myprontopup

Back to the 50's

12,000 cars.  125,000 people.  In my backyard...

It's time for the Back to the 50's weekend over at the fairgrounds.  (Their web page was designed in the 1950's too, if I'm not mistaken.)

Anyway, big fun.  Put on your poodle skirt (or poodle kilt if you're a guy) and head on over...

National Geographic

Very cool.  This month's National Geographic magazine has a special on State Fairs.

And you can't very well do a story on State Fairs without visiting Minnesota.  And you can't very well publish a National Geographic story without lots of pictures.  And you can't do just about anything at the Minnesota State Fair without me finding out about it somehow...

The interesting thing is...  I was actually taking pictures WITH this photographer one evening on the midway (just by coincidence)...  And I have proof.

If you go to the slideshow slide where he's pictured "Poo-bah" and the other carny sideshow folks -- I was there when he was shooting.  The barker said something about a National Geographic photographer taking pictures for a 'big story', and I almost didn't buy it until I noticed the high-end camera gear that the guy was sporting.  So I took his picture.

Here's my picture of him taking the picture in the magazine -- note that he's shooting with a big fish-eye lens, just like in the photo.

And wouldn't you know it -- I just let my NatGeo subscription expire.  I guess I'll have to go buy this one at the newstand. 

Pancake Head Bachmann

This is NOT official state fair art, but still captures the uncanny essence of Michele Bachmann -- with a pancake on a stick on her head.

Official State Fair Artwork

I don't know art, but I know what I like...

Minnesota State Fair officials unveiled this year's commemorative artwork Thursday, an oil painting that features the fairgrounds grandstand, which turns 100 this year.

Posters or limited editions can be purchased directly from the Minnesota State Fair Foundation.

The Tonight Show

Drats.  The State Fair almost lured Conan O'Brien to do a week's worth of the Tonight Show here.

Seriously, though, couldn't they at least spare Andy Richter for a couple of days?

Pretty please with chocolate on top...  and on a stick?... 

The year of the potato

My, my, my...

Now this looks interesting. It's one of the many new foods set to debut at the Minnesota State Fair this year.  It looks like they have a lot of potato foods, which is awesome.  Not to mention these culinary delights...

• peach glazed pig cheeks
• the "pot roast sundae": a scoop of mashed potatoes covered with roast beef, gravy, corn — and topped with a cherry tomato
• Ole and Lena's "deep-fried Norwegian banana split" — a banana rolled in lefse, deep fried and topped with ice cream, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, whipped cream and nuts

I think I just had a Maalox moment...  Mmmmm.