State Fair lawn parking: How much do fairground neighbors make?

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One resident near the fairgrounds filled her yard with cars by Monday afternoon.
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Everyone who drives to the Great Minnesota Get-Together sees them: The State Fair's neighbors who, for 12 days in August, put their lives on hold to hawk parking on their lawns.

While vendors inside advertise corn dogs and go-kart rides, the blocks east of the fairgrounds sprout a micro-economy lucrative enough to entice many residents to take a week of vacation and parcel up their yards. Spots go for between $5 and $20, depending on distance to the gates and the day. Neighbors able to cram 20 or 25 cars on their property can make thousands.


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Minnesota State Fair goers oppose 'stand your ground' law, favor Sunday liquor runs

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Photo: Minnesota State Fair.
Is it finally time for Minnesota to overturn its Sunday liquor store ban?

Yes, according to the majority of State Fair goers who participated in the 2012 Minnesota House of Representatives opinion survey.

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Minnesota State Fair glitter-bombed over anti-gay marriage booth [VIDEO]

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Minnesota State Fair: Glitter-bombed from above.
Not even the Minnesota State Fair is safe from glitter-bombers.

The Great Minnesota Get-Together attracted the attention of gay activists this weekend by allowing anti-gay marriage group Minnesota for Marriage to set up a booth at the fair. Local activist Nick Espinosa, known for organizing the gay barbarian flashmob and glitter-bombing at Marcus Bachmann's clinic this summer, decided to protest the booth's presence, claiming that pro-gay marriage activists were excluded from the fair.

As usual, Espinosa chose the least violent, most colorful protest yet known to man. But this time, with a bit of height added to the mix, the glitter-bomb was likely the most spectacular one yet.


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Two men arrested for counterfeit State Fair tickets

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Richard Hazeltine, Michael Horaas: Forgetting the State Fair spirit.
The Minnesota State Fair is a time for Minnesotans of all walks of life to come together -- including, it seems, the most sleazy among us.

In separate cases, two men are being investigated for the sale of counterfeit tickets for the fair.

Richard Hazeltine, of St. Paul, was arrested for his role in a fake ticket scam on Monday. That makes him the second man caught in the same crime, joining Brooklyn Park's Michael Horaas. Horaas was arrested at the Northtown Mall parking lot in Blaine on Saturday, where he was selling fair tickets that cops say are bogus, the Pioneer Press reports.

There's no word yet on how many fake tickets might have gone out, but those who'd bought them were disappointed in the short-term: The State Fair's pretty good at weeding out bum tickets, and buyers would've been turned away at the gates.

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Dale Johannessen gets tazed at Minnesota State Fair

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Image via YouTube
Dale Johannessen gets shirty.
Combine St. Paul's two latest tazing recipients and you've got yourself a fully clothed man.

While Brian Dziubak dropped trou in a gas station, Dale Steven Johannessen managed to get his shirt off at the Great Minnesota Get-Together before catching the attention of cops and getting tazed on Friday. One fair goer got the whole thing on tape.

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State Fair animal crap and crap you eat are tested as fuel sources

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Image by IntangibleArts on Flickr
Can corndogs be turned into electricity?
George Johnson, an environmental scientist, is trying to find out whether there's more energy in recycled animal dung or that nasty-ass but oh-so-good State Fair food.

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State Fair electricity down after truck hits powerline

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Photo courtesy Minnesota State Fair.
Not a great Minnesota get-together for everyone.
At least two people did not have a good time at The Great Minnesota Get-Together today.

Just after 10:30 a.m., a semi-truck rammed a telephone pole near the State Fairgrounds in St. Paul. Details of the accident are few, but police don't believe the driver had been drinking, says St. Paul Police spokesman Andy Skoogman.

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Wild fans at State Fair pick Top 10 games

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Minnesota Wild fans picked their Top 10 games
It's hard to believe that the State of Hockey didn't even have a professional hockey team 10 years ago -- the last one having decamped to Dallas. But this year, die-hard Wild fans at the State Fair have been streaming through the Fan Central building, voting on their favorite Top 10 games ever, as the team gets ready for its 10th season.

Here's the final list, published by the team. Anything missing?

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State Fair cheese curds? There's an app for that, and more

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Cheese curds and smart phones mix at the State Fair
Here's a fun way to get your geek on this year at the Minnesota State Fair: Navigate your way to the fair's smart phone web application.

Let's say you want to find cheese curds -- not that this much of a problem at the fair, but stay with us here.

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Heart breaking: Conan won't visit Minn. State Fair

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We all know Minnesotans love celebrities. Because let's face it... celebrities don't come here very often. So when there was even the slightest chance Conan O'Brien might come to the best Minnesota event of the year, the State Fair, we couldn't contain our ridiculous Midwestern excitement. Queue the Minnesota Nice!

It doesn't help that Conan himself started the buzz. When he appeared on KARE-11 in May to promote "The Tonight Show," he said:
"I've heard you guys have chocolate-covered bacon. I will take 'The Tonight Show' to the State Fair for a week if I can get my bodyweight in chocolate-covered bacon... My favorite food in the world is when meat becomes candy."
Now we all know this was just Conan's lame publicity stunt meant only to break our Fair-loving hearts. But some people aren't giving up hope.

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