The Great Minnesota Get-Together is in full swing! In this special episode of So Much More, Jill Renslow, Sara Johnson and Kelsey Cunningham share their favorite Minnesota State Fair traditions, memories, foods and can’t-miss experiences—all recorded on opening day of the Fair.
You’ll also hear directly from Fair and Mall of America fans about what they love most about the Great Minnesota Get-Together, from favorite foods and activities to the things that still surprise them after all these years. Plus, Jill tests the fair-going personalities of Sara and Kelsey with a fun round of “This or That.”
Whether you’ve already been to the Fair or still have a visit on your calendar, this episode is packed with tips, favorites and inspiration to help you make the most of your time at the Great Minnesota Get-Together.
1:00 The Mall of America opening day booth – an annual tradition
1:35 State Fair tips and fair favorites from SJ, Kelsey and Jill
5:00 Traditions and memories from the fair
6:30 Hearing directly from our fair-going fans; person-on-the-street interviews
18:30 ‘This Or That’ with Kelsey and SJ
19:45 Reactions from the MOA crew to fan feedback and recommendations
Visit: https://www.mnstatefair.org/
Visit: https://www.mallofamerica.com/
Guests: Fans of the Great Minnesota Get-Together, The Minnesota State Fair
Hosts: Jill Renslow, Sara Johnson, Kelsey Cunningham
Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.
00:00 --> 00:05 Mall of America. It's home to world-class shopping, great dining, and amazing
00:05 --> 00:09 attractions and events. And these are our stories presented by Bloomington,
00:09 --> 00:12 Minnesota Travel and Tourism. Hey, Mall of America fans,
00:12 --> 00:15 welcome to this special episode of So Much More. As you can see, we are
00:15 --> 00:18 here at the Minnesota State Fair. It is the big Minnesota
00:18 --> 00:22 get-together. So excited. It is opening day, but when you see this, you're gonna
00:23 --> 00:25 be ready for the final weekend for Labor Day weekend. So we're gonna try to
00:26 --> 00:29 give you some tips and tricks to get you ready for your outing here at
00:29 --> 00:32 the State Fair. But first off, I have Kelsey and SJ with me. We're going
00:33 --> 00:36 to give you some of our fan favorite tips and ideas, and then we're going
00:37 --> 00:38 to throw it over to the fairgoers and see if they have some things to
00:38 --> 00:42 share with you. So first off, you guys, we are sitting in front of our
00:42 --> 00:46 activations. So we've been doing this for about 4 years on opening day.
00:46 --> 00:50 We bring Mall of America to the fair. It's super fun. SJ, any highlights
00:50 --> 00:52 you want to share of what we do here at the fair? Oh my gosh.
00:52 --> 00:55 Well, Jill, first and foremost, we are giving away essentially everything.
00:55 --> 00:58 It feels like anything you could want, whether it's attraction passes,
00:58 --> 01:02 our famous totes Everyone loves our Mall of America bags. They are always a big
01:02 --> 01:05 fan favorite. We do face painting. I mean, we really have it all.
01:06 --> 01:08 Anything you want to experience at Mall of America, you can experience with us at
01:08 --> 01:11 the fair. I love it. And the line has been long since we opened it
01:11 --> 01:14 up. Kelsey, when did they start lining up for Mall of America Flair? Oh,
01:15 --> 01:18 right when we opened. So we opened at 7 AM and we saw a line
01:18 --> 01:21 right out the gate. I love it. And we have the parade going by,
01:22 --> 01:25 so hopefully you're hearing all of that excitement and energy. So ladies, when you come
01:26 --> 01:28 to the fair, what is the first thing that you head towards once you either
01:29 --> 01:32 park your car or you come out of the campground or you You come from
01:32 --> 01:35 the shuttle, where do you head first? I need a coffee right away. So my
01:36 --> 01:39 go-to is French Meadows. I need my coffee. I need like a scone, something quick
01:39 --> 01:42 to get in and get my caffeine. That's my go-to. I love it. How about
01:42 --> 01:45 you, SJ? You guys already know I go straight to the Pronto Pup. Coffee's a
01:45 --> 01:48 close second, but I would say Pronto Pup for breakfast and I get it in
01:48 --> 01:52 the afternoon too. You had quite a few last year. I think there's some snacks
01:52 --> 01:54 in between too. You are a huge fan. Maybe 4. Which we have to talk
01:55 --> 01:58 about. So Pronto Pup or corn dog? Always a Pronto Pup. I do think they're
01:58 --> 02:02 different. They taste distinctly different. Yes, I like Pronto Pup as well. I'm a
02:03 --> 02:05 Pronto Pup gal too. Okay, 3 for 3. I love that. So when I come
02:05 --> 02:08 to the fair, I think the first thing is just to kind of check it
02:08 --> 02:11 all out, figure out like where everybody's at. We have a beautiful day today.
