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Tim Nelson

Faces of the Fair: Blue Barn

The Blue Barn at the State Fair.
The Blue Barn at the State Fair's West End Market.
Tim Nelson | MPR News 2014

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It's hard to miss the Blue Barn at the State Fair's West End Market.

The 1,800-square-foot, two-story, big blue barn is a 24/7 operation for the 12 days of the fair. When the employees aren't making food and serving customers, they're taking deliveries and prepping for the next day's customers.

Stephanie Shimp
Stephanie Shimp is one of the owners of the Blue Barn restaurant at the State Fair's West End Market. It opened last year.
Tim Nelson | MPR News

The road to getting this coveted spot was long, co-owner Stephanie Shimp explained. She and her partners were on the waiting list to become a fair food vendor for nine years.

"When a spot came open about three years ago we put together a fabulous, elaborate barn proposal — and we didn't get it ... we were crushed," Shimp remembered.

But almost a year later, Shimp got a call from fair organizers saying they were remodeling Heritage Square and they had a spot for the Blue Barn. Shimp and her partners jumped at the opportunity and the Blue Barn is now a fair fixture, serving items like Chicken in a Waffle and Snickers Bar Salad.