We ask Minnesota State Fairgoers: What's happened since you've last visited?
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. – For many, the Minnesota State Fair marks a strong turning point of the year.
Whether you consider it the last gasp of summer or the return to time-honored traditions, it's a chance to reflect on what's happened since you've last visited.
For Angelo Bracero of Minneapolis, the big change has been a big job.
"A lot has changed. I just became a Minneapolis firefighter," Bracero said. "I've never wanted anything more in my whole life than to help people and to be there in the community. I feel like I've finally accomplished a huge goal in my life."
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For Kris Michaelson of Lakeville, it's not a new job – but a new chapter. She retired from her job as a kindergarten teacher after 36 years in May.
"Just to be here at the fair is new on the first morning, because I would always be at workshop day. So it's really a good feeling," Michaelson said.
This past year, Loreena Anderson of Dawson got a one-of-a-kind chance.
"The highlight of this past year has been a trip to Sweden with my sister to visit relatives we really didn't know we had," Dawson said. "On our grandmother's birthday, we visited the site where she was born."
But for Cheryl Alexander – the chance of a lifetime was a second chance at life itself, after turning her sobriety journey into a way to help others.
"I'm set free. I'm finally free. Three-quarters of my life has just been wasted," Alexander said. "When you find something that works, you want to share it. So I just want to get the word out."
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For Dan Saliva, it's the first trip to the fair without his kids. He and his wife are now empty nesters.
"Walking by the John Deere Tractors, thinking about when our son used to climb around there, my daughter used to pick out big fat bacon on a stick. It's things you think about, but it's enjoyable still," Salava said.
For Louise Oher of St. Paul, the highlight of the past year is simply being back.
"People are coming together more, and everything seems to be opening up more," Oher said. "This is the Great Minnesota Get-Together, so we should all get together more often I think."