How The Minnesota State Fair Prepares
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Most Minnesota State Fair workers were up Wednesday morning when the roosters were crowing, getting ready for the estimated two million visitors that will descend upon them over the next 12 days.
"It is organized chaos, we're always shocked. There are cars everywhere, and there are semis everywhere dropping off things, and people driving all over, getting things set up," said Minnesota State Fair's Danielle Dullinger. "Every year I'm just, like, my mind is blown. I don't understand how it gets done, but it does!"
Gauging by attendance, it is the largest state fair in the country.
"It's our own little city," Dullinger said. "We have our own police force, we have our own sanitation crew."
The fair's 800 merchandise vendors and 300-plus food vendors actually have more than a couple weeks to set up -- but we're not the only game in town.
"We are kind of an intricate web of fairs and expositions, so obviously like the Iowa fair just got done a couple of days ago, the Wisconsin State Fair got done a couple of days ago as well," she said.
These guys aren't procrastinators by any stretch.
"I travel nine-and-a-half months out of the year, from February 1 til halfway through November," said fair vendor Erik Jelemeland.
So we will leave it to the pros, because they know a good fair when they see one.
"I look forward to coming here every year," Jelemeland said. "Some of the greatest people in the world right here."
We are looking forward to seeing you all at the Minnesota State Fair. Be sure to stop by the WCCO Booth on the corner of Carnes and Nelson.
And be sure to check out WCCO's STEM Day at the fair Thursday. Meteorologists Chris Shaffer and Mike Augustyniak will show you how weather and science interact.
They will be at Dan Patch Park, formerly known as Carousel Park, at 1 p.m.
