KIND
KIND OF
KIND OF LIKE LIFE. >>> IN 12 HOURS IT SHALL
COMMENCE.
COMMENCE.
COMMENCE. THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR.
IT IS SOMETHING SO MANY
MINNESOTAN I STILL CAN NOT GET
MY HEAD AROUND IT.
THE SIZE OF IT, THE SCOPE OF
IT, THE OBSESSION OF IT OR THE
HATRED OF IT.
I WENT TO THE HEAD OF THE FAIR
TO ASK HOW ON EARTH DID WE, AS
A GREAT STATE, COME UP WITH
THIS THING?
THIS THING? >> Reporter: THERE ARE
THOUSANDS OF PICTURES AND
MILLIONS OF MEMORIES.
ALL BEGAN IN A FAR AWAY TIME.
>> THE HISTORY OF THE PLACE.
THE FAIR ITSELF IS OLDER THAN
THE STATE.
THE STATE. THE INSTITUTION GOES BACK TO
1854.
1854.
1854. >>
1854. >> WHY DID WE HAVE A FAIR IN
THE FIRST FAIR?
>> THE VERY FIRST FAIR THE IDEA
WAS TO BRING PEOPLE SHOWING THE
AGRICULTURE POTENTIAL AND
ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE TO MOVE
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. BUT
HERE. BUT EVEN THEN THEY KNEW THAT BY
ITSELF YOU WILL NEED SOMETHING
ELSE, ENTERTAINMENT, THEY HAD
MARCHING BANDS AND PIG ROOSTS
AND VISITING DIGNITARIES AND
ALL OF THE SAME KIND OF THING.
>> Reporter: NOT MUCH REALLY
CHANGED THEN, EVEN WHEN, WELL,
EVERYTHING HAS.
EVERYTHING HAS. THE FAIR IS AT ITS SOUL A STORY
ABOUT AGRICULTURE.
ABOUT AGRICULTURE. THE FOOD PART, A BIT DIFFERENT
FROM ITS ORIGIN STORY BACK IN
THE LATE 1800s, EARLY 1900 s.
>> THEY HAD FOOD HERE.
BUT THE LINE BACK THEN WAS ALSO
HOW MUCH INDIGESTION CAN YOU
BUY FOR A QUARTER.
WE ARE TALKING 100 YEARS AGO.
THERE WERE 89 CHURCH DINERS
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. FOOD WAS HERE ONLY BECAUSE
PEOPLE WERE GOING TO GET HUNGRY
AND YOU HAD TO GIVE THEM
SOMETHING.
SOMETHING. THAT SO CHANGED.
RIGHT NOW IT IS A FOOD FAIR.
>> Reporter: NOW WE PUT
EVERYTHING WE CAN ON A STICK
AND EVERYTHING WE CAN'T, WELL,
WE SELL THAT TOO.
MORE TO COME ON WHAT EATS
REMAIN THE MOST DEBATED.
I WANTED HIM TO TELL ME MORE
ABOUT WHY THIS FAIR IS SO
BELOVED.
BELOVED.
BELOVED. >> THE WONKEY SCIENCE OF IT,
FUNDAMENTALLY WE ARE ALL THE
SAME.
SAME.
SAME. WE
SAME. WE LIKE TO SHARE EXPERIENCES,
SOMETHING ABOUT A COLLECTIVE
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. THAT IS WHY IT IS MORE FUN TO
SEE A MOVIE IN THE THEATER THAN
A DVD OR GOING TO A GAME.
>> Reporter: HE SHARED A STORY
OF A NEIGHBOR.
>> I TALKED TO A NEIGHBOR AND
SHE SAID WHEREVER THEY HAVE
LITTLE, YOU KNOW, DAILY BUMPS
IN THE ROAD OR WHATEVER THEY
ARE, THEY COME AND WALK AROUND
THE FAIRGROUNDS AND FEEL BETTER
ABOUT THINGS.
ABOUT THINGS. DOES NOT MATTER IF IT IS
FEBRUARY OR JULY.
THEY WALK AROUND THE
FAIRGROUNDS AND NOW THINGS ARE
OKAY.
OKAY.
OKAY. >>
OKAY. >> Reporter: CORNY, IT IS A
STORY I HEAR ALL OF THE TIME.
IT IS DEEPLY PERSONAL AND FULL
OF MINNESOTA PRIDE.
OH AND SPEAKING OF CORNY, BACK
TO THAT FOOD DEBATE.
>> WHAT IS THE MOST DEBATE?
THE CORN DOG?
BEST CHEESE KURDS?
>> OH, IT IS CORN DOG.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. PEOPLE DIE ON THAT HILL.
>> IT IS A THING.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY A THING.
>> Reporter: GO AHEAD AND
TWEET ME.
TWEET ME.
TWEET ME. WHICH YOU LOVE MORE AND WHY.
BEFORE WE GO I WANTED TO SHARE
THIS LAST QUESTION I ASKED
JERRY.
JERRY.
JERRY. HE
JERRY. HE WORKED AT THIS FAIR FOR 49
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. >>
YEARS. >> DO YOU HAVE NIGHTMARES THAT
AT THE 50 AND NOBODY COMES.
>> THEY ARE CALLED FAIRMARES,
AND THEY ARE REAL.
NOBODY WAS HERE AND I WAS
STOPPING AND WAVING FOR PEOPLE
TO COME INTO THE FAIR.
PLEASE, SOMEBODY, COME IN AND
IT IS NEVER REALLY TURNED OUT
THAT WAY.
THAT WAY.
THAT WAY. >> I WAS JUST TELLING PEOPLE TO
COME.
COME.
COME. I
COME. I AM NOT A BETTING PERSON BUT
THEY WILL COME.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> SAFE BET.
A SAFE BET.
>> LOOK WHERE I COME FROM IN
MILWAUKEE WE HAVE SUMMER FEST.
MORE TOWARDS MUSIC AND FOOD AS
OPPOSED TO A TRADITIONAL FAIR.
WHAT I DON'T THINK HE ANSWERED,
THOUGH, WHY IS IT EXCLUSIVELY
SO POPULAR IN MINNESOTA AND
IOWA?
IOWA?
IOWA? WHAT ABOUT THIS STATE AND THESE
PEOPLE MAKES IT EXCLUSIVELY SO
BRAND AND AWESOME?
>> AN IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION TO
ANSWER.
ANSWER.
ANSWER. IF YOU GO TO THE FAIR AND THEY
PUT OUT A TERRIFIC FAIR AND IN
TEXAS AND THE GREATER DALLAS
AREA, THEY PUT ON A PRETTY
TERRIFIC FAIR.
TERRIFIC FAIR. >> BUT IT AIN'T MINNESOTA.
>> WELL, TEXANS WOULD DISAGREE.
>> IOWANS AND TEXANS WOULD SAY
WE ARE JUST AS GOOD IF NOT
BETTER.
BETTER.
BETTER. THE QUESTION ON THIS FAIR EVE,
DO YOU LOVE THE FAIR OR NOT.
>> WHAT ARE YOUR