Dangerous heat expected during the state fair
In case you missed it, the Minnesota State Fair is a party place.
“It’s sweltering hot out here,” explained Drew Resig, who came to the fair with his wife Katie and their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Aurora. “I mean, 32 degrees, you don’t see a day like that very often in the summer.”
From tiny electric fans to fog machines and busy water stations, trade show attendees did almost anything to cool off.
Angela Ramirez, 18, and her family took a break in the shade.
“It’s really hot,” she said. “But not so hot that you can’t walk and stuff.”
But better than the forecast for Sunday and Monday, Ramirez agreed.
It looks like the first weekend of the Great Minnesota Get Together is turning into the Great Minnesota Sweat Together.
“Oh man, we couldn’t believe it,” said Shelby Lang, who came to the fair with her mother.
Luckily, she had brought a supply of hand fans with her as souvenirs to at least provide some exercise.
“I have to make sure someone in the family stays cool because (my mother) spends all the money on me these days, so I have to make sure she stays cool,” Lang smiled.
Representatives of the trade fair believe that adequate water intake is crucial for a successful trade fair visit this weekend.
We met Jack Rashid, a visitor from Duluth, and some friends at the Ballpark Cafe.
They relaxed under an oversized parasol with a fog machine attachment.
“Could be a lot worse,” said Rashid, grinning. “Could be stuck on a bench in the sun somewhere.”
At least one fire and paramedic unit from St. Paul was deployed to the exhibition grounds on Saturday.
According to the fair, there are also aid stations for medical problems staffed by the Regions Hospital at the east and west ends of the site.
“We encourage everyone to bring a refillable water bottle or get one that they can refill throughout the day or on site,” said Maria Hayden, a State Fair spokeswoman. “If someone needs help, we encourage them to call 9-1-1 and (…) either someone will come or they can go to the first aid station.”
There will be about 40 water stations available at the fair, Hayden added.
Temperatures are cooler in the cattle barn, but the North End Event Center and the History and Heritage Center both have air conditioning.
In the meantime, the Resigs always have plenty of water on hand and several of those tiny fans to beat the heat.
“I mean, you can never be too prepared for whatever the day brings,” he said. “You know, the more fans the better, just to keep yourself cool.”
