Will This “Overrated” State Fair Vendor Clear a $1M Again This Year?

The Minnesota State Fair begins this week.  Attendance is expected to be back at pre-pandemic levels.  And they are still looking for some workers.  So, if you are at least 15 years old, you can work at the fair.  Check their website for details on how you can apply.

Last year, attendance levels weren't exactly where they were hoping compared to 2019, which had HUGE attendance.  But, it was right after the pandemic... still in the pandemic, and there were some storms for the first few days of the fair.  That didn't help.  And the lower attendance caused some of the vendors not to make as much money as they normally do during the 12 days of the fair... obviously.

There was only one vendor that made over a million dollars in sales for the 12 days of the fair.  Although that does sound like a lot, it was still down about 30 percent for the week in normal circumstances.  That vendor (not surprisingly) was Sweet Martha's Cookies.

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I did go to the fair last year, and normally there is a giant line for the cookies.  I only had to wait for one or two people that were ahead of me.  That's crazy for that particular vendor.  I thought maybe I just happened to hit it at the right time, but no, sales were down.  The only vendors that seemed to have a crazy long line were the beer vendors.  Hello Minnesota!  Apparently we like beer.  Surprise.

According to Bring Me the News, the other top vendors at the fair last year were:

Mouth Trap Cheese Curds (the one in the food building)

Fresh French Fries (the one where you don't really know what to do with the ketchup and walk at the same time)

Corn Roast (corn on the cob near the grandstand)

Midwest Dairy Association

Preferred Pickles (fried pickles)

The Blue Barn

Carousel BBQ (turkey legs and pork chops)

Giggles Campfire Grill

Miller's Cheese Curds (not in the food building- they have several flavors of curds)

What's your favorite food item at the state fair?