02:12 --> 02:15 Hopefully it continues to have beautiful weather because we love that. Okay, the fair is
02:15 --> 02:18 all about the food. What is your favorite food here at the fair? If you
02:19 --> 02:21 had just one thing that you could go to, what is it going to be?
02:21 --> 02:24 I'm going to say Pronto Pup, you guys. It is that— I just love it.
02:24 --> 02:27 I do it every year. That, and then also the,
02:27 --> 02:31 um, it's the Pronto Pup, Kelsey, the egg roll. Oh my
02:31 --> 02:35 gosh, the egg roll is delicious every time Kelsey and I go. Okay, I also
02:35 --> 02:38 have to get my Sweet Martha's. I need a bucket of Sweet Martha's cookies for
02:38 --> 02:41 sure. I love it. These are like the staples. For me, it's mini donuts and
02:41 --> 02:45 cheese curds. Okay, those are the favorites. But there's also a lot of new food
02:45 --> 02:48 at the fair every single year. So I know we took a little sneak peek,
02:49 --> 02:52 we're still scouting it out, and hopefully we're gonna hear from fairgoers of what we
02:52 --> 02:55 need to go check out because we're gonna have to go eat today. Of course,
02:55 --> 02:58 that's part of the fair. So have you guys heard or seen anything about
02:58 --> 03:01 new this year that you wanna check out? Okay, I really wanna see the pickle
03:02 --> 03:05 pie from Lulu's. That sounds so interesting to me. And we were talking
03:05 --> 03:08 like, is it savory? Is it sweet? I think we've
03:08 --> 03:12 learned it's savory. So I kind of hope it's savory.
03:12 --> 03:15 Right, right. Would be a little weird. Yeah. How about you, SJ?
03:15 --> 03:19 Dubai Whoopie Pie. I'm a dessert person all the way. Obviously I love
03:19 --> 03:22 my Pronto Pub, but I feel like next up is the desserts and the Dubai
03:22 --> 03:25 Whoopie Pie feels like it's gonna be amazing. I'm excited. I think it's really
03:26 --> 03:27 fun when I go with my girlfriends every year, we try to make a list
03:28 --> 03:30 of all the new things. I feel like Lulu's is always like on the edge
03:30 --> 03:34 of always launching something new, but we always make a list and that's kind
03:34 --> 03:37 of like how we journey through the fair. It's like it's always on
03:37 --> 03:40 the scavenger hunt for food. Yeah, I think that's kind of common things to do,
03:41 --> 03:44 but super excited to see that new list. I know from a product perspective,
03:45 --> 03:48 I heard about the Santa Bear, the State Fair themed Santa
03:49 --> 03:52 Bear, obviously a beloved theme for Minnesotans from Dayton's back in the
03:53 --> 03:56 day. But it's up in the grandstand level 2 next to Adam Turman. So I'm
03:57 --> 04:00 definitely going to stop by there and check out the little Santa bear. Anything else
04:00 --> 04:03 that you guys have a must-have this year? Oh, I have to go on the
04:03 --> 04:06 giant slide every year as well. So I have to check out the attractions.
04:06 --> 04:10 Giant slide, I must go on it. And then the sky glider. We're right next
04:10 --> 04:12 to it every year when we set up and I love going on it.
04:12 --> 04:16 So much fun. Obviously you like heights. You're okay with heights. Just scope
04:17 --> 04:19 it all out. It is good. How about you, SJ? My 2 are, which we're
04:19 --> 04:22 really close to, the Ferris wheel. Love the Ferris wheel. And I also love the—
04:22 --> 04:25 is it the butterfly garden? Um, where the butterflies are, they're so delightful.
