WCCO 4 Live At The Minnesota State Fair (2016): Day 2
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (WCCO) – We're "going crazy" here at day two of the Great Minnesota Get-Together.
WCCO-TV has a tradition of being at the fair. Our booth is near the intersection of Carnes and Dan Patch avenues. Stop by to experience what it's like to report on the State Fair, and get your own WCCO microphone. Also, be sure to stick around to watch one of our newscasts, including our 4 p.m. one-hour State Fair special.
But on Friday, the State Fair honored the life and career of Prince for "Unite in Purple" day, and our show was no different. The show began with an introduction to DJ Dudley D, who kept the jams pumping throughout.
Of course, there were other matters to attend to as well, and we talked shop with the 4-H'ers about the birds they have this year at the fair.
Meet The Birds Of The 4-H Building
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This year the Minnesota State Fair added 32 new foods, with seven of them a clear must on a hot day.
Ice cream and frozen treats always have a long line when the temperatures rise. On Friday, Rachel Slavik sampled Minnesnowii shaved ice. Jason Giandalia created Minnesnowii shaved ice five years ago after tasting something similar on a trip to Hawaii.
And then she got her hands warm again by milking a cow. Observe.
Rachel Tries Minnesnowii Shaved Ice, Milks A Cow
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There was no shortage of Prince fans in the stands (or anywhere, really) at the fair. We managed to grab two of them to do an epic purple lip sync battle for a special Grandstand prize.
Our volunteers were Dustin and Jackie. Which one do you think won? Check out their efforts below.
Prince Fans Face Off In Lip Sync Battle
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If you take a close look at this year's State Fair poster, you'll notice a little bit of a lot of things: landmarks, amusement park rides, and a llama named Lucky.
The mosaic was made out of all recycled materials from State Fair leftovers.
Prints are available at the Fairgrounds. Proceeds support the Minnesota State Fair Foundation to preserve and improve State Fair buildings, grounds and educational programs.
Frank and Amelia talked with Michael Sweere, the artist behind the print, about what went into his design.
(Oh, and the lip sync winner is revealed in the clip below as well.)
State Fair Poster's Artist Discusses His Inspiration
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With all the singing of Prince songs around the fair Friday, it's probably a good idea (if you're of a certain age) to sample something cool and purple. How about heading over to Manny's Tortas for a purple Pina Colada?
What Better Way To Toast Prince Than A Purple Pina Colada?
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Finally, the sing-a-long to end all sing-a-longs. Everyone at the fair we found was chomping at the bit to get their verse in a redo of Prince's #1 hit "Kiss." Not everyone was on key, but everyone was in tune with the legacy of Minnesota's own Prince.
State Fair Prince Fans Sing-A-Long To 'Kiss'
