Like many a state fair across the country this year, The Minnesota State Fair — one of the country’s biggest, best, and most deep-fried — is canceled due to health concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. We’re not mad at that, the last thing any of us need to do is congregate in a large crowd for the sole purpose of eating something that would otherwise not be deep-fried. But considering that the act of eating is one of the few joys left in this coronavirus ridden country, the idea of a summer without fair food curiosities is probably leaving a corndog-shaped hole in your heart. Luckily, if you’re living in Minnesota or neighboring Wisconsin, you won’t have to miss out on the food completely as many fair food vendors are setting up stands in parking lots for fair food on the go.
According to Food & Wine, there are enough fair food vendors setting up shop around the Minneapolis area that there is now an interactive Google Map that shows each vendor’s current location and a community-run Minnesota State Fair Food Finder page on Facebook. Some popular vendors include The Donut Family, Lou Lou Sweet and Savory, Cheese Curd Tacos (because it’s a state fair, after all), Sara’s Tipsy Pies, Ninja Sushi, Fried Ice Cream!, and Cheese on a Stick & Fresh Lemonade, just to name a very very small few.
Now all you have to do is hope that the vendors at your local fair set up something similar, or else you’ll just have to start deep frying stuff yourself. Take a look at some of the food you’re missing out on below.