Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Touring the Rice County Fairgrounds days before the fair July 20, 2026

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A sign advertising the fair banners a fairgrounds building. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

IN THE STILL of a Saturday summer evening, I wandered the Rice County Fairgrounds days before the fair opens for a five-day run July 22-26 in Faribault. I took in a scene which will appear and feel decidedly different once this annual “Where the City Meets the Farm” event begins.

Locally-based Schroder Concessions stands sit outside the grandstand. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
This vendor sells cheese curds, including in a bucket. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo 2026)
You can buy 64 ounces of lemonade from the same vendor. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

On this evening, with the sky tinged a muted pink by the setting sun, the glowing lights of two mobile concession stands offered a peek at the festive atmosphere soon to come. I could almost see the line of fair-goers waiting for a bucket of cheese curds, a foot long hot dog or an icy cold old-fashioned lemonade.

The food stand run by Bethlehem Academy, home of the Cardinals. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

Nearby, permanent structures house long-time food vendors—the Cardinal Cafe since the 1950s, The Pork Booth, the 4-H Food Stand and others.

An inoperable carnival ride made in Faribault splashes color outside a livestock barn. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

Food, fun and friends theme the 2026 fair, according to the fair’s website. That seems fitting as I consider the people who will gather here, some coming primarily for the food; others for the carnival rides; many to see the exhibits; others to show off their animals, talents, creativity and much more; many for the entertainment; and, above all, to connect with family and friends for a whole lot of fun.

Picnic tables stacked and ready to put in place for the fair. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
A sign directs visitors to exhibits. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
An old stock watering tank repurposed as a flower planter sits outside the sheep barn. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

But on this pre-fair evening, all was quiet. I observed a state of readiness. Benches and picnic tables stacked. Trash bins in place. Signs posted. Flowers blooming in stock tanks and other containers. Ticket booths set up. American flags flying atop the grandstand.

The Beer Garden is now The Stockyard, a place of beer and bands. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

And near the grandstand, I noticed a new sign, a change at the Beer Garden, now renamed The Stockyard. I suppose that’s appropriate given the agricultural roots of the county fair. It’s a catchy and identifiable tag.

A line of barns that will house animals stretches along the south side of the fairgrounds. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

I continued my loop around the fairgrounds, following the row of buildings that will soon house prized animals. Pigs, sheep, poultry, cows, cattle, rabbits and goats. Horses have their separate space across the grounds.

The back entry to the sheep barn. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

Barn doors were locked. But near the end of the row, lights glared in the John Liebenstein Sheep Arena. I stepped inside the open air barn defined by rows of white wooden pens. I followed the clean-swept floor, passed by wheelbarrows. Already, families had claimed their spots with surnames marked on masking tape. Some were there Saturday evening preparing for the arrival of sheep.

Banners defining the purpose of 4-H and the 4-H pledge of head, heart, hands and health draped over a pen, awaiting display.

Brothers Keith, left, and Sam paint gates for the swine barn. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

And behind the swine building I found three young men—Keith, Sam and Charlie—rolling bright red paint onto metal gates to corral pigs. “Nothing like waiting until the last minute,” I teased, my comment not phasing them a bit.

Cotton candy will be available for purchase. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

In the final days before the fair, much will happen as the carnival sets up, vendors and kids arrive, and everything is put in place. I can only imagine the amount of planning and execution that go into creating an inviting and successful fair.

This shows a small portion of the garden, complete with benches, on the east side of the fairgrounds. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

Over at the Rice County Master Gardeners Teaching Gardens on the east end of the fairgrounds, the pristine gardens are in full bloom, an oasis of natural beauty, a respite from the busyness of the fair. The next door conservation building has been reshingled and repainted.

The historic Pleasant Valley School and Holy Innocents Episcopal Church will be open during the fair. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

The Rice County Historical Society has been lining up volunteers to greet fair visitors inside the old schoolhouse and church. I got a call while on vacation, but couldn’t commit. Churches have been lining up volunteers, too, to staff booths. Likewise, businesses are set with promotional displays.

Looking up at the grandstand, which will feature races, an antique tractor pull, alligator wrestling and more. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

Days before the fair opened, I felt a sense of anticipation that comes with any big annual event. Memories will be made here, perhaps while watching juggling, a magic show or alligator wrestling; playing free mini golf, BINGO or Euchre; listening to La Raza de Mexico and other musicians; perusing exhibits of quilts, photos and more; checking out the animals; interacting with Jack Sparrow the Pirate; going on a scavenger hunt; and more, oh so much more.

