Christy Szitta celebrates her birthday at the fair and has many good memories of going with friends and family. She learned about the Minnesota State Fair Foundation at Taste of the Fair, and has been supporting the fair she loves since.
What are some of your happiest moments/stories at the Minnesota State Fair?
My birthday is always during the fair (August 31, which is always the week before Labor Day), so I have a lot of happy memories from birthday parties I’ve had at the Fair. We’d go around in a group, share a bunch of food, ride some rides, look at exhibits, and play games. My husband would buy a ton of Midway tickets and we’d all play whatever games we wanted. As a kid at our county fair, I remember only being able to play one game because games were expensive, so it is wildly fun and indulgent to get to play whatever games you want. Most people would give some or all of the prizes they won to me, so I would end up with a huge haul of stuffed animals, which I would later donate or give away. One year my friend Jason won me a giant cow, and then a few minutes later, at a different game, he won me a giant pig. It was amazing. That pig later got donated to my hometown library for the children’s section.
I’ve also gone to the fair with some of my friends and their kids. It is always fun to experience the fair with kids because so much of it feels magical. Looking back, it turns out that I have taken very few photos during these outings – I am always having too much fun to stop and take photos. I usually try to go by myself one day a year, and on those days I take a lot of pictures, mostly of animals. I have so many pictures of chickens and cows. I grew up on a dairy farm, so seeing the cows is nostalgic for me.
My favorite part of the fair is the food. Pronto Pups (never corn dogs), cheese curds, mini donuts, french fries, all-you-can-drink milk, cotton candy, so many more. The best fair experience I’ve had is the behind-the-scenes food tour with Dennis Larson, which I bid on and won at Taste of the Fair in 2019. Three friends and I got to go behind the scenes at the iconic food places. We got to see the operations, talk to the owners, and learn things we never would have known without that tour from Dennis. As a fair food fanatic, it was pretty much the best day ever.
You first gave to the Fair Foundation in 2015, how did that come about?
My friends Holly and Tom knew I loved the fair, so they brought me to Taste of the Fair as a birthday gift in 2015. Before that, I had not heard of the Minnesota State Fair Foundation. I had so much fun at Taste of the Fair that I gave to the Foundation soon after and have been giving ever since.
You attend First Glance every year. What do you like about this event?
I like being able to see all of the art in a less crowded environment, at a slower pace. I also like to hear from the competition director about how many entries the fair receives. Until I went to my first First Glance, I didn’t appreciate how prestigious the State Fair competition is, and how much great art is entered.
You have purchased several pieces of art from the Minnesota State Fair’s Fine Arts Exhibition. What prompted those purchases? Do you like supporting local artists?
The first purchase I made from the Fine Arts exhibition was a set of porcelain sculptures of chicken bodies, a piece called Nightingale & Rose Souvenirs. We had recently moved into a bigger house and had lots of spaces to fill with art, and I fell in love with these sculptures. I love supporting local artists, and I appreciate how much of the purchase price goes to the artist (80%). The rest of the purchase price goes to help the Foundation. As my husband puts it, I have a problem with charity auctions, and buying art at the fair is in the same category – I feel like I am doing something good with my money, but I still end up with something I love to take home. Everybody wins. Since then, we’ve purchased a few more pieces, including the Melon Farmer paper quilling piece. Now the chicken sculptures and the Melon Farmer look at each other in our kitchen.
You also attend Taste of the Fair annually, what is your favorite part of this event?
I love getting to have fair food a little early, especially when some of the new foods for the year are included. The live auction is really fun – it’s addictive once you start bidding. The auctioneers are very good at keeping you in the bidding. Like I said, I have a problem with charity auctions. I love them too much.
You made an additional gift to the Foundation in 2020. What prompted this gift?
The pandemic. I wanted to contribute to keeping the fair a strong institution. I tried to contribute more to a number of local nonprofits that depend primarily on live events for fundraising. Since Taste of the Fair 2020 couldn’t happen, I made an extra contribution instead.
What do you think other people should know about giving to the Fair through the Foundation?
It’s very easy to become a Friend of the Fair, and you get great benefits, like early access to concert tickets, and in 2020, early access to tickets for the Food Parade. It feels good to contribute to keeping the fair strong and growing, to adding educational programming and keeping the buildings in good repair.
Is there anything else you would like us to know?
I have really enjoyed some of the Grand Champion events that I’ve attended. I love learning about the history of the fair. But it isn’t necessary to donate at the Grand Champion level to benefit from what the Foundation has to offer. I’m just lucky to be able to contribute at that level.
