Search and Fun Finder. The new site features Google maps integration, which uses each phone's built-in GPS to give guests instant directions to attractions, exhibits and food stands. From locating a cheese curd stand to confirming the music playing at the Bandshell, m.mnstatefair.org has everything to make a trip to the State Fair more convenient. (There is no application to download and the site works with most smart phones.)

J.V. Bailey House Tours

The Minnesota State Fair Foundation is offering free guided tours of the J.V. Bailey House, the fair's historic greenhouse residence, daily at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Guests will have the chance to learn about the history of the home and the Foundation.

For more information about the 2010 Minnesota State Fair, visit mnstatefair.org or call (651) 288-4400.