These new Minnesota State Fair attractions join our old fair traditions

You might be reading this at the fair, relaxing on a bench under the great green canopy by the grandstand. Lucky you!

What kind of Fair Day is it? One of the steamy August days that seems like summer will never wane, perhaps. Or the chill, drizzly day that reminds you how overeager fall can get. An ordinary day, maybe, with a warm breeze carrying hints of barn and French fries.

Those are the best. Summer seems like the easy, natural state of the world, and it's hard to imagine it won't always be so. We know better, but if you're going to fool yourself about what's coming, there's no better place to pretend.

You might be wondering what to do, but probably not. Few people go to the fair just to see what's new. A skeptic who's avoided the Get-Together for 47 years doesn't suddenly decide to visit because the Miracle of Birth Center features wombats for the first time.

People go to do the old familiar things: They head to the caw-caw cacophony of the Poultry Barn to hear the roosters warble, then wander next door to catch some urgent sheep-bleating. They stop by the Cafe Caribe to listen to a band, huff and puff up the DNR fire tower to look out over the vast and joyous land below, or ride the Skyride in blissful peace. Or, more likely, they go to eat that one thing they just love and can't get anywhere else.

But that one thing was probably new, once.

The Minnesota State Fair is in a constant state of evolution, with a few anchors holding it down from decade to decade. There will always be the grandstand. (Which was new in 1909). There will always be the Skyride (new in 1964) and the Space Tower (1965) and the Pronto Pup, which — believe it or not — was not present when the fair first opened its gates. The State Fair existed from 1859 to 1947 without Pronto Pups. Who knows what long-lost traditions they had over those 88 years?

We'd like to think that these things will always be with us, but it's not so. The amusement rides used to be where Machinery Hill once stood. And now the antique tractors are all grouped in a noisy row called the Old Iron Show.

It always seems the same. But it's not.

Want to keep up with the changes? Here are some additions you can check out after you've hit your faves.

Can Can Wonderland Mini Golf On-A-Stick: Sometimes you suspect they're just feeding words into a blender to make up new experiences. But it's an actual attraction: a nine-hole course of mini-golf, with small versions of State Fair landmarks, like the Space Tower and the Giant Slide. You wonder if there's a Ye Old Mill hole, where you shoot the ball through a tiny space and it comes out the other end about an hour later.

Sweet & Selfie Experience: The official State Fair press release says this "sugar-filled exhibit for all ages takes the fair guest on a journey through a fantastical world, where larger-than-life sweets [giant doughnuts, cookies, a candy mountain and more] create Instagram-worthy moments." Sounds fun, but please note: The entirety of the fair contains Instagram-worthy moments. It also has "intriguing displays" that "provide candy knowledge." Does this new confectionary primer include facts about Minneapolis' role in the birth of the Milky Way bar? You'll have to go to find out.

The Kidway has two new rides. The Beach Shack is just what it sounds like. The cars "spin, dip and tilt" as they go around, but at a speed appropriate for tot tummies. The Pump & Jump promises "a big adrenaline rush" for "little tykes." So maybe space that one between the cotton candy and Mini Donut sucrose infusions.

Future Projections' Canopy/Calliope. According to the press release, it's "'light painting' and photo collages that light up the ground below and the leafy canopy above." Sounds like really, really mellow fireworks. Free every night around dusk. Also, on an unrelated note, the State Fair bans the smoking of marijuana, its new legality notwithstanding. Don't know why we bring that up, but FYI.

There's more — check StarTribune.com/fair for info on the new foods, which are as numerous and varied as always. Or, you can just enjoy the fair in your old familiar way, and let the novelty-chasers try out the new stuff. If there's anything that sums up the enduring pleasures and the yearly reinvention of the fair, it might be the Amateur Talent Show. It's different every year, of course. This year it's celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Old traditions served up hot and fresh: That's the Great Minnesota Get-Together.