04:26 --> 04:29 It's my favorite every year. I'm a big grandstand person. I like to
04:29 --> 04:32 check out the little shops, but there's so many areas within the fair that have
04:32 --> 04:36 great retail. And I feel like the fair's really stepped up their game from a
04:36 --> 04:39 retail perspective because it's not the same thing over and over. You see a lot
04:40 --> 04:43 of artisans and, and retailers that do a really great job with fair component.
04:43 --> 04:46 So I love to eat and I love to shop and I love to listen
04:46 --> 04:49 to music. There's so much great live music peppered throughout the fair.
04:49 --> 04:53 So it's also kind of looking at that entertainment list to see who's playing where
04:53 --> 04:57 so you can kind of plan out your day accordingly. Absolutely. Okay, so any other
04:57 --> 05:01 fun traditions that you had as a young person growing up or that you still
05:01 --> 05:03 keep today? Traditions and the fair go hand in hand.
05:04 --> 05:07 Ours is to like where we meet up. So our family always meets
05:08 --> 05:10 at the ballpark. So we're like, wherever you're at during the day, if we're like,
05:11 --> 05:14 let's meet up at 2, it's going to be at the ballpark. Yeah. I would
05:14 --> 05:17 say from a familial standpoint, I grew up in Iowa. So Iowa State Fair to
05:18 --> 05:21 the Minnesota State Fair, since I've been up here for a while, is coming in
05:21 --> 05:24 and starting with food. We start the food journey immediately and we have— my
05:25 --> 05:28 family loves lemonade. So we actually typically start lemonade and then go straight into the
05:28 --> 05:31 pronto pup or corn dog if you're in Iowa. Well, that's the key. If you
05:31 --> 05:34 can come with a group, you can try more things because every time you get
05:35 --> 05:37 something, you can share it. Otherwise you get full. You gotta spread it out throughout
05:37 --> 05:39 the day, right? You have to strategize what that looks like. You want to maximize.
05:40 --> 05:43 I love that, I love that. I know growing up we literally came at the
05:44 --> 05:47 opening minute to the closing minute. Like, we were always like, we have
05:47 --> 05:51 to get our money's worth. We are there open to close. And my mom was
05:51 --> 05:54 like the ultimate shopper of all of the different demonstrations,
05:54 --> 05:57 especially through the Grandstand and like the Creative Building and stuff. We had to sit
05:58 --> 06:01 as kids and look through, listen to every single demonstration. And honestly, our household
06:01 --> 06:05 growing up was filled with all of those. And you'd use it for like a
06:05 --> 06:07 month or something and then it would go. But it's so much fun to have
06:07 --> 06:10 great memories. And it's so similar to Mall of America because it is
06:11 --> 06:14 about being together as a family, creating memories, it's traditions. So we're gonna talk about,
06:15 --> 06:18 to state fairgoers about that and find their common things that they
06:18 --> 06:22 do here, but also how that ties into Mall of America. So fans,
06:22 --> 06:26 followers, listeners, we are gonna turn it over to the state fairgoers right
06:26 --> 06:28 now and learn some of the other tips and tricks they have to get you
06:29 --> 06:30 ready for your experience here at the fair.
06:40 --> 06:44 Hey everybody, we have Suzanne and Clint from Minneapolis here with us today. Big fairgoers
06:45 --> 06:47 and Mall of America fans. So let's hear, what was the first thing that you
06:48 --> 06:52 did when you came out to the fair today? I volunteered for AFSCME, my union.
06:53 --> 06:55 Okay, so you got to work a little bit in the morning and now you
06:55 --> 06:57 get to play a little bit in the afternoon. Okay, so once you were done
06:58 --> 07:00 with work, where did you go to play first? I went to the Fine Arts
07:01 --> 07:04 Building. Okay. And what's your favorite thing at the fair?
07:05 --> 07:07 My favorite thing is the Fine Arts Building, which I think is why we went
07:07 --> 07:11 there. Yeah. What's at the Fine Arts Building that draws you in?
07:12 --> 07:14 Well, I love seeing all the local work, and I especially love the photography,
07:14 --> 07:16 but a couple of my friends have pieces in it, so I always make sure
07:17 --> 07:19 to go out and see their stuff on the wall. Okay. The fair is all
07:19 --> 07:22 about the food. What's your favorite food? It's got to be the cookies.
