Greetings!

Although it is only the end of August, it certainly feels like fall here in St. Paul. We couldn’t ask for more perfect weather for fair goers. Instead of rain or sweltering heat, it has been pleasantly mild. If the Park and Ride lots are any indication, the fair must be on course for a record turnout this year. Actually, the opening day did set a record for turnout – 114,439 people enjoyed the fair, with Friday coming in close to the 2004 record. Total through Saturday was 428,507. 1,693,263 attended in 2008. There are 33 park and ride locations this year.

And, if you have a valid library card, you can get discounted admission to the fair on Wednesday, September 2nd, or Seniors Day on Thursday September 3rd. Here are some well-known or little known trivia facts about the Fair:

Minnesota State Fair Trivia –

1. What year was the first Minnesota State Fair Held?
2. What were the fairgrounds before they were the Minnesota State Fairgrounds?
3. When did the State Fair attendance top the 1,000,000 mark?
4. What is the Minnesota State Fair’s all time attendance record and when was it broken?
5. What famous composer appeared at the fair in 1927?
6. During a typical year, how many gallons of milk are served at the American Dairy Association’s all you can drink concession?
7. When was the Pronto Pup introduced at the State Fair?
8. What year was the first Princess Kay of the Milky Way crowned?
9. Approximately how many rolls of toilet paper are used during the fair?
10. Why wasn’t there a fair in 1946?
11. On average, what is the total number of corn dogs typically consumed by fair visitors each year?
12. Which fair food contains the most calories?
13. What is the oldest ride on the fairgrounds?
14. How much butter is used to sculpt the likeness of Princess Kay of the Milky Way?

It was fun getting to reunite with former Zontians Erma, Phyllis and Beth and to meet a new guest, Robin. We are so glad you were all able to come and join us and hope you will join us for future events and meetings.

September 12, 2009 Meeting (Saturday): This newsletter is coming out earlier than usual since our next meeting date is Saturday, September 12th and will be held at MVNA offices just off Broadway and Industrial Boulevard. The address is 3433 Broadway Street NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413. We will be joined by members of Altrusa in putting together the Yummy Kits.

The meeting will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. MVNA will provide juice, coffee and cups. We will need to bring rolls, coffee cake, for our group.

The meeting will begin with a welcome by MVNA, then a brief introduction of attendees (Altrusa and Zonta members), a brief overview of Altrusa and Zonta, and then preparation of the Yummy kits.

Altrusa is a community based, grassroots organization that seeks to solve the problems in our back yards. Altrusans raise money for local charities, volunteer at battered women’s shelters, help runaway teens, build houses for Habitat for Humanity and much more. There are three Altrusa chapters in Minnesota – Duluth, Moorhead and St. Paul.

We will purchase the yummy kit items for the meeting. If you are able to locate items at a reasonable cost, please bring them to the meeting. We can always return any items which are duplicates if necessary.

We will not need to make reservations for the September event, but if members could let Judy or me know if they plan on attending, it would be greatly appreciated so that we can let Michelle at MVNA know how many to expect.

We will have lunch following the meeting which will be at your own cost. Some suggestions for lunch include Manning’s Café (2200 Como Avenue SE, Minneapolis MN), Chianti Grill (near Har-Mar); D’Amico and Partners (near Har-Mar); Muffaletta’s (on Como, just east of 280); Axel’s (on Cleveland, just south of County Road C in Roseville; Good Earth or Applebee’s (on frontage Road in Roseville north of Highway 36); the Olive Garden (Roseville near Snelling and County Road C); Café Biaggio (2356 University Avenue West, St. Paul); and Jay’s Café (791 Raymond Avenue, St. Paul, MN). If anyone has any other ideas, please bring them with, as we will decide on the 12th where we would like to go for lunch.