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The Great Minnesota Get-Together

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Prize-winning produce
An exhibitor in the largest produce competition, 1926.
From Minnesota State Fair: An Illustrated History, © 2007, published by Coffee House Press. Used with permission of the publisher

Get ready for crop art, cheese curds, and all things on a stick. The Minnesota State Fair gets underway Thursday, and over the 12-day run it is expected to draw more than one million people.

A new book tracks the traditions and history of the State Fair through a collection of pictures. Mother-daughter team Kathryn Strand Koutsky and Linda Koutsky combed through the fair archives to find old photos, souvenirs and recipes. Their book tells the story of a 150-year-old Minnesota tradition. They spoke with MPR's Cathy Wurzer.

Gallery
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Authors
Kathryn Strand Koutsky and Linda Koutsky, co-authors of a new book about the Minnesota State Fair.
MPR Photo/Julie Siple
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State fair history
"Minnesota State Fair: An Illustrated History," was written by Kathryn Strand Koutsky and Linda Koutsky.
Image courtesy of Coffee House Press
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The fair at Fort Snelling
The State Fair was held at Fort Snelling in 1860 and 1863. The fair was cancelled in the two intervening years because of the Civil War.
From Minnesota State Fair: An Illustrated History, © 2007, published by Coffee House Press. Used with permission of the publisher