Maya Farrell and her family, which includes an 8-year-old, prefer the size of their hometown get-together: the Lake County Fair in Two Harbors. The money she puts toward a bratwurst goes to the local 4H. And it’s a place where kids can run free.
“Here I can say, ‘Go look at the poultry,’” she said.
Jen and John Ondrik, of Duluth, also found an alternate fair that better suits them: Cornucopia Day is in Wisconsin, just more than 60 miles from Duluth along the shore of Lake Superior. This year’s event had a fish fry, beer and, the biggest draw for Jen, a flea market.
“Just enough people,” John Ondrik said.
Skipping the fair is a metro thing, too.
Dianne Chinander, 67, attended the State Fair every few years as a kid, then later returned for annual trips with her own family. There is no longer a free Park & Ride option near her neighborhood and it’s more expensive. Add to that sore feet.