It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Every year nearly 2 million people descend on Minnesota’s capital city to get together and celebrate the best 12 days of summer. As summer begins to fade into autumn and children begin the beg their parents for a few more days of freedom, the Minnesota State Fair kicks off with its miles of food on a stick, butter sculptures, and thrill rides on the mighty midway.
For the past 11 years, we have been privileged to partner with Renewing the Countryside to spend these 12 days inside of the Healthy Local Foods area of the Eco Experience exhibit. The Eco Experience is a building full of free activities for kids and families alike. Centered around sustainability in everything from water use and tree care to electric vehicles and wind energy.
Inside the Healthy Local Foods area, local chefs share the stage with environmental activists as a place to educate and equip fairgoers with bits of practical knowledge on these topics. Food samples, trivia, kids activities, and local food purveyors have the chance to share their story with thousands of attendees each day. We have upped the ante again this year with the creation of a unique exhibit to share our coffee with the masses.
9am – 3pm Daily
From 9am – 3pm each day of the fair, our staff and friends will serve up complimentary cups of fresh roasted organic coffee, roasted in the heart of Minneapolis. Look for our custom booth and cut-out photo opportunity near the Sustainability Stage in Southeast corner of the building. This year’s Healthy Local Foods theme focuses on organic, so we’re bringing two of our favorite coffees that illustrate our commitment to organic and fair trade coffee from small-scale farmer cooperatives.
Tree Huggin’ Coffee Lovin’
Fresh brewed cups of Tree Hugger Blend and Blue Ox Blend will be served up beginning every morning when the Eco Experience opens. Also, stop by and grab one of our State Fair exclusive ‘Shade Grown’ magnets or snap a photo as local legends Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox in our cut-out photo booth. Talk to our staff members about their favorite fair tips or the best food they’ve tried so far, and make sure to spend some time learning about the value of organic farming not only in coffee producing countries but here at home as well.
New for the State Fair this year is an exciting partnership with our friends at Star Tribune, who are celebrating their 150th anniversary by selling a limited-run coffee we created together called ‘First Edition’. You can purchase bags of this commemorative coffee at their booth near the bottom of the Grandstand ramp, online, or at our Capella Tower coffee shop while supplies last.