One of the food vendors already in place when I toured the fairgrounds Saturday evening. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

I haven’t attended the Rice County Fair in years, having been “faired out” decades ago as a young newspaper reporter and photographer covering several county fairs. But my pre-fair tour of the fairgrounds proved motivating. This just may be the year I return to the fair and wait in line for my favorite fair food—mini donuts. Or perhaps I’ll try funnel cakes, order cheese curds, grab an old-fashioned lemonade…

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Cruisin’ to Dawn’s Corner Bar in Dundas June 30, 2026

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The sun glares on the bumper of a 1969 Olds Cutlass 442. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

SUN GLARED OFF shiny chrome and gleaming hoods, surfaces waxed to prideful perfection for the monthly Classic Cruise In at Dawn’s Corner Bar in Dundas. The event was a first for me on a Sunday afternoon when I could have attended several other area car shows. But Randy and I chose Dundas.

An overview of the car show taken from the hill above the parking lot. That’s Dawn’s Corner Bar on the corner in the background. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

By car show standards, this proved a small event, compacted into a paved parking lot across the street from the bar along Railway Street North.

Gathering on the back deck of Dawn’s Corner Bar. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

While we meandered among the vehicles, which included cars, trucks and a few motorcycles, The Chad Johnson Trio played on the deck behind the bar. I remember only “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” the other songs becoming background music as I tuned into the car show.

Dawn’s Corner Bar in Dundas. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Signage high above the front entrance to Dawn’s Corner Bar. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Randy checks out Greg’s 1956 Chrysler. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

But outside and in (I peeked inside), people packed the place, enjoying the music, $2.50 domestic tap beer and $10 cheeseburger baskets. Greg, who drove his 1956 black-and-white Chrysler to the show with a Sears bike strapped to the rear, vouched for the sizable, tasty burgers. I should have thought ahead. But Randy grilled burgers the previous evening and I was neither hungry nor thirsty.

An old shed backdrops a 1930s Ford hotrod and a 1963 Buick. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

I settled for appreciating and photographing vehicles driven to Dundas for a show-and-tell of sorts on a Sunday afternoon heating up to be a hot and humid week in southern Minnesota.

Lots of conversations happening at the car show. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Conversations flowed as classic vehicle enthusiasts discussed whatever you talk about when you’re really into cars. Randy, who worked as an automotive machinist in next door Northfield for nearly 40 years, talked to former customers. That included a guy who brought an old truck Randy worked on. I hear those stories all the time from grateful customers. Randy was, and is, really good at what he does and knows a whole lot about everything automotive.

Big Bird dangles inside a bright yellow Firebird. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

I’m more interested in the quirky, the artsy, the unusual. A Big Bird dangling from a Big Bird-hued Firebird brought to mind my second daughter who, as a child, carried her much-beloved yellow Sesame Street stuffie everywhere.

The km/h speedometer of a Foggy Ducati motorcycle is marked with dots, presumably a visual for the driver to keep his speed in check. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

A vintage Honda motorcycle reminded me of my oldest brother revving up his bike, roaring across the farmyard, tires spitting gravel.

The show featured not only cars and trucks, but also several motorcycles. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

I expect nearly everyone attending the show could share a story, for classic vehicles are the stuff of memories.

A beautiful, artsy shifter knob in a Ford hotrod. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Grandpa’s car. Siblings piling into a boat of a family car for a road trip. First car. Learning to drive a stick shift. Saturday night at a drive-in movie. A stop at the root beer stand. Racing down a back county road. Young love in a car parked at a dead end. Lights out under an inky dark sky. So many memories and stories.

A Model A Ford. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

As I walked among the many classic vehicles, I could only imagine the stories, told and untold. I wonder sometimes if that isn’t the real reason why people own these vehicles. It’s a way of holding onto the past, of connecting with previous generations, of reliving yesteryear, when life was, in many ways, less complicated.

A hood ornament that could grace an art gallery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Some may consider their vehicles an investment. And maybe they are. An investment in life as it once existed in quieter, gentler times.

I have no idea what this car art symbolizes. But it caught my eye. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

By the end of my walk about the classic vehicles, I’d taken some 80 photos and engaged in several conversations. But mostly, I observed. The setting. The people. The vehicles. The art. After all that, and as the pavement was heating up I needed to cool off in air conditioning. I also needed a drink of icy cold water, although a beer may have hit the spot, too.

