Good Question: Minnesota State Fair Edition
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Since the Great Minnesota Get-Together is in full swing, we're answering all your State Fair Good Questions.
What happens to the Giant Slide once the Fair is over?
It stays right where it is, according to Giant Slide co-owner, Stacey Pittroff-Barona.
"We get rid of the red carpet, of course, we take out the sides and the canopy and flags, but it stays here all year round," Pittroff-Barona said. "We put boards across so you can't actually ride the slide."
How does the State Fair measure attendance?
The State Fair used to have a ticket auditing department that would count the stubs by hand. Now, scanners do all the work and process the data immediately. Vendors at the Fair are required to have tickets, while Fair employees are not.
How many animals are born at the Miracle of Birth booth each year? 200
How many acres is the State Fair? 322
When was the first Princess Kay crowned? 1954
Who owns the Fair?
No one really owns it, according to a State Fair spokesperson.
The state of Minnesota owns the land, but the Fair itself doesn't get any state money. The Fair is run by the Minnesota State Agricultural Society, which represents the county fairs and dozens of agricultural groups across the state. That group controls all the finances of the Fair and the land on which it sits.
How many calories do people eat at the Fair?
"Scientific studies have proven that calories actually DON'T count at the Minnesota State Fair," said Jerry Hammer, general manager of the Minnesota State Fair.