Great Minnesota Get-Together

One of my favorite traditions growing up was visiting the Minnesota State Fair the week before Labor Day. The food and people watching are like no where else in the world! I was lucky enough to fly home for the fair this year and satisfy all of my fried-food cravings. I attended the fair with my mom, stepdad, and twin brothers. We had a long list of foods to sample throughout the day, and ended up going back for seconds of some of our favorites! The Tom Thumb mini-donuts were especially delicious this year. The mini-donut beer was also quite tasty! We commented throughout the day about how crowded it was, and discovered when we got home that it was the highest-attended day in Minnesota State Fair history! We were proud to be a part of the historic day. I will be dreaming of grilled corn and cheese curds until my next visit.

Scenes from the weekend.

My final weekend in Minnesota was chock-full of events with my friends and family. On Friday night we took my nieces to Valleyfair for the first time. They absolutely loved it! We rode almost every ride at least once due to the short lines. It was so nice to not have to wait! My sister and I had fun reminiscing about our past trips to the theme park as we walked around. Several new attractions have been added since my last visit (which was at least twelve years ago) including The Renegade. We naively rode this coaster and were shocked at how fast and terrifying it was!

On Saturday morning I had some friends and their kiddos over to swim. We have known each other for twenty years, so we had plenty to talk about as we watched the kids splash around the pool. That evening we had our sibling game night at my sister's new house. We had a blast playing Smart Ass and Cards Against Humanity.

On Sunday morning my sister and the girls flew back to Florida and I headed back to New York City. As always, my time in Minnesota was not long enough! My mom and I already have a list of things we want to do when I am back in December. I can't wait for my next visit!

Pop Up Twin Cities

Last Saturday night my family and I gathered in Theodore Wirth Park with 650 guests for Pop Up Twin Cities, hosted by Handmade Events. By the time the secret location of the event was emailed that afternoon my mom and I had already prepared our meal, arranged bouquets of fresh flowers from the Minneapolis Farmers Market, and carefully  packed our place settings for the pop up picnic. We were ready for a fun night! 

We arrived at the beginning of the event and quickly worked together to set up our table for twelve. We had a great time walking around the park admiring the other tables, which were absolutely beautiful! I especially loved the donut bouquet and Moscow Mule bar a few tables down from ours- yum! After the napkin wave at 7 pm we dined on appetizers, salads, and desserts as we sipped rosé. The evening concluded with an hour of dancing. We all had a wonderful time and are looking forward to attending another picnic in the future! Check out Handmade Event's website for a full list of Pop Up cities; they will be holding picnics across the country over the next year!