Favorite Fall Recipes

St. Joseph is one of my favorite small towns in Minnesota, thanks to its picturesque surroundings and walkable downtown dense with local shops and eateries. As an added bonus, it's well-positioned for a day trip from the Twin Cities—it's about a 90-minute drive northwest of Minneapolis.

If you've talked to anyone who's traveled to Iceland, there are probably two things they mention first: "It's so beautiful!" followed by "And so expensive!" Luckily, there are plenty of strategies for eating and drinking in Iceland without going broke, whether you're on a tight budget, willing to spend a moderate amount, or want to splurge wisely.

Most coverage of the Minnesota State Fair is food-focused, although the live entertainment, farm animals, butter sculptures, crop art, and Midway rides also garner plenty of attention. Something that usually doesn't get mentioned is that State Fair is great destination for history buffs—the Minnesota State Fair dates back to 1859, and many of the fairgrounds' buildings were constructed in the 1930s and 1940s.

The Minnesota State Fair is one of the highlights of my year. I love the crowds, the nostalgia, the food, the overload of sights and sounds. I love it so much that my ideal Minnesota State Fair day starts before 8:00 a.m., just when things are ramping up, and goes until at least 10:00 p.m., when the colorful lights and overflowing buckets of chocolate chip cookies make the fairgrounds feel like a magical place set apart from the concerns of daily life.

I go to the Minnesota State Fair for many reasons: nostalgia, the live entertainment, the livestock, the educational exhibits, the display cases full of prizewinning knitwear. But mostly, it's about the food.

This post was originally published on August 14, 2024 and was most recently updated on August 11, 2025. The Minnesota State Fair is known for deep-fried food, including cheese curds, Pronto Pups...