When Garrison Keillor taught his son how to stretch $3 at the 1974 fair
Throughout 2017, Minnesota Public Radio will celebrate 50 years on the air by sharing highlights from our archives, connecting Minnesota's past to its present. | This interview originally aired in 1974.
Garrison Keillor brings his "Minnesota Show" to the State Fair on Friday.
Keillor has announced that this will be his last show at the Fair, and that next year he'll go back to where he started out, "as a pedestrian in the throng, looking at the livestock, lining up for cheese curds, shopping for a pickup truck I won't buy."
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That's what he was in 1974 when MPR reporter Connie Goldman interviewed Keillor and his son Jason while they were spending the day together at the fair. The first question was for Jason, who was 5 years old at the time: What do you like best about the fair?
"The rides, that's what I like the best," said Jason.
His father preferred a unique opportunity the fair provides.
"I like using the fair to inculcate responsibility in my child," Keillor said. "See, I gave this kid 3 bucks worth of quarters when we hit the gates about 10 this morning ... this kid has gone for about six hours on 3 bucks."
In that time, Jason had taken a ride on the bumper cars — a heavy investment of 75 cents — and had even turned down a Pronto Pup.
Jason had yet to decide what to do with his remaining wealth, but the finale for the pair was always the Skyride, the elder Keillor said.
At the end of the interview Jason had some advice of his own to give.
"Dad, don't smoke around me."
"Oh, that's good advice."