Through my career I get to meet people from all over the world, and somewhere in our conversations the topic of living in Minnesota usually comes up. When people ask me why I live here with such extreme weather, or what my favorite part of MN is, my answer is always the same: The Minnesota State Fair! I've always had a big spot in my heart for the Fair. Not a year goes by that I don't make at least a few trips during the 12 days of fun ending on Labor Day. I'm holding out hope that eventually they will offer a "season pass" option to get in the gate! When I get asked what's so special about the fair, I can't narrow it down to just one thing. For me it's really the whole experience. We are now 8 days away from the start of the 2019 MN State fair and my excitement this year is even bigger than it ever has been.

You see, this year I am one of the 335 artists that gets to say "I made it into the 2019 MN State Fair Fine Arts Competition!" In years past I have entered the competition and not made it past the first round; other years I have made it into the 2nd round of judging only to not make the final cut. There are so many great artists in Minnesota that it's no surprise the State Fair competition is a steep one. Take this year for example: In my category (class 8- photography) there were 1114 total entries in round 1, 160 made it to round 2 of the judging, and only 114 made it into the show during the fair. Total entries for all 8 classes this year look like this: 2727 total entries in round 1, 552 made it to round 2, and 335 made it into the show.

This year's fair will be a special one for sure. I can't wait to see my photo Solitude's Path, hanging in the fine arts building with the 334 other Minnesota artists who made the cut this year. Of course I'm also looking forward to everything else the fair has to offer, including my favorite fair foods! Tell me, what's your favorite thing about the MN State Fair? How often do you attend the fair?