The constant stream of fairgoers stopping by the Minnesota Cultivated Wild Rice Council booth inside the Barn Building revived Beth Nelson's faith in the State Fair she has come to love.
After two years of a dismal pandemic and anemic sales, fair attendance is again strong and making vendors and fairgoers smile. Vendors are optimistic that 2022 crowds could reach the record levels enjoyed in 2019.
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"We have had as much sales [of rice] in the first three days of the fair this year as we did during the entire fair last year. So this is much better," said Nelson, the rice council president, as she sold bags of rice for $6 a pound and passed out recipes.
At the rate sales are going, Nelson's inventory will be gone in a week, she said.
Vendors across the fairgrounds echoed Nelson's optimism despite storms and a tornado warning Saturday night and rain first thing Sunday.
"The crowds are fantastic," said Kevin Wozniak, co-owner of the 49-year old Fresh French Fries stand that saw lines stretching into the street as people waited their turn to buy a $15 bucket of fries. "We could have done without the rain last night that took a tent of mine on a block-and-a-half ride. But in general attendance is way up and it seems like everyone is excited to be here."
It beats the last two years. Because of the pandemic, the Minnesota State Fair took a hiatus in 2020. It was replaced by three weekends of drive-thru food parades that generated just 25% of fresh fries' usual sales volume.
Last year wasn't much better. Continued pandemic caution, plus rains, caused 2021 attendance to reach just 1.3 million, the worst record in 44 years.
"Most of the vendors around here last year were down 30 to 40% [in sales] and I guess we were as well," Wozniak said. "But today alone, we could have 175,000 people. From what I hear, vendors are saying we might reach a record again this year. That would be nice." His food stand alone supports more than 80 workers during the 12-day fair.
State Fair officials reported that daily attendance Thursday and Friday hit 121,478 and 153,367 respectively — approaching but not surpassing 2019's records.
Saturday's attendance reached 157,000, far off the record 222,000 set on the first Saturday in 2018 and way below the 209,000 reported in 2019. Tallies for Sunday won't be available until Monday afternoon.
But that didn't stop business owners from hoping for the best after two years of severe disappointment.
Addie Braun saw so many people lined up outside the Minnesota Wine Country booth on Underwood Street at 8:50 a.m. Sunday that she and her sister, Connie, opened the cash register early so people could buy wine slushies and drink samplers.
"We are back up to 2019 levels, which is saying a lot because that was a record year for us," she said. "Last year, we had half the attendance and half the sales. It was a subdued fair."
Braun, a Minnesota native and Google manager who for seven years has flown in for Minnesota's big fair from her home in Napa, Calif., said she's glad to see excited and robust crowds back.
"Look at that line," she said. "Yesterday, we had six terminals open and the lines were crazy."
Even Saturday night's severe storm didn't dampen the mood. When the rains and wind came, managers hustled fairgoers inside the building and rolled down the tent-like walls. It poured outside and sirens sounded. "But it was like a celebration in here. People were caught up in the revelry," Braun said.
Even Sunday's light rain didn't stop dogged fairgoers, said Mike Shortreed, who comes from Maplewood each year to manage the Tom Thumb Donuts stand by Carnes Avenue and Underwood Street.
Sunday, he ran down to grab a quick breakfast to go from the Peg. It took him 45 minutes because of the lines.
"Everywhere I've been here the last few days, it's been very busy," said Shortreed, who is celebrating his 40th year at the fair.
"I would think that business is up double or at least 30% from last year."
Now his biggest problem is ensuring that his 30 young workers report to work each day. He already had a couple of workers not show up Thursday, though that's a problem every year.
If the rest of the week is as beautiful as forecast, Shortreed hopes sales will make up for the past two years. "I don't know of a single vendor out here this year that is having a bad year so far."
A block away, visitors paid $4 each and packed the Butterfly House as monarchs and owl butterflies flitted about.
On Dan Patch Avenue, across from the crowded Kidway amusement rides, groups of teens licked ice cream cones, couples bit into corn dogs and kids locked in twirling overhead swings shrieked with excitement.
Nearby, only a few vendors seemed to have the time to watch as potential customers simply strolled by.
Victor Ortiz, wasn't selling many inflated Spiderman, Paw Patrol or green alien dolls. Rain the night before cramped sales of his usual hot sellers — light sabers and ray guns. "It's slow," said Ortiz, who for 13 years has come to sell at the Minnesota fair from his home in Fresno, Calif.
He had hopes that business might pick up if the sun or the moon came out.
A steady stream of patrons managed to find the kabobs and giant smoked turkey legs at Mickey's Grill, despite a new vendor next door that operates out of a large tent and blocks the view of most passersby.
Traffic is "good, but it's slow" compared with the pre-pandemic years when Mickey's Grill had an unobstructed view of bustling Underwood Street, said manager Miguel Angel as he served five turkey legs to one father with four teenagers.
Comparisons couldn't dampen Tricia Miller's enthusiasm, even though she was stuck inside the Dairy Building.
Miller has made it to the fair "every year of my life for the last 31 years, since I was 5. I am a huge fan of the fair. I bring all of my kids from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. I go probably three or four times each year."
With inflation increasing prices for everything from admission tickets to food items, Miller tried a different tactic this year. She and her son volunteered with the wild rice council and are working the fair this year. It helps.
Otherwise the cost gets too big for a family, she said. Working is just as fun, Miller said.
"We just have a great time," Miller said. "The fair is probably my favorite thing in the world."
