Minnesota Public Radio, which started reporting from the Minnesota State Fair as far back as 1972, began a yearly tradition of live broadcasting from its booth at the corner of Judson and Nelson in 1991 (taking over the old WLOL-FM spot). The location has since become an important community spot for sharing ideas, intercultural representation, and topics unique to the Fair itself. MPR was the first media organization to have an entire day dedicated to them in the form of MPR Day, held the Friday before Labor Day in Dan Patch Park (formerly known as Carousel Park). The MPR booth has featured Gubernatorial debates, appearances by senators and important public figures, and live performances by a wide range of local musicians and writers. MPR hosts Gary Eichten, Cathy Wurzer, Kerri Miller, Bob Potter, Beth Friend, and numerous others, have filled the air over the past three decades with live Fair broadcasts that both informed and entertained. There was also the longtime broadcast of the Morning Show hosted by Jim Ed Poole and Dale Connelly, bringing their distinctive humor to the street intersection.
The Minnesota State Fair’s permanent 320-acre home along Snelling Avenue in St. Paul contains historical buildings which host a slew of exhibitors, plants, animals, arts, and plenty of jam. Big outdoor attractions include a multitude of food, Midway carnival rides, livestock (with smells), and daily shows and grandstand performances. It’s a busy, busy 12 days that MPR Archive has attempted to capture in this audio collection as varied as food on a stick. A report on Little Irvy, the freeze-dried whale…check! Andean folk band…indeed! Differences of the Pronto pup and the Poncho Dog…got it! Former U.S. Senator Rudy Boschwitz pitching his milk…yep! Here is your audio ticket to those stories…and so much more.
August 23, 2007 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer interviews local authors Kathryn Strand Koutsky and Linda Koutsky about their book “Minnesota State Fair: An Illustrated History.” The mother and daughter team take a look back at the fair's traditions, with pictures from all eras of The Great Minnesota Get-Together. Many things have changed; others have not.
August 23, 2007 - Mark Seeley, climatologist and meteorologist at the University of Minnesota, stops by the MPR booth at the State Fair to answer listeners' questions about the weather and to ask weather quiz questions. Topics include extreme rainfall differentials across the state and climate change, amongst others.
August 23, 2007 - On this special Midday program at the Minnesota State Fair, former Minnesota governors Arne Carlson, a Republican, and Wendell Anderson, a DFLer, reflect on current events and politics past and future.
August 24, 2007 - The Twin Cities chapter of the Red Cross is giving fair goers a chance to put their thoughts about the 35W bridge collapse in writing. The agency has set up a memorial wall in the Health Fair 11 building for people to express their sentiments about the August 1st disaster.
August 27, 2007 - Now, another scene in poetry from the Minnesota State Fair... The butter-head sculptures remain one of the Fair's most visited features, attracting new-comers and old-timers alike. Minneapolis writer Leslie Ball made it there today and was moved to write us this poem.
August 29, 2007 - One sight you'll find EVERY day of the fair is the State Fair parade. Minneapolis writer Leslie Ball watched the parade today and found her fellow parade watchers just as interesting.
August 31, 2007 - MPR’s Nikki Tundel reports on activities of Minnesota 4-Hers after a day with their livestock at Minnesota State Fair. One of these activities includes a dance celebration in swine barn with fellow young 4-Hers competitors after the sun goes down.
August 31, 2007 - On this special Midday program, MPR’s Gary Eichten talks with Garrison Keillor on the Carousel Park stage at the Minnesota State Fair.
August 31, 2007 - The Fair generates a lot of garbage -- cups and plates -- of course many many sticks. But writer Leslie Ball found that garbage is brought in as its own special display.
August 21, 2008 - All Things Considered collected a variety of ‘Sounds from the Fair’ and puts listeners to the test. Match your audio wits with our MPR microphones, and see if you can guess this segment’s mystery sound.