07:23 --> 07:26 Sweet Martha's. I love it. You know, Dino's was my first
07:26 --> 07:28 client when I was a kid, so I always try to stop there and see
07:29 --> 07:32 if I can get some freebies from his family. Anything new this year that you
07:32 --> 07:36 guys are trying out? Uh, I gotta go with the pickle pizza again. Did you
07:36 --> 07:39 try it? Is it good? It's amazing. Okay, so we were talking, is it more
07:40 --> 07:43 savory, like more of like an appetizer type of item? I mean, it's divisive,
07:43 --> 07:47 like pineapple on a pizza, right? Like you'll either love it or hate
07:47 --> 07:51 it. Okay, we're gonna check that. That's Lulu's, right? Oh, it's right—
07:51 --> 07:54 oh, it's still convenient. We are, we are there. Okay,
07:54 --> 07:56 so what is the weirdest thing you've ever seen at the fair?
07:59 --> 08:02 My dad. Do you guys come every year?
08:02 --> 08:06 Is this a classic ongoing? I go about once a
08:06 --> 08:09 year. And this is the first day, so I'm— this is all
08:09 --> 08:13 new to me. He comes about once a year. Once a year. I love that.
08:13 --> 08:16 Any fun traditions that you do every time you come here at the fair?
08:16 --> 08:19 Yeah, we have a bench for my mom and my brother, so we go visit
08:19 --> 08:22 those. I love that. Do they move it around every year? Okay, so that's the
08:22 --> 08:25 treasure hunt that you have to find. So that's a fun tradition to do.
08:25 --> 08:29 That is really sweet. I love that. Okay, so you're also fans of of Mall
08:29 --> 08:32 of America. What's your favorite thing to do at the mall? Uh, there's a new
08:33 --> 08:36 chocolate shop that just opened up that I'm kind of obsessed with. Ladder Rock,
08:37 --> 08:39 I'm assuming, is what you're talking about. Uh, we might go there once in a
08:39 --> 08:42 while. We've talked about that. See you frequently. I love it. For me, it's the
08:43 --> 08:45 same thing that I like at the fair. It's all the people watching, the— all
08:46 --> 08:49 the crazy outfits, and see who's getting all the tattoos. And just, I don't know,
08:49 --> 08:52 it's fun to see everyone out and, and mingling. I love it. And so if
08:53 --> 08:56 you have out-of-town guests that come to visit you in the summer this time of
08:56 --> 08:59 year, what are the 3 things in Minnesota that you recommend them to
08:59 --> 09:03 do? Yeah, it's the State Fair, the Mall of America, and the Walker Art
09:04 --> 09:07 Center. I love it. Good answer. That is a good answer. Yeah,
09:07 --> 09:10 it's probably the Stone Arch Bridge area, um,
09:11 --> 09:15 a concert, like a small venue concert at First Ave, and then whether
09:16 --> 09:17 I want them to or not, they're going to go to the Mall of America.
09:17 --> 09:20 And I give them all the best tips because I have like a mental map
09:20 --> 09:23 Like, it's once you've lived here long enough, you just have it all go in
09:23 --> 09:26 this gate, park in this spot, and you kind of help them be efficient about
09:26 --> 09:29 it. I love it. Well, Clint and Suzanne, thank you for joining us on So
09:30 --> 09:32 Much More. Enjoy your day at the fair. Thank you. Love it. Thank you.
09:36 --> 09:38 We are here with Tate and Koa. They're from Shafer,
09:38 --> 09:42 Minnesota. Some more State Fair fans. So let's hear, what is your
09:42 --> 09:45 favorite thing to do here at the Minnesota State Fair?
09:48 --> 09:51 The cutest fan we've ever had on. Face paint.
09:52 --> 09:55 Face painting. Well, you look absolutely adorable.
09:56 --> 09:58 Do you have a favorite food that you have at the state fair?
09:59 --> 10:02 Yeah, Pronto Pup.
10:03 --> 10:06 Pronto Pup. We love the Pronto Pups. You know,
10:06 --> 10:10 SJ's had like 3 of them already today. I have breakfast, lunch, and maybe
10:10 --> 10:13 dinner. Yes, it's so much fun. So Tate, what is
10:14 --> 10:17 your family tradition here at the fair? Uh, we love
10:17 --> 10:20 going to the barns. And do you have a favorite animal that you
10:20 --> 10:23 look for at the barn? Yeah, a giraffe.
