It’s finally here! The 2009 Minnesota State Fair began today.  Through Labor Day, you can enjoy the farm animals, shows, midway, and plenty of food-on-a-stick.

We took our four kids today, and these are my recommendations of what you should definitely see and what you can afford to miss.  Keep in mind that althrough we spent 7 hours at the fair, we by no means saw everything, so if you have additional hints for families at the Great Minnesota Get-Together, please share them in the comments.

• Identification Bracelets for Kids: HIT At the information booths just inside the gates, they have ID bracelets that you can fill out with your child’s information and place it firmly on his or her wrist.  It’s a little extra peace of mind in case you get separated in the crowds of people at the fair.  (We also have a safety talk and a what-to-do-if-you-get-lost talk before we leave for the fair.)
• Eco Experience: HIT This building on the north end of the fairgrounds seems to have more for kids to do each year.  They can go through Trash Mountain and learn about water systems.  At the wind energy area, our kids spent a long time with friendly staff helping them to build windmills out of different sized and shaped blades.  I loved watching their minds enjoy the science of it!  There’s a kids’ activity area in the building as well, which can be useful at the end of the day when you’re not ready to leave the fair but you need a little break from all the action.  There are also family restrooms in the Eco Experience Building.
• Thrivent Builds Trailer: HIT Kids and adults can learn from the program inside the trailer, but outside there are free activities like building with blocks and a beanbag toss.  For a small donation, you can try your hand at a nail-pounding competition.  This was good family fun.
• Fine Arts Building: HIT We’ve never taken the kids in this building before, but in the morning when we visited, it was less crowded than other areas.  The kids enjoyed looking at the various forms of art, and each had their favorite.  If you want to see how your kids would do at an art museum, take them through the Fine Arts Building at the State Fair.
• Education Building: MISS There are a lot of freebies in here, including sunglasses from the Lions for kids ages 3-5.  The freebies are the reason I recommend staying out of here, especially if you have a stroller.  People gravitate towards the free stuff, and it is always crowded.  Always.  People are so busy grabbing the free tote bags and pencils that they don’t pay attention and it’s nearly impossible to get through with a stroller.  If you can manage to forego the trinkets, stay out of the Education Building and you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.
• 830 WCCO: HIT If you listen to WCCO and your kids know the celebrities’ names, stop by and show them the fair studio.  You might spot one of the on-air personalities.  At the very least it will help a three-year-old to understand why they kept saying “State Fair” on the drive in this morning.
• Health Fair Building:  MISS In my pre-kid days, this was my favorite building.  We’ve had hearing tests and cholesterol checks done here, and the medical information booths are useful.  But, like the Education Building, it’s a popular place and usually crazy-busy.  We didn’t even go in this year.
• Corn Dogs: HIT My eight-year-old says they’re the best he’s ever had, and at $3, they’re a bargain as far as fair food goes.  (They’re peanut-free as well.)
• Tejas: HIT No matter how many new fair foods I hear about, my stomach just can’t take a lot of deep-fried anything.  My favorite fair food is a $5 soft-shell taco at Tejas.  It’s just inside the entrance of The Garden on Dan Patch Ave.
• 1919 Root Beer:  HIT This is perhaps the best soda value at the fair.  A jumbo (really big–the six of us shared it) glass of 1919 Root Beer is $3.  With no ice, so you’re getting a heckuva deal.  Never mind that 1919 is the best root beer ever.
• Dairy Building:  HIT OR MISS The dairy building is where the ice cream is, and the lines for the shakes are always long.  It’s also usually crowded through the sales and organization booths at the front of the building.  Still, it’s one of our favorites, because this is where the butter carving takes place.  Our timing was off this year, as Princess Kay of the Milky Way Elizabeth Olson must have been on lunch break, but we got to see how much progress had been made on her butter head by noon.  And although Princess Kay’s butter head is complete by now, there are all the dairy princesses likenesses to be carved during the rest of the fair.  (On a side note, Princess Kay said in an interview this morning that her mom bought a new freezer for the butter heads.  Yes, heads.  Elizabeth is the second Princess Kay in the family, and another sister was a runner-up, so her mom will soon have three butter heads to preserve.  How’s that for cool?)
• CHS Miracle of Birth Center: HIT This is your chance to see baby animals being born.  Although there weren’t any live births while we were there, they had a tape running on the TV screens of a previous birth.  There are usually animals that children can pet in this building as well.  Also check out the Christensen Farms stage outside; they had a clown show when we were there.
• Animal Barns:  HIT Even if you don’t want to walk the many rows of animals, step inside the cattle, sheep, horse, etc. barns.  They may have some special kid-friendly activities going on.  Our kids each got to take a turn helping to shear a sheep, and got to bring home a clipping of wool.
• Farm Bureau Booth:  HIT Ask to do the scavenger hunt, and your kids will learn a little bit about agriculture and get a prize.  They can also sit in a tractor cab and watch a 3-minute movie.
• All-You-Can-Drink Milk Booth:  HIT For $1, you can buy a glass of milk (white or chocolate, and yes, it’s 2%) and get as many refills as you want.  It’s a decent-sized glass to start with, so even if you don’t have it refilled, the good, cold milk is worth a dollar.  It was six bucks well spent in our day at the fair.
• Parade:  HIT Find a spot in the shade for the 2:00 daily parade and take a little break from the actions.  There are several marching bands each day, as well as a variety of other characters from fair sponsors, animals, and community groups.
• Skyride/Sky Glider and Kidway:  HIT OR MISS Our kids love these “extras,” but they do get expensive in a hurry.  There’s also a Dinosaru Experience this year (between the Kidway and the Visitors Plaza–last year it was the JFK exhibit) that’s $3 per person.  We didn’t go into it this year.
• Little Farm Hands:  HIT This is a perennial favorite; we do it each year we go to the fair.  In this free experience, kids can drive a pedal tractor, plant a “seed,” harvest plastic vegetables, “feed” some animals, and even try milking a pretend cow.  At the end, they sell their items at market and can choose something from the “store” with their earnings.  This year, Kemps is set up outside and has samples of their Itty-Bitz ice cream treats (which are peanut-free and gluten-free).  The kids love this area.

That’s what we got through in our day at the fair, and as you can see, almost all of it is good to do with kids.  My children would have loved to do more of the extra-pay things: go carts, Ye Old Mill, etc., but there’s only so much time in a day and money in a wallet.  The Minnesota State Fair certainly has something for everyone, and families are no exception.

What are your fair favorites? Tell us in the comments!

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