This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Arts & Entertainment

Food, Fun on Tap for the 153rd Dakota County Fair

This year's installment of Dakota County's summer classic is ready to open the gates to nearly 150,000 visitors.

“Come have some fun and eat some food the doctor says you shouldn’t,” joked Dakota County Fair president Don Storlie. “He’s going to be eating it, too.”

That's the message Storlie gave Patch on Thursday, while he was taking a brief hydration break in his office. An office, which by the way, has a constant buzz of activity swirling around as final preparations are being made in advance of opening one of Minnesota’s largest county fairs on Monday, Aug. 8.

The 153rd annual Dakota County Fair runs seven days—through Sunday, Aug. 14—at its fairground-home in Farmington.

Find out what's happening in Inver Grove Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Storlie's office isn't the only busy place. The grounds are equally abuzz with activity as tents were going up, orientation meetings are being held and the 353-acre grounds were being prepped to accommodate what Storlie said could be as many as 150,000 attendees over the coming week.

“It takes a lot of people to put this on,” said Storlie. “We’ve got a good crew. Not every day goes perfect, but most days it does.”

Find out what's happening in Inver Grove Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Storlie, a Lakeville native and resident his entire life, is in his second year at the helm of the fair and his love for the annual gathering is easy to spot.

“I like everything about the fair,” he said. “I have fond memories of it growing up here. I used to show pigs in 4-H.”

Pigs and other farm animals are still a main attraction on the fairgrounds along with an increasing number of events and attractions that have been added over the years.

“We have so many different things for everyone,” said Storlie. “There are a lot of favorites.”

One of Storlie’s personal favorite events is ‘Woods, Wolves and Wildlife,’ an event held every day that includes animal feedings and a wolf howling contest.

“They are huge draws,” said Storlie. “It’s (the exhibit) all native animals of Minnesota and it’s really something to see.”

The lumberjack shows are back after debuting last year to throngs of approving spectators, and new for this year’s fair are lawnmower races in the grandstand.

“Lawn mower races are really popular,” said Storlie. “They’re really fun, and of course the lawnmowers make lots of noise.”

Mutton Bustin’ is also back, a popular event where tiny tots try to tame a renegade lamb rodeo-style. Riders must be under ten-years old and weigh less than 65 pounds.

“We decided we needed something just for kids to do and the little kids really like doing it,” said Storlie.

Other highlights include the demolition derbies five nights in the grandstand as well as the motocross on Monday night and tractor pull on Thursday night. Rides, food, games, art, food, crafts, animals, musical entertainment, exhibitors, and (did we mention food?) more are all in the mix.

Some of the details include:

Food: Cookie dough on a stick dipped in butterscotch, grilled pork chops (and lots of other things) on a stick, crab fritters, fish and chips, deep-fried peanut butter sandwiches (and ice cream, and apple pie, and green beans, and pickles, and anything else you can think of frying including, of course, cheese curds) cotton candy, Italian sausages, Philly cheese steaks, New Zealand meat pies, etc. etc. etc. Hungry yet?

Carnival: Step right up and win a prize or take a slide, spin, twirl or tumble. Special wristbands provide unlimited rides ($20 advance, $25 during the fair) on Tuesday, Aug. 9 from 7:00 p.m. to closing, Thursday and Friday, Aug. 11 and 12 from Noon to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 14 from Noon to closing. A week-long passport ($50.00 advance and $60.00 during the fair) gets you free admission and unlimited rides all 7 days.

Grandstand: Monday features the Motocross while Thursday features the tractor pull. Fenders fly, crunch and smash the other five nights at the demolition derbies. Grandstand tickets are $12.00 for adults and $6.00 for children ages 6-12. Children 5 and under can attend all the events for free. Lawn mower races at noon on Saturday are half-price.

Entertainment: The Johnny Holm Band highlights the live music offered in the beer garden during the week. The popular band will take the beer garden stage on Thursday night. Other bands include Ali Gray, Brian Gleason Band, Lost Highway and Kooky Uncle Tony. You must be 21 or over to attend. Dancers, musicians and other entertainers are featured for all ages on the free entertainment stage daily.

Ticket Information: General gate admission is $5.00 for adults, $2.00 for children 6-12 and seniors over 60. Children 5 and under are free. There is also a $5.00 daily parking fee on the fair grounds. A number of advance packages are available that include admission, parking and grandstand events and must be purchased before the fair opens. Visit the Dakota County Fair website for complete information.

Special Days: Kids Day is Tuesday, Aug. 9. Children 6-12 pay only $1.00 admission. Military personnel and their families get free parking and free admission on Wednesday, Aug. 10 all day in honor of their service. Seniors can take advantage of free parking and admission on Thursday, Aug. 11.

Daily: Livestock displays and judging, arts and crafts displays and judging, Heritage Village, entertainment, exhibits, games, rides, contests, and did we say food?

A complete listing of event times and information is available on the Dakota County Fair website.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Inver Grove Heights