Minnesotans love their fair and it's easy to see w...

Minnesotans love their fair and it's easy to see why. The fair has an upbeat youthful energy, with lots to see and do, and is great fun for kids. Prices are reasonable, and there are a huge number of food stands. We also met some really generous people who were excited to share their love of the fair with us. However, the location and setup feels like a small-town fair that grew too fast without keeping up on amenities. Getting to and from the fair is difficult. While the city brings in extra buses and transit services, the location doesn't sit on a major public transport line. The main food pavilion is cramped, with limited food options and almost no seating. Outside the food pavilions is little better, with inadequate seating. Walking around, you mainly see the same food stand companies repeated at regular intervals; perhaps the fair had unique character in food at one time, but that's largely gone. That said, there were some gems (like the warm baked cookies). Some food stands were downright abysmal. Out of the 7 we tried, only 2 were really good (burgers & cookies). The animal, farming, honey, and informational stands were great, and it was nice to see an open-air amphitheatre. While we met some really lovely people, I didn't appreciate the many dirty looks my partner got from the presumably red-hatters; it just made us want to leave. Overall, after having been to Toronto's CnE for the last few years, the Minnesota State Fair doesn't come close to competing in transit, food range, food quality (in particular), amenities, and diversity. Still, if you're in town, it's a must-do, especially if you have kids.