10:23 --> 10:27 A giraffe? Well, when you find one, will you let us know where to find
10:27 --> 10:31 a giraffe? Yeah. Okay, I love that. I love that. Do you have a favorite
10:31 --> 10:34 ride, or do you— have you been on the giant slide before?
10:35 --> 10:38 Big slide. We love the big slide.
10:39 --> 10:44 I love that. So any other traditions or things that you would Daddy,
10:46 --> 10:49 I want— why was it on Daddy?
10:49 --> 10:53 Yeah. So did you guys start off first thing this morning? What was the first
10:53 --> 10:57 thing that you did? Um, what did we do? Uh, we went to French fries.
10:57 --> 11:00 Yep, French fries, it's classic. Any entertainment
11:01 --> 11:04 that you are looking forward to this year? Um, the Kidway and the Midway is
11:04 --> 11:08 our, our big thing this year. Well, you guys have
11:08 --> 11:12 a fabulous time at the Minnesota State Fair. Can you say bye to everybody?
11:12 --> 11:15 Wave to the camera. Thanks, guys.
11:17 --> 11:19 Oh, it might be on TV.
11:22 --> 11:25 Next up, we have Natalia from North Branch. So welcome to the fair
11:25 --> 11:29 and to so much more. Thanks for taking your time out today. So what has
11:29 --> 11:32 been your highlight today so far here at the Minnesota Get-Together? Oh,
11:32 --> 11:35 definitely Martha's Cookies and all the free samples
11:36 --> 11:39 at Caro— oh, Don't let me forget the e.l.f. products. The free e.l.f.
11:39 --> 11:43 products have been amazing. Did you do their drop? Oh yeah, I got
11:43 --> 11:46 like a lip gloss. I got the pickle lip gloss, I got a sunscreen,
11:46 --> 11:50 and I got this other like really good lip gloss. So are they here for
11:50 --> 11:53 the entire duration of the fair? And if so, where are they located so that
11:53 --> 11:56 fans know where to find them? They're literally right next to the Mall of America
11:56 --> 11:59 stand and they're doing the drop from 2 to 4.
12:00 --> 12:04 I love it. So we're on the corner of Underwood and Wright. So we
12:04 --> 12:07 won't be here all the entire span of the fair, but they can
12:08 --> 12:10 find it kind of by the kid midway. So love that. Okay. So you talked
12:11 --> 12:14 about food. What about entertainment? What are you looking forward to this year? Oh,
12:14 --> 12:18 I'm not sure. I'm here for the food, to be honest.
12:18 --> 12:22 Okay. That's the right answer. Do you have any other traditions that you
12:22 --> 12:26 do when you come to the fair? Oh, I like to go to the midway
12:26 --> 12:30 and walk around. Sometimes I do get on rides. But not today.
12:30 --> 12:33 Okay. What is the weirdest thing you've ever seen at the fair?
12:35 --> 12:38 I have to say, like the, the alligator on a stick.
12:39 --> 12:42 Okay. Yeah. Back to food. She's a foodie. I like it. So how about Mall
12:43 --> 12:46 of America? Have you visited Mall of America lately? Yes. Okay. I love
12:46 --> 12:50 going there for the shopping, but my favorite ride is the log ride.
12:50 --> 12:53 The log chute's always the best. You get a photo when you do it as
12:53 --> 12:56 well when you come down. I haven't, but I should. Natalia, you have to.
12:56 --> 13:00 I do it every time I also ride it. It's fantastic. Yeah. So if you
13:00 --> 13:03 have out-of-town visitors that come visit you in Minnesota during the summer, what are
13:04 --> 13:07 the top 3 things that you recommend that they do? Okay, obviously the Mall of
13:08 --> 13:11 America. Um, I take them to Valley Fair
13:12 --> 13:16 and my house. Oh, there you go. Relaxation with entertainment.
13:16 --> 13:19 I like it. Balance. I love it. Okay, favorite stores at the mall right now?
13:19 --> 13:20 Where are you shopping these days?
13:23 --> 13:26 Ooh, I like I like to go look at the
13:27 --> 13:30 makeup, the perfumes. Um, I think
13:31 --> 13:34 e.l.f. I like going to e.l.f., Sephora. Hollister's good too.
13:34 --> 13:38 Yeah, it's great. Well, you enjoy your day at the fair and come visit
13:38 --> 13:41 us as often as you'd like to Mall of America. I love it. Natalia,
13:41 --> 13:42 thank you.