As noted on this 2017 tee, Henderson hosts a Classic Roll In. That happens from 5-8 p.m. every Tuesday, June-September. However, the Tuesday, June 30, show was cancelled due to the extreme heat. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

FYI: Dawn’s Corner Bar in Dundas hosts a Classic Car Cruise In from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. the last Sunday of the month June-September.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Cruising into summer along Central Avenue June 24, 2025

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Faribault’s Car Cruise Night features mostly vintage vehicles parked in our historic downtown. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2025)

ON A SULTRY SUMMER SOLSTICE EVENING, hundreds converged on Faribault’s Central Avenue for the monthly Car Cruise Night. Our downtown offers an ideal backdrop of historic buildings for the many vintage and antique vehicles and sports cars showcased in a four-block area.

Among all the full-size vehicles was this kids’ mini car. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2025)

But this event is about much more than cars and trucks. It’s also about community. About coming together. About connecting with hugs and one-on-one conversations. Young and old alike come here, infusing energy into the downtown during a season when everyone wants to be outdoors, heat and humidity aside.

These boys were definitely interested in wheels, including this go kart. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2025)

Some bring their dogs. Others bring their babies and toddlers and kids of all ages for an evening out. Something to do. The excitement of some—especially two pre-teens who thought they spotted a Lamborghini—felt palpable. It was not a Lamborghini. But for the boys, in a singular moment, they held high hopes.

A vintage Mercury Comet. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2025)

I got excited when I spotted, from a distance, a car outside Boxer’s Bar that looked remarkably like a Mercury Comet. My husband confirmed that the red four-door was, indeed, a Comet. My first car was a 1976 two-door canary yellow Comet, which I nicknamed, well, let’s just say a word that rhymes with Comet. I spent way too much money repairing that vehicle. Plus, the driver’s door wouldn’t close in the winter. I digress. Perhaps the owner of the red Comet has had much better than lemon luck.

This retired Minnesota State Patrol car drew a lot of interest. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2025)

Car Cruise participants will share stories about their vehicles if you ask. Most settle onto lawn chairs on the sidewalk and watch as people circle their treasures on wheels. A retired Minnesota State Patrol cruiser, a 2015 Ford Taurus Interceptor, attracted plenty of attention with so many flashing, pulsating lights that I had to look away. It gave me pause, especially in light of recent events in Minnesota. But signage and license plates made it clear this Taurus is no longer an active duty patrol car. I appreciated that clarity.

Historic buildings reflected on a shiny 1948 Chrysler. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2025)

And then there’s pride in ownership showcased in shiny, spotless vehicles waxed to perfection. Flawless. Brian Boelke of Mazeppa polished his 1948 Chrysler to mirror image shine. I was fascinated by the reflection of historic buildings curving across the hood and sides of his black car. Abstract art. Beautiful. I wonder if others noticed.

The hood art of a 1973 Pontiac Firebird. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2025)

I view Car Cruise Night through an artistic lens, Central Avenue like a gallery of auto art.

Two members of the Jason Paulson Band perform. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2025)

The performing arts are also part of this monthly summertime event. On the longest day of the year, the Jason Paulson Band beat a rhythm of Americana music from an intersection outside the beloved hometown Signature Bar & Grill. People walked by. Some danced. Others relaxed on history-themed benches or settled onto a vintage Tilt-a-Whirl car anchored outside third-generation family-owned Burkhartzmeyer Shoes. Friends paused mid-street to talk.

Even The Oasis 55021 food stand was themed to the Car Cruise. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2025)

For the hungry and thirsty, there were plenty of options from downtown businesses and food trucks and stands. I spotted a boy eating his last mini donut, a favorite fair food of mine. I didn’t cave to temptation, until back home when I scooped up chocolate chip ice cream.

Another crowd-pleaser, Craig and Kathy’s vintage ambulance. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2025)

As cars and trucks began pulling away from their parking spots along Central Avenue with the Car Cruise winding down, Randy and I listened briefly to the band before heading home. I was feeling overheated, in need of a cool place and a long cold drink of water after taking 108 photos on this summer solstice evening in southern Minnesota.

FYI: Upcoming Car Cruises are set for 6-9 p.m. Friday, July 18, and Friday, August 15, in downtown Faribault. The final cruise will be held Saturday, September 19, at Faribault Harley Davidson.

© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling