Did your family visit the Minnesota State Fair this year? What did you do there… and more importantly, what did you EAT? Or maybe you didn’t make it to the fair. Maybe you don’t even like the State Fair (gasp!) with all of its crowds and animal smells and heat.

Regardless of how you feel about the fair, you still probably have a handful of fair foods that you crave. My personal top three are pronto pups, cheese curds, and funnel cake, and on the years we skip the fair, I really miss them. Did you know, though, that you can find a lot of popular fair foods right here in our community?

Here’s a round-up of fair food offerings in and around STMA for you to enjoy year ’round or even combine to make your own State Fair-themed progressive dinner. 🙂

Corn Dogs and Lemonade at Sonic, Elk River – Sonic refers to itself as “America’s Drive-In,” and it’s definitely a fun place to go to get a fast food fix, including America’s favorite meal-on-a-stick—the corn dog. Plus, if you visit between 2 and 4 p.m., the corn dogs are just 99¢! Sonic also serves lemonade made from real lemons and has a nice variety of slushes and other frozen treats that make it perfect for a warm-weather dinner. (details)

Cheese Curds at Culver’s, Albertville – They may not be the same greasy, deep-fried pile of deliciousness you can get at the state fair, but the cheese curds at the Albertville Culver’s are a great option for hitting that fried cheese craving year ’round. Bonus: Culver’s curds are just $2 on Tuesdays! (details)

French Fries at Five Guys, Albertville – Though french fries are easy to find, the fresh ones you get at the fair are top-knotch. The fries served up Five Guys in the outlet mall are a close second, so I recommend giving theirs a try. (details)

Funnel Cake at Dairy Queen, St. Michael – I tend to think of DQ as a frozen-treats-only place, so I was pleasantly surprised to find funnel cake on their menu. You can choose to have yours topped with hot fudge, caramel, or strawberry, and all funnel cakes come served with a cool side of vanilla soft serve. (details)

Cookies at Mrs. Fields, Albertville – They don’t serve them by the bucket here, but if you’re longing for a taste of Sweet Martha’s, Mrs. Field’s is a good next-best option that you can grab locally. And if you really hunger for that overflowing bucket, you can get 60 small chocolate chip cookies for about $20—just bring your own bucket! 😉 (details)

Cheese Curds and Fried Pickles at D Michael B’s, Albertville – This one’s a little less convenient for a fair-food progressive dinner, but it gets a mention here for having not one, but TWO state fair favorites on the appetizer menu—Wisconsin cheese curds and what they like to call “Frickles.” (details)

Leave a comment:
What do you love to eat at the State Fair, and how do you get your fix in the off-season?

Save

Save