"It was an adventure": Downpour briefly floods Minnesota State Fair
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. – Saturday's downpour at the Minnesota State Fair sent everyone running for cover as the grounds flooded.
Dennis Fraleigh says it took an hour and a half for the water to clear away.
"It was a little crazy. I don't think anyone knew how bad it was gonna be," Fraleigh said.
His Butcher Boys steak sandwich stand went unharmed. It was a different story across the way at a lemonade stand.
"Just lost some lemons down the street. Quickly our crew came over and started tying up the sides, and all of a sudden rain just started coming down hard," said worker Mackenzie Molnar. "Everyone was like just soaked with water. So it was an adventure, to say the least."
After Beth Tapp's own adventure dealing with the rain, she prepped her Deep Fried Candy Bar stand Sunday for whatever might come the rest of the weekend.
"When we know it's coming, we tie the tent down and we cover all the hot oil and we grab everything off the front," Tapp said.
As for what happens to all that water? Fair officials say the grounds have a curb and gutter system just like the city of St. Paul. The sewer system can get overloaded with rain, like it did Saturday night. Fair officials say the catch basin then has to be cleared of debris to allow the system to catch up.
No rain Sunday night meant the Pitbull concert at the Grandstand was able to go on without any pauses, which was great news for fans at the sold-out show.
