Sara Werzel loves history, and she loves the Minnesota State Fair. She and her husband have been supporting the History and Heritage program area of the Foundation for years, and were eager to be a part of the Foundation’s largest campaign- the development of the State Fair History & Heritage Center.
Tell us about your history with the Minnesota State Fair
I was born in August of 1961, and I don’t think my parents brought me that year, but ever since I’ve been going every year. My parents have been bringing the whole extended family for decades. Sometimes my grandparents would even come from Wisconsin and join us.
Dad worked at the fair for over 50 years. He would use his vacation time from his real job to work at the fair. He would bring us kids to “set up day” and we would watch the Royal American Show bring in all the big rides and sideshows. As kids, it was amazing to us.
What are some of your happiest memories at the fair?
There are so many it is hard to pick. Dad knows so many people and because of him, we got a back door view of the fair. It was exciting to meet people and see how things worked. I think we had a few privileges that other kids didn’t. I remember Dad taking us to go play the Dragline Midway game. Even if I didn’t win, I somehow walked away with a prize.
More recently, I won a blue ribbon for my crochet work and that was a happy moment too!
Your first gift to support the Fair Foundation was in 2005. What prompted you to give this gift?
Eric and I give because we love the fair. We give mostly for other people; we want people to enjoy the fair and we want to keep it going.
In addition to being a Friend of the Fair, you have supported History programming at the fair. Why is that important to you?
We like to support the history of the fair for many reasons. We enjoy the evolution of the architecture on the fairgrounds and like that the Foundation helps to restore these historic buildings. We think the History & Heritage Center is awesome, it’s full of so much fun information. It seems as if people aren’t just learning something new there, they are reminiscing and bringing back good memories.
We are happy to contribute to that a little bit.
As a bit of a history buff, what would you like everyone to know?
The Minnesota State Fair is a spectacle of human nature. It is wonderful. For me, it is so much fun to see the hard work and know the histories of people who work at the fair. There are vendors, ride operators, exhibitors and others who have a true passion for the fair. They’ve been doing this for decades, sometimes even for generations. They are amazing.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
We love the fair, and we love what the Foundation does. We will be involved as long as we can.