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The day before the Minnesota State Fair opened, Kym Erickson and her crew were still hard at work placing flowers and setting scenes in the huge atrium of the Agriculture Horticulture Building. It’s a job that requires weeks of preparation leading up to the fair, and right down to the last minute the night before. 

“It’s a miracle how it all works. It takes us weeks to plan and put it all together but takes a day for us to take apart,” said Erickson, the longtime lead designer of the themed floral display.

After 35 years in the floral industry, Erickson retired from her job as general manager at Soderberg’s Floral and Gifts in Minneapolis. Her love for the art form began as a young girl.  

“I actually had a talent for it and so, for many years I worked for flower shops around the Twin Cities area,” Erickson said, “I developed my skills.”      

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Her responsibility is to transform the large and open space into a floral whimsy. She wants eager fairgoers to take their time as they wander through on their way to attractions like the crop art or various competitions. 

This year’s theme, “Cultural Kaleidoscope,” features a “20-foot-tall Eiffel Tower, a working Dutch windmill, a cherry blossom tree, a Chinese forest,” Erickson said. 

Guests are greeted by more than 15,000 flowers, including bromeliads, kalanchoes, lavenders and roses, in hues of red, white, yellow and purple. Erickson says the theme stems from the atrium’s main center piece, a huge artificial tree placed six years ago. Its high, empty branches serve as a base for yearly installations.  

The faux cherry blossoms from last year remain. Also repurposed: the Dutch windmill was an ice fishing house, turned Hansel and Gretel gingerbread cottage last year. 

Erickson and her crew hand-painted red vases with detailed golden peacocks. Paper lanterns took hours to assemble. 

“I think it’s very important to realize that we are doing this for everyone to be educated in the beauty of flowers,” Erickson said.   

Before the display comes down, Erickson plans for the following year, her 20th.   

“It’s to the point where I am trying not to ‘best’ my years,” Erickson said, “They keep getting better and better.”  

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Chandra Colvin

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The day before the Minnesota State Fair opened, Kym Erickson and her crew were still hard at work placing flowers and setting scenes in the huge atrium of the Agriculture Horticulture Building. It’s a job that requires weeks of preparation leading up to the fair, and right down to the last minute the night before. 

Journey around the world through a State Fair floral display

Ben Hovland | MPR News

A woman in a scooter drives through an exhibit

Journey around the world through a State Fair floral display

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