Golden Valley Residents Flocking To The State Fair

When the 2011 Minnesota State Fair begins Thursday, Golden Valley will be well represented with bands, crafts and pumpkins.

Here is a rundown of the local people, groups and businesses who will be at "The Great Minnesota Get-Together."

• Golden-Valley native Susan Berns will sell fairy-themed merchandise. The location of her booth wasn't immediately available.
• Renae Brunner, who won the youth award for the largest pumpkin in 2010, will be at the fair again this year. The Agriculture and Horticulture exhibits are near the corner of Underwood Street and Judson Avenue. 
• Rep. Lyndon Carlson Sr. (District 45B) will be at the Minnesota State Fair Poll booth from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, Aug. 26, at the northeast corner of the Education Building on Cosgrove Street just north of Dan Patch Avenue. 
• Lisa Dietz, 2010 blue-ribbon handicraft winner, will exhibit again this year. 
• 2010 blue-ribbon baking winner Hannah Weber also will be at this year's fair. Baking, canning and handicrafts are in the Creative Activities building, which is at the corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Cosgrove Street.
• Anna Niemann of the Victory Robins 4-H club, which meets at Valley of Peace Lutheran Church in Golden Valley, will exhibit a homemade curtain at the Creative Activities building. She won Grand Champion at this year's Hennepin County Fair.
• Anna, 12, and her sister Lydia, 9, will be in the Arts-Alive performance of "In DeNile" at 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 4, on the 4-H stage. (Note: Look for a story Wednesday about the Niemann girls and their mother, Amy, who is the Victory Robins 4-H leader.)
• Mike Norman is one of 413 fine arts exhibitors selected from 2,330 submissions. He will exhibit a ceramic piece in the Fine Arts Center, which is at the corner of Randall Avenue and Cosgrove Street.
• The Robbinsdale Armstrong High School Marching Band and the Robbinsdale Cooper Marching Band will be in the 2 p.m. parade on Friday, Aug. 26, on Cosgrove and Underwood Streets.
• Delphine and Richard Sunderland will run three food booths, serving pop, popcorn and other goodies. Information about the locations of the booths wasn't immediately available.

The first day of the fair last year hit a record with 119,145 people in attendance.

A high temperature of 83 and sunny skies are in the forecast for Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Showers and thunderstorms are possible Friday and through the weekend.

The State Fair runs through Labor Day, Sept. 5.

For more information about the State Fair, go to mnstatefair.org or call 651-288-4400