Big Crowds As Minn. State Fair Wraps

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It's over. The great Minnesota Get Together of 2013 is history. And history was also made there Sunday: 236,197 people attended.

But it wasn't exactly smooth sailing.

This year's fair could be compared to one of its flagship attractions, a roller coaster.

"If it was like a graph it would be sort of a reverse bell curve," fair staffer Brienna Schuete said. "Great days at the beginning, great days at the end, tough days in the middle."

For those food vendors, it was a tricky year. And it was only the second for Matt Ribar's gravy drenched fries. He says of his poutine stand, "When heat hit we were fifty percent down, really dragging trying to get through the week."

But once things cooled down, the crowds came back. Sunday was the busiest day in the fair's 150 year history.

"We're still going to have an incredibly successful state fair despite the crazy weather, despite the heat and humidity Minnesotans are incredibly loyal and I'm really proud of that," Schuete said.

That's the thing about roller coasters -- they always come back up and end strong.

As for next year, expect a major marketplace for retail on the west end. There will be a new shuttle drop-off in hope of alleviating traffic on Como Avenue.