Minnesota Public Radio, which started reporting from the Minnesota State Fair as far back as 1972, began a yearly tradition of live broadcasting from its booth at the corner of Judson and Nelson in 1991 (taking over the old WLOL-FM spot). The location has since become an important community spot for sharing ideas, intercultural representation, and topics unique to the Fair itself. MPR was the first media organization to have an entire day dedicated to them in the form of MPR Day, held the Friday before Labor Day in Dan Patch Park (formerly known as Carousel Park). The MPR booth has featured Gubernatorial debates, appearances by senators and important public figures, and live performances by a wide range of local musicians and writers. MPR hosts Gary Eichten, Cathy Wurzer, Kerri Miller, Bob Potter, Beth Friend, and numerous others, have filled the air over the past three decades with live Fair broadcasts that both informed and entertained. There was also the longtime broadcast of the Morning Show hosted by Jim Ed Poole and Dale Connelly, bringing their distinctive humor to the street intersection.
The Minnesota State Fair’s permanent 320-acre home along Snelling Avenue in St. Paul contains historical buildings which host a slew of exhibitors, plants, animals, arts, and plenty of jam. Big outdoor attractions include a multitude of food, Midway carnival rides, livestock (with smells), and daily shows and grandstand performances. It’s a busy, busy 12 days that MPR Archive has attempted to capture in this audio collection as varied as food on a stick. A report on Little Irvy, the freeze-dried whale…check! Andean folk band…indeed! Differences of the Pronto pup and the Poncho Dog…got it! Former U.S. Senator Rudy Boschwitz pitching his milk…yep! Here is your audio ticket to those stories…and so much more.
August 25, 2000 - Before the homemade bread-and-butter pickles, patchwork quilts and gooseberry jams are exhibited at the Minnesota State Fair, some stiff competition has already taken place at the county level. For northern Minnesota resident Dorothy Coyle, Fair time is the time to harvest blue ribbons.
August 25, 2000 - MPR’s Michael Khoo reports on the “art” of politics at the State Fair. Khoo interviews stops by various campaign booths and interviews various candidates, staffers and fairgoers. Includes excerpts from Mark Dayton, Mike Ciresi, and Rod Grams among others.
August 28, 2000 - The four major DFL Senate candidates squared off at the State Fair in one of the few remaining opportunities for them to try to distinguish themselves before the September 12th primary. Only a handful of differences emerged, and the four seem more willing to attack Republican Senator Rod Grams than each other, despite the fact that one of them has emerged as the leader in the race.
August 29, 2000 - MPR’s Brandt Williams gets a tour of “The Electric Bus,” a portable sampler of Seattle's 240 million dollar interactive museum called the Experience Music Project. Inside the exhibit visitors can get a history lesson or play around with some high-tech toys.
August 31, 2000 - MPR’s Jim Bickal profiles the intricate differences of the Pronto pup and the Poncho Dog. Like many things at the State Fair, the corndog business is based on tradition and family, and Bickal interviews the vendors behind these fair food staples.
August 31, 2000 - MPR’s William Wilcoxen reports how the race to succeed the retiring Bruce Vento has turned into the state's hottest House race. The tradition of political discourse at the State Fair continued as DFL and Independence Party candidates for the 4th Congressional District seat debated at the Minnesota Public Radio booth.
September 1, 2000 - Governor Jesse Ventura made what he says will be his only visit to this year's State Fair, in contrast to his nonstop campaigning there during the governor's race in 1998. But in addition to extolling the virtues of footlong hotdogs and lemonade, Ventura does some campaigning for his party in endorsing U.S. senate candidate Jim Gibson, and uses his “Lunch With the Governor" radio show to lay out his upcoming political agenda and to poke fun at the other politicians glad-handing at the fair.
September 1, 2000 - MPR’s Tom Scheck reports on how the veneer of civility disappeared as four DFL candidates for the U.S. senate tore into each other at a Minnesota State Fair debate. The campaign had been relatively quiet, but in an effort to distance herself from the other candidates, Rebecca Yanisch attacked the two frontrunners on gun control and a campaign that has seen little fireworks erupted into finger pointing and accusations.
August 16, 2001 - State Fair officials are taking precautions to protect livestock from foot-and-mouth disease. Anyone who has recently traveled to an infected area will be asked to stay away from the livestock barns. Hundreds of people bring their livestock to the fair each year, many for competition. Steve Pooch (POKE-- like yoke) is Assistant Manager of the State Fair, and oversees all the livestock. that's Steve Pooch (POKE-- like yoke), Assistant Manager of the State Fair, He oversees all the livestock. The Fair gets underway one week from today. By the way, there's a new exhibit at the Children's Barnyard this year. It's called the miracle of birth. Eight cows, 12 sows and 16 ewes are expected to give birth during the Fair at the center.
August 20, 2001 - North America, Australia and New Zealand are the only areas that remain untouched by foot and mouth disease. Officials at Minnesota's county fairs, and soon, the State Fair would like to keep it that way.