13:45 --> 13:48 We are here with Ashton. He's from Wayzata, Minnesota. So Ashton,
13:48 --> 13:51 tell us, what is your favorite thing about the Minnesota State Fair?
13:52 --> 13:56 Um, probably, uh, the food is the
13:56 --> 14:00 best part. The food. Okay, be more specific. What food is your favorite?
14:00 --> 14:04 Um, the Luigi fries. Oh, fries. Love it. Okay, so if you
14:04 --> 14:07 had only 1 hour to spend at the fair, how would you spend that 1
14:07 --> 14:11 hour? Um, I will go on the Sky Glider and get
14:11 --> 14:14 Luigi fries and, uh, Martha's cookies.
14:14 --> 14:17 Good. So leaving a little time for the lines. That, that is good. That is
14:17 --> 14:21 good. Any, like, special rides that you're gonna go on besides,
14:21 --> 14:24 like, the Sky Ride? Anything else in the Midway? Um,
14:24 --> 14:28 probably, uh, not though. I think that those rides
14:28 --> 14:31 are for, uh, in like the Kid Land or whatever it's called. I think those
14:31 --> 14:35 are for kids a bit younger than me. Gotcha, gotcha. Okay,
14:35 --> 14:38 so if you had friends and family that
14:38 --> 14:42 were here and you like first thing of the day, where are you gonna bring
14:42 --> 14:46 them? Um, probably to Luigi's
14:46 --> 14:49 Prize. Or that's a fan. It is fantastic. Oh, we got a little fan run
14:50 --> 14:53 through here. So fantastic. So do you visit Mall of America often? Um,
14:53 --> 14:57 I'd say like once a month. That's pretty good. Do you have
14:57 --> 15:01 a favorite store that you go to? The LEGO Store. LEGO Store. You done your
15:01 --> 15:05 back-to-school shopping yet? And if so, where are you shopping? Uh, I go
15:05 --> 15:08 to Target for my back-to-school. We love Target as well. That is great.
15:08 --> 15:10 And when you go back to school, you can see what all your friends are
15:11 --> 15:14 wearing, then maybe visit us at the mall, right? Yeah, I love it.
15:14 --> 15:18 Any other advice you have for fairgoers that are coming out here? Like anything
15:18 --> 15:19 new that they have to check out?
15:22 --> 15:26 Um, I saw that there's the new ride
15:26 --> 15:29 that like spins around on the swing. That's a Thriller
15:30 --> 15:33 ride that they should go to. Well, you have a fabulous day at the fair,
15:33 --> 15:36 and hopefully we'll see you soon at Mall of America. Thank you. Thank you so
15:37 --> 15:41 much. Next up, we have Muskan
15:41 --> 15:45 from Eagan, Minnesota. So tell us, what has been the new favorite thing
15:45 --> 15:48 you've done here at the fair. My new favorite thing is watching way more shows
15:49 --> 15:51 because last year we came here, we were really late, so we could only get
15:52 --> 15:54 a little bit of things in. So now we're watching way more shows and it's
15:55 --> 15:58 way more entertaining. So what is the best stage to check out for entertainment?
15:58 --> 16:02 Best stage? I feel like the horses, they give you a lot of entertainment.
16:02 --> 16:05 It's fun to see them gallop. It's fun to see how they're like controlled and
16:06 --> 16:08 it's fun to see them dressed up especially. Okay. I love that. That's true.
16:09 --> 16:10 That's in the Coliseum, right? Yeah. That's a great place to be. Go ahead,
16:11 --> 16:13 SJ. I was gonna say favorite food. Like when you are coming, I know you
16:14 --> 16:16 love entertainment, but what are you gonna eat when you're here? What am I going
16:16 --> 16:19 to eat? I feel like definitely ice cream because that's a favorite.
16:19 --> 16:23 But cheese curds also. I love cheese curds. Oh, they are classic, aren't they?
16:23 --> 16:26 I love that. So when you come to the fair, are you a planner or
16:26 --> 16:30 a wanderer? I'm a wanderer most of the time, but I feel
16:31 --> 16:33 like if I really want to get like a lot of things in, I need
16:33 --> 16:35 to plan it out. But most of the time I'm a wanderer, go with the
16:36 --> 16:38 flow. Okay. State fair in one word. How would you describe it?
