12 Minnesota State Fair foods you can get before opening day
No need to wait until August for some of your summer favorites.
Choose from loads of sundaes, including the eight-scoop La La Palooza, which was invented 60-plus years ago but fit right into the fair's sense of excess when it made its fairgrounds debut in 2016.
2110 Eagle Creek Lane, Woodbury, bridgemans.com
Cider Licks
Those refreshing tubes of frozen apple cider — sold at the Pine Tree Orchard booth inside the Agriculture/Horticulture Building — are also available in the well-stocked freezer at the Golden Fig.
794 Grand Av., St. Paul, goldenfig.com
Falafel King
Enjoy gyros, shawarma, bowls and hummus from the busy fair staple known for its falafel-on-a-stick.
3238 W. Lake St., Mpls.; 3806 W. Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington; and 5500 Brooklyn Blvd., Brooklyn Center, falafelking.com
Harry Singh's Original Caribbean Restaurant
This Eat Street destination offers some of the same hot-hot-hot flavors served at its Food Building counter.
2653 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls., 612-729-6181
JonnyPops
Fairgoers head to the West End Market for these fruit-and-cream on-a-stick pops, but they're also available in supermarkets, along with nondairy versions made with oat milk.
Manny's Tortas
The Food Building source for Mexican sandwiches has a longtime home at the Midtown Global Market.
920 E. Lake St., Mpls., mannystortas.com
Minnesnowii
This West End Market favorite sells its Hawaiian-style shaved ice from a food truck that traverses the metro area. Follow @minnesnowii to find its latest location.
Various locations, minnesnowii.com
Nordic Waffles
Breakfast (or lunch, or dinner) can be a waffle sandwich filled with bacon, egg and cheese. They're frozen and sold at supermarkets, or pick up a fresh one from Nordic Waffles' stand at Rosedale Center's Potluck food hall in Roseville.
Sara's Tipsy Pies
Four flavors of the booze-spiked pies sold at this Food Building stand (hello, Boozy Blueberry-Lemon) are also available in the frozen dessert sections of many supermarkets.
Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar
The fair's top-grossing food purveyor packages frozen dough in five flavors, which means warm-from-the-oven cookies can be made in minutes. Find them in many supermarkets, although the souvenir bucket is, sadly, not included.
Thelma's ice cream sandwiches
When they're not cooling overheated fairgoers, these ice cream-filled cookies — chocolate chip, peanut butter, snickerdoodle — appear in supermarket freezer aisles all over Minnesota.
Thomasina's Cashew Brittle
Picking up this better-than-peanut-brittle treat has been a reason to navigate the crowds inside the Merchandise Mart since 2009. Find it at several Twin Cities retailers, or order online.
Minnesota brewers’ 2024 Autumn Brew Review announced with THC drinks, collaboration beers
The 23rd installment of the beer fest will take place Oct. 12 at Boom Island Park in Minneapolis.