The Alphabet Forest is an absolute must see attraction at the Minnesota State Fair! Laidback and fun, this exhibit is perfect fun for the whole family!
Debra Frasier, author of nine children’s picture books, is proud to be from Minnesota. She loves the State Fair, too! She wrote and illustrated an alphabet book based on her trips to the Minnesota State Fair — A Fabulous Fair Alphabet. So it seems appropriate that she brought us this annual Minnesota State Fair attraction.
The Alphabet Forest is open in Baldwin Park (across from the 4-H Building) each day of the fair (Aug. 25 – Sept. 5, 2022) from 10:00 am-8:00 pm.
This is an extremely laidback activity, and it’s in the most shaded spot of the entire fair (hence the “forest” part of the name).
- Take pictures with Fair Letter. If you do this annually, you can watch your kids grow as they create their name every year.
- Create alphabet Ferris wheels
- Add your fair words to the Fair Dictionary
- Participate in the Fabulous Forest Alphabet Word Game by printing the Fabulous Fair Alphabet Game Card and looking for letters as you stroll the fair.
- Meet real life authors at the Blue Ribbon Homegrown Author Showcase.
Meet Local Authors at the Alphabet Forest
Each year a line up of Blue Ribbon Homegrown children’s book authors join the Forest to promote literacy, learning and fun. See this year’s schedule below.
2022 Blue Ribbon Author Schedule
Aug. 25: Catherine Thimmesh
Aug. 26: Dr. Artika R. Tyner
Aug. 27: Phuoc Thi Minh Tran
Aug. 28: Daniel Bernstrom
Aug. 29: Cheryl Blackford
Aug. 30: Tracy Nelson Maurer
Aug. 31: Lindsey McDivitt
Sept. 1: Thomas Peacock
Sept. 2: Mark Ceilley and Rachel Smoka-Richarsdon
Sept. 3: Dawn Quigley
Sept. 4: Sarah Warren
Sept. 5: Megan Maynor
My all-time favorite fair food is Pronto Pups
I love the Little Farm Hands with my family. For myself, I thoroughly enjoy the Eco Experience.
My favorite fair memory is the going to the animal barn’s with my parents and looking at the cows- then going to the dairy building for a malt! Kbroderi@msn.com
Something I have always wanted to do but never have is to camp at the fairgrounds. It seems you would get the whole experience. Kbroderi@msn.com
The best fair advice I received was to attend more than one day. We live 150 miles away but it is totally worth it (TWICE) a year or more 🙂 Kbroderi@msn.com
My favorite fair food is Cheese Curds from the food building! Kbroderi@msn.com
Our favorite Fair activity is the Little Hands Farm! Kbroderi@msn.com
Fav fair memory is bringing my visiting Australian friend to the fair so she could experience it.
Jkedson@outlook.com
Always wanted to see a performance at the Grand Stand, but never have.
Jkedson@outlook.com
Best advice: start the day at the milk stand and drink milk for breakfast. Then the rest of the day’s food won’t seem as bad.
Jkedson@outlook.com
Fav food: mini donuts
Jkedson@outlook.com
Fav activity: EATING. 🙂
Jkedson@outlook.com
Favorite fair memory – just being with my family and having fun walking around the fairgrounds. My mother-in-law lives a few blocks from the main gates, so we are able to spend time at the fair, then go home to rest, then go back to the fair, then go home to rest, etc:) I also really enjoyed watching my son’s reaction the first time he saw the robot guy walking around:)
Something I’ve always wanted to do but haven’t – the Milk Run 5K
Best Fair Advice ever received – Bring in a water bottle to refill throughout the day, this way we stay hydrated and save money to be used on all the yummy fair food:)
Favorite fair food – Cheese curds
Favorite fair activity-checking out the new fair food and new attractions!
Favorite fair memory was trying to combat the nausea of being 8 weeks pregnant while not letting up to my parents we were with because we hadn’t announced yet!
I want to take my daughter down the giant slide – I think she would love it!
The best fair advice for moms with little kids is to visit the nursing/changing room on the north side near the eco building. Tons of fans, chairs, changing tables, diapers, wipes etc!
The best fair food is the veggie fries!
The best fair activity by far is the people watching!
Favorite memory is getting to pick out my Christmas ornament at the fair every year.
Best fair advice I ever was given was go to the fair with a group of people and share lots of different types of foods.
Favorite fair food is cheese curds.
We like to do the fair rides.
Our favorite fair memory is petting and seeing all the beautiful animals
We have never been to a concert there but hope to someday.
Our best fair advice has been on what booths have gluten free food (my child has celiac disease).
Our favorite fair food is cotton candy.
Petting the cows!
Petting the animals!
Pronto pups are my favorite fair food!
I’ve always wanted to check out the grand stand at the Fair but am too cheap to do it!
My favorite fair memory is going one year while in college with some friends and going on the water bumper cars. We all walked around the rest of the evening with wet bums!
My favorite fair activity is the baby barn.
Best fair advice – ride the bus!
I always get cheese curds at the Fair. Then I feel so gross afterwards and too sick to eat anything else!
I remember, as a child getting stuck with my best friend going down the giant slide
We have never been through the miracle of life barn
Best advice as parents: take a digital picture of your kids before you go to the fair. Then, if they get lost you will have a current photo of them. Thank goodness we have never had to use the photos.
Best food ever: pronto pups
We love Little Farm Hands