For Some, State Fair Work Is A Corporate Vacation

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - It's no easy task to keep up with the customer demand at the Minnesota State Fair.

Each food vendor employs dozens of workers over the 12 days.

You'd expect to see a staff full of high school or college students since the demands of the state fair schedule are difficult for those who already have a full-time career.

But for some workers, the intense pace of the fair is actually a vacation.

Carrie Burinda took a 12-day break from her career in the corporate world to spend time serving the more than a million strangers at the Great Minnesota Get-Together.

"Quite a few people have questioned my decision," she said.

She's among the roughly 30 percent of Blue Barn's staff who see the fair as a vacation destination.

"Just wanting to do something different," she said. "I get a nice amount of vacation and there are only so many place you can go."

Hank Brandjten is having so much fun he's even at the fair on his day off. When he's on a shift, the restaurant flow couldn't be farther from his typical work routine.

"I'm the president of a printing press manufacturing company," he said.

For those used to the white collar world, this job isn't about the pay but the perks.

"We have been able to try the food," Brandjten said. "We do get a meal when we work, so that's nice, too."

Yet the real takeaway is that there are some things rest and relaxation can't offer.

"It gives me an appreciation for how hard my employees work," Brandjten said.

This isn't just the case at Blue Barn; plenty of other vendors have staff who are vacationing to work.