Mood — and prices — are high for this year's Minnesota State Fair

Both spirits and prices are up in anticipation of the Minnesota State Fair, which opens Thursday morning.

Vendors say they're raising prices this year due to inflation, but are hopeful that pent-up Minnesotans are ready to splurge after two summers of COVID caution. And after months of inflation news, higher prices are a familiar tale that should not dampen spirits at the Great Minnesota Get-Together, said State Fair General Manager Jerry Hammer. Fair officials are anticipating total 12-day attendance of 1.7 million — less than the record-setting 2.1 million in 2019, but more than then 1.3 million last year.

"The energy — you can scoop it up with an ice cream scooper. It's thick and it's good," Hammer said, noting the positive vibes as vendors sweated it out during setup this week. "I have seen nothing but smiles."

Fairgoers can expect a price increase at the gate: Regular admission has increased $1 to $17 for adults and $15 for kids and seniors.

"We sweated that dollar," Hammer said. "The fair is its own place. You leave the rest of the world outside when you come here. Unfortunately, we are not immune to inflation and all that comes with it."

For vendors, labor, transit and food costs all add up to higher prices. The signature menu item at About A Foot Long Hot Dog will climb a buck to $8, said vendor Nancy Hansen.

"It's just so strange. It's the oddest things you can't get," said Hansen, who is based in the Fergus Falls area. "We couldn't get buns from our usual provider."

Even at the higher price point, Hansen said her footlongs are still one of the best bargain meals at the fair — onions and other fixings included. She said last year's State Fair sales weren't great, but she's optimistic that Minnesotans are ready to celebrate shoulder to shoulder this year.

"If people are cutting corners elsewhere, we hope they still come to the fair," Hansen said. "If people didn't go on their long vacations because of money, we hope they come to the State Fair and have a vacation here at home."

At Sweet Martha's Cookies, a $1 bump after a few seasons of unchanged prices will bring pails of cookies to $19 apiece, and cones to $8. Spokesperson Erica Dao cited the rising costs of ingredients, materials and wages.

OOf-da Tacos owner Greg Parenteau said he's absorbing some cost increases, but had to pass on a portion to customers. He kept the hike — 75 cents, to $9.50 a taco — as low as possible instead of rounding to the nearest dollar, even though most customers pay cash.

"We are not here to take advantage of anyone," Parenteau said. "We will deal with the quarters."

Bayou Bob's Gator Shack is also raising prices. Gator cuisine will increase between $1 and $2 this year.

"It's actually not the food inflation — it's the trucking. All of our alligator comes from Florida," said Houston Simonette, whose family owns and operates the Gator Shack. "It used to be 30 to 50 cents a pound to ship. Now we are at $1.50 a pound."

Multiply that by 16,000 pounds of lean, farm-raised gator meat and a price increase was inevitable. But there is some good news: Tater tots, hush puppies and sodas are the same price as last year, Simonette said.

"Our goal is for everyone to have a pleasurable experience, with our customers walking away feeling like they got a pretty good deal," he said.

The price of admission alone still comes with ample value, Hammer said. Fairgoers can revel in plenty of free exhibits, sights, sounds and smells.

For many Minnesotans, Hammer said, the fair is a once-a-year opportunity to explore the state's agrarian roots, complete with a bevy of live animals and experts to answer questions at the Moo, Oink and Baa booths. Both the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and the Agriculture Horticulture Building are celebrating 75th anniversaries at the fair this year.

There are also new exhibits on tap, including Survival: The Exhibition at the North End Event Center where fairgoers can investigate some of the globe's harshest environments, from rainforests and mountains to extreme cold.

And in this era of social media selfies, Eco Experience is likely to be a must-see, featuring a 20-foot-long giant floating loon on loan from its home nest in Virginia, Minn., and a giant cardboard moose sculpture.

"There is something about the fair and the fairground, and all of it comes from the people," Hammer said. "This becomes a shared experience. We are very social creatures. We need to do these things."