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The tight competition for this year's State Fair top baker award

The tight competition for this year's State Fair top baker award

The best bakers of Minnesota submitted their breads, cakes, cookies and pies and this year there was a tie for Supreme Baker — or so they thought. Chad O'Leary and Kimberly Maize both were named the Supreme Bakers for this year. But then in a twist, competition organizers realized they made a mistake. Cathy Wurzer talks with runner-up Chad O’Leary.
by Cathy Wurzer, Ellen Finn and Melissa Townsend

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Union Hmong Kitchen becomes State Fair's first Hmong restaurant

Union Hmong Kitchen becomes State Fair's first Hmong restaurant

Nearly 50 years after the first Hmong refugees arrived in the Twin Cities, the Minnesota State Fair has its first Hmong food vendor. Chef Yia Vang’s Union Hmong Kitchen is attracting big crowds to the fair’s International Bazaar.
by Grace Birnstengel

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You're crying, your dog is crying — but are they the same?

You're crying, your dog is crying — but are they the same?

A new study says that dogs produce emotional tears similar to how humans do. But not everyone in the veterinary community is convinced.
by Wynne Davis

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Minnesota angler catches fresh water jellyfish on camera

Minnesota angler catches fresh water jellyfish on camera

A St. Cloud resident discovered freshwater jellyfish during a recent fishing trip. The species is not native to Minnesota, but DNR officials say they aren’t considered invasive and have been in various Minnesota lakes for years.
by Matt Mikus

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Infrequently Asked Fair Questions: What happens to the DNR fish after the State Fair is over?

Infrequently Asked Fair Questions: What happens to the DNR fish after the State Fair is over?

Each year the Minnesota State Fair stocks a pond full of fish at the Minnesota State Fair. But what happens to the fish after the fair is done? MPR News reporter Tim Nelson set out to reel in the answer.
by Tim Nelson

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Appetites: Predicting the Minnesota State Fair hits and misses

Appetites: Predicting the Minnesota State Fair hits and misses

The Minnesota State Fair is upon us, and all of that food can be daunting. So we called on Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine food writer Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl to get us prepped for what to eat — and also what to avoid.
by Tom Crann and Megan Burks

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Minnesota State Fair's new butter carver prepares to create 'dairy' good art

Minnesota State Fair's new butter carver prepares to create 'dairy' good art

As the rest of Minnesota prepares for warm summer days at the State Fair, Gerry Kulzer is preparing his parka, gloves, and carving tools. He’ll be spending the fair in a 40-degree cooler, carving a new larger-than-life sculpture every day — in butter.
by Estelle Timar-Wilcox

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Based on the data, here are the lower traffic days to visit the State Fair

Based on the data, here are the lower traffic days to visit the State Fair

Based on the last nine years of State Fair attendance data, the first Thursday of the Great Get-Together tends to have the lowest traffic. Even though 2021 had slower traffic overall, trends for attendance data remain consistent.
by Matt Mikus

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