16:39 --> 16:42 Chaotic. Okay. So speaking of chaos, what is
16:42 --> 16:45 the weirdest thing that you have seen at the fair, whether it's this year or
16:45 --> 16:48 prior years? It's— there's a lot of weird stuff going on. So what was the
16:49 --> 16:52 weirdest? I feel like I saw a lot of people carrying big pickles, like huge
16:52 --> 16:55 pickles and a lot of marching bands in the parade. A ton of them.
16:56 --> 17:00 And they're really good. Absolutely. So you talked about favorite food. How about
17:00 --> 17:03 like the first thing that you do when you enter the fair every year?
17:03 --> 17:07 Where is that go-to place? The first thing is the information booth to
17:08 --> 17:10 get the maps and stuff. You know, I think it's funny, like everybody knows kind
17:11 --> 17:12 of where to go, but you always have to grab the map. So you need
17:13 --> 17:14 to know where to go. Which I have to say, similar to the Mall of
17:15 --> 17:16 America, you have to come to the guest service or we have directories or we
17:17 --> 17:19 have our app. I feel like it's so important to know where you're going and
17:19 --> 17:22 maximize it. Yes. So when you go to the mall, what's your favorite place to
17:23 --> 17:27 go and shop? The place to shop that I love, the K-pop store that just
17:27 --> 17:30 opened. Yeah, my friend really want to go there. And then my favorite place to
17:30 --> 17:33 like go all the time is the rides. I love the rides. We got a
17:33 --> 17:37 Nickelodeon fan. We love that. We love that. What's your favorite ride in Nickelodeon?
17:37 --> 17:40 The fairy tale. I don't know what it's called, but like it's the roller coaster
17:41 --> 17:44 with 4 people on it and the roller coaster seat goes like— Fairly Odd Coaster.
17:44 --> 17:47 Fairly Odd Coaster. I love that one. I love that. So when
17:47 --> 17:49 you think about Mall of America and State Fair,
17:50 --> 17:53 what kind of is common across the two of those things? People can
17:53 --> 17:56 socialize really easily and it's really fun. Like you could just go with your friends
17:57 --> 17:59 and it's like it's a full day hangout and you could go home and then
18:00 --> 18:03 you crash and then it's just fun. I feel like. Yeah. Well, you have
18:03 --> 18:06 a fabulous time at the fair. Hopefully we'll see you at the mall soon.
18:07 --> 18:10 And thanks, guys. Thanks. Now that
18:11 --> 18:15 we've heard from some
18:15 --> 18:19 of the fairgoers here at the State Fair, we want to
18:19 --> 18:21 kind of talk about how we might adjust our plans or kind of tie it
18:22 --> 18:24 all together. So before we do that, let's do a little bit of this or
18:25 --> 18:28 that with you two, because you guys are super fans of the fair. So we
18:28 --> 18:31 heard about this pickled lip gloss that's just next to us, and we also heard
18:32 --> 18:35 about pickled pie. So which one, pickled lip gloss or pickled pie? Pickled pie.
18:36 --> 18:39 Perfect, because I'm going pickled lip gloss. You knew it.
18:39 --> 18:42 Everything's pickled at the fair. Okay, how about rides or food?
18:42 --> 18:46 Rides. I'm food all the way. Love it.
18:46 --> 18:50 Morning or night? Oh, I like the nighttime. I love the morning.
18:50 --> 18:53 I was here right at the beginning. Like polar opposites. I love this. Okay.
18:54 --> 18:57 Plan it or wing it? Wing it. I'm a full planner.
18:58 --> 19:02 This is why we have 100% here. I know where we're going with
19:02 --> 19:06 this. Shopping or attractions? Attractions. Shopping all the way. You guys
19:06 --> 19:09 split it down the middle. I love it. But that's what's so cool about the
19:10 --> 19:13 fair. There is literally something for everybody. And just like Mall of America,
19:13 --> 19:17 It really, whether you're 3 years old or 83 years old, there is something for
19:17 --> 19:20 you here. And I think we heard that from the guests over here we talked
19:20 --> 19:24 to. I mean, everybody has their fan favorites, but there's also, it's always like the
19:24 --> 19:28 true traditional elements that people always go back to.
