Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Here's what you need to know to gear up for the Great Minnesota Get-Together.
Sign up for Oakdale Patch's free e-newsletter | Like Oakdale Patch on Facebook | Follow Oakdale Patch on Twitter Nearly two million people are expected to descend on the Minnesota State Fair’s 320-acre grounds starting Thursday and the following 11 days for concerts, contests, cows and corn dogs. Here’s Oakdale Patch’s rundown on what you need to know to get to the fair and find your way around: Hours Admission gates open daily at 6 a.m. Ticket sales end at 10 p.m. (9 p.m. on Labor Day). Grounds close at midnight (10 p.m. on Labor Day). Most buildings are open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Cost Adults (13-64) pay $12, seniors and children 5 and older pay $10, and children younger than 5 are admitted for free. Promotional days are offered throughout …
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
If you don’t want to drive to the "The Great Minnesota Get-Together," here are some shuttle bus options in and around Oakdale during the fair Aug. 23-Sept. 3, 2012.
The Minnesota State Fair will be providing the State Fair Express Service during the 2012 event. Here are some of the scheduled pickup and dropoff locations, according to the Minnesota State Fair website. Minnesota State Fair Express Service in Oakdale Metro Transit will be providing shuttle bus service from Marcus Oakdale Theatre to the State Fairgrounds every day during the 2012 State Fair. Buses will operate approximately every 30 minutes from 8 a.m. to Midnight. Minnesota State Fair Shuttle Service Near Oakdale Every Day Aug. 23-Sept. 3, 2012 Buses operate approximately every 30 minutes from 8 a.m. to midnight Shuttle Service Details For automated State Fair Express information, call 612-341-4287. Visit the State Fair Express bus web …
Monday, September 5, 2011
Here are our picks for today's Minnesota State Fair essentials.
To know: For the final day of the fair, many merchandise and food vendors are offering Last Chance bargains; flyers with deals listings are available at all information booths. It’s also Kids Day, and children age 5 to 12 pay only $7. The rides at Mighty Midway and Kidway have a one-ticket discount all day. Barns close for the day at 3 p.m. Check out the fair’s website for a full schedule of the day’s activities and events. To visit: All day in Carousel Park, Cub Foods is sponsoring giveaways, appearances by local celebrities, prize drawings and live performances. The Mud Dogs will play a set, and the Timberwolves mascot, Crunch the Wolf, will make an appearance. To see: The FFA awards program will be held at 12:30 p.m. at the Christensen …
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Here are our picks for today's Minnesota State Fair essentials.
To know: It’s Minnesota History Day at the fair and the last day in the marching band competition. Check out the fair’s website for a full schedule of the day’s activities and events. To see: Come to Carousel Park between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to celebrate Minnesota history with live entertainment, trivia contests and kids’ crafts. To stroll through history: Learn about the state fair’s past during the History Walking Tour. If you hit all 13 tour stops, you’ll be eligible to receive a free 2011 State Fair Commemorative Art Poster at the J.V. Bailey House. To mock moo: During the 15th annual Great Minnesota Moo-off, moo-ers in three age groups can copy the clatter of cows to win prizes. Sign-in is at 2 p.m. and the competition begins at 2:30 p…
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Here are our picks for today's Minnesota State Fair essentials.
To know: It’s FFA Day at the fair, and swine, sheep and market goats will be judged in the Swine Barn. The weather is expected to be a high of 79 degrees with a 30 percent chance of rain. Check out the fair’s website for a full schedule of the day’s activities and events. To represent: Participants and winners of the “Minnesota Community Pride Showcase” competition will be at Carousel Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. An awards ceremony will take place at 12:30 p.m. to honor the 30 winners who most successfully moved “beyond current economic challenges with creative and proactive community and economic development innovations.” To watch: It’s the last night of semifinals in the amateur talent contest. Performances are held at 6 p.m. at the …
Students from the District 622 marching band came to the state fair Friday to play in the daily parade.
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Friday, September 2, 2011
Here are our picks for today's Minnesota State Fair essentials.
To know: The rides at Mighty Midway and Kidway have a one-ticket discount until 1 p.m. Check out the fair’s website for a full schedule of the day’s activities and events. To hear: It’s MPR Day at the fair, and the public radio station will be broadcasting from the Carousel Park stage. At 4 p.m., MPR’s The Current will host a live concert with 4onthefloor To carve: Butter. Everyone’s welcome to enter the Butter Carve-O-Rama. Prizes will be awarded to carvers in each of three age groups. Sign-in is at 4 p.m. and the competition begins at 4:30 p.m at the Land O’Lakes Stage. To watch: The stirring conclusion to the Agri-lympics Contest will be held at 2 p.m. at the Land O’Lakes Stage. Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to …
Oakdale Fire Department Explorer Zack Dommier took first place in the Minnesota State Fair Fire Explorer gear donning contest.
Oakdale Fire Department equipment was on display and the department’s Explorers competed at the Minnesota State Fair Friday, Aug. 26—Governor’s Fire Prevention Day. Oakdale Explorer Zack Dommier took first place in the individual gear donning competition by getting his gear and breathing tank on in 43.9 seconds, said Oakdale Fire Chief Jeff Anderson. The Fire Explorers—a Boy Scouts program made up of teens and young adults ages 14 to 21 who are interested in learning about a career in firefighting—competed in primarily team competitions throughout the day, Anderson said. The contests included search and rescue, cardiac arrest management, gear donning (team and individual), spinal immobilization and backboarding and ladder raising, he said…
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Here are our picks for today's Minnesota State Fair essentials.
To know: It’s Seniors Day at the fair, and those 65 and over get in for $7. Cattle, goats, sheep and swine leave the fair at 2 p.m., and barns will be closed for the rest of the day. The rides at Mighty Midway and Kidway have a one-ticket discount until 1 p.m. The weather is expected to be a high of 92 degrees with a 10 percent chance of rain. Check out the fair’s website for a full schedule of the day’s activities and events. To be fit: More than 1,000 fair-goers are expected to participate in the Senior Stretch & Stroll. Registration starts at 9:30 a.m. and the program at 10 a.m. in Carousel Park. Held annually on the second Thursday of the fair, participants receive free T-shirts and fitness equipment. To watch: The Minnesota Turkey …
Taking care of the cows at the Minnesota State Fair is a round-the-clock job.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Patty Busse
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Thursday, September 1, 2011
The Erf family, who live on what is the last working farm in Oakdale, started taking their dairy cattle to the Minnesota State Fair in 1977. The family has been out this week tending to this year’s batch of cows. Oakdale Patch editor Patty Busse talked with Kathy Erf about their experience at the fair and their farming operation. Oakdale Patch: What kind of a farm do you operate? Kathy Erf: We raise replacement heifers for dairy farms. Oakdale Patch: Why do you enter your cows in the fair? Erf: It’s mainly a family tradition. My grandfather showed in the state fair back in the ‘40s. It’s just something our family’s always done. Oakdale Patch: How many animals are you showing this year? Erf: We entered nine this year, and it’s generally …