19:28 --> 19:30 So it's always fun to try the new things, but it's like you always go
19:30 --> 19:34 back to those traditions. So based on what we heard from the fans, any other
19:34 --> 19:37 thoughts and ideas of what they gave you of ideas that you wanna go check
19:37 --> 19:40 out? Yep. I feel like, well, for me personally, I'm gonna keep going on the
19:40 --> 19:43 food train, but I also was inspired about entertainment. A lot of people talked about
19:44 --> 19:47 the different touchpoints from horses to the barn, to the Kids Way.
19:47 --> 19:50 I feel like there was so much to do, which also gave me thoughts of
19:51 --> 19:53 what to bring to Mall of America, which I feel like we need some more
19:53 --> 19:57 food options. Do we need a Pronto Pup store, Jill? Maybe. You guys,
19:57 --> 20:00 we could talk to leasing about that. That might be a possibility.
20:00 --> 20:03 So Kelsey, well, how about entertainment for you? I mean, as far as food is
20:03 --> 20:06 a common thread, but I would agree. I feel like over the years,
20:07 --> 20:10 the entertainment offerings, there's so many different stages,
20:10 --> 20:13 so many free options. In addition to the Grandstand, of course.
20:13 --> 20:17 But where are your favorite spots for entertainment? Okay, I was gonna say all
20:17 --> 20:20 the Grandstand shows are so fun. It's so fun to see the lineup, but also
20:21 --> 20:23 the fireworks at the end of the night. Like, I like staying late and seeing
20:23 --> 20:26 the fireworks and finding a spot. That's my favorite. Actually,
20:26 --> 20:29 where we're located right here on Underwood and Wright,
20:29 --> 20:32 it is a great location because there is a Sweet Martha's Cookies close by.
20:33 --> 20:36 The big Ferris wheel is close by, and it's beautiful at night lit up,
20:36 --> 20:40 and you can see the fireworks from this area. It's a great spot. So Definitely
20:40 --> 20:43 something to mark on your map. But they also talk about like,
20:43 --> 20:46 don't forget to go to the information booth. Like when you come in, grab your
20:47 --> 20:49 map so it makes it easier. Do a little planning. I think a balance of
20:49 --> 20:53 planning and spontaneity is important because you don't want to miss out those
20:53 --> 20:56 things that you see as you walk along the way. But I think talking to
20:56 --> 21:00 people too, I mean, it's kind of the Progressive commercial, but you want to just
21:00 --> 21:03 kind of insert yourself and like find out where people are going, what they're finding
21:03 --> 21:06 out. And of course, sharing things with your family and friends as they come here
21:06 --> 21:10 day after day. Anything else? Oh, um, biggest trick, Sky Glider.
21:10 --> 21:13 Getting like a one-way ticket at the end of the night, if that's where like
21:13 --> 21:18 the gates that you come through, is getting the Sky Glider.
21:18 --> 21:21 Um, and it takes you over to the north entrance, and just ending your night
21:22 --> 21:24 that way is the best. I'm just going to capitalize on what you said,
21:24 --> 21:27 and Minnesota nice is a real thing. People want to talk to each other,
21:27 --> 21:30 they want to engage, but people also want to share their stories and where they
21:30 --> 21:33 recommend going. So I feel like, do not feel bad about talking to people,
21:33 --> 21:36 especially random people, and get all the, the tips and tricks, if you will.
21:36 --> 21:40 Yeah. And we heard from our little fan that giraffes are now here at the,
21:40 --> 21:44 at the fair. Just kidding, folks. But I love the imagination from little
21:44 --> 21:47 people, and literally they think anything could be here. So that is
21:47 --> 21:50 great. And we love the crossover between the Minnesota Get Together,
21:50 --> 21:54 the State Fair, and Mall of America, because it is about bringing families and friends
21:54 --> 21:58 together, having traditions, and just having that sense of discovery, finding new
21:59 --> 22:02 things, but also enjoying those traditions that you have year after year. So friends of
22:03 --> 22:05 the mall, come out here to the Minnesota State Fair. We love it out here,
22:06 --> 22:09 friends of ours that come year after year and visit
22:09 --> 22:12 us. We love the lines, we love the energy, we love to see all
22:12 --> 22:15 of you. So that's gonna do it for this episode of So Much More.
22:16 --> 22:19 Thanks for listening to So Much More, a Mall of America podcast.
22:19 --> 22:23 Subscribe wherever you find your favorite podcasts. This show is presented by Bloomington,
22:23 --> 22:25 Minnesota Travel and Tourism.