Minnesota celebrates State Fair at the Democratic National Convention
CHICAGO (FOX 9) - Even in Chicago, Gov. Tim Walz and the DFL celebrated the opening day of the Minnesota State Fair with a very Minnesota approach.
Kamala Harris accepted the presidential nomination Thursday night to wrap up the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. But part of the city could’ve been confused for being the Minnesota State Fair on Thursday morning.
Breakfast had a distinctly Minnesota flavor for the delegates, who shut down the United Center on Wednesday night to the point where the lights had been turned off while still celebrating the nomination of Gov. Tim Walz more than an hour after the convention ended.
And the new nominee was the main attraction at the morning meal.
A loud and proud Minnesota delegation welcomed the governor home, so to speak, for his first appearance after accepting the nomination. At Thursday’s delegation breakfast, he credited the legislators and supporters who put him in position to potentially become the state’s third vice president.
"We're ready to take the Minnesota values that all of you taught us," Gov. Walz said. "The DFL party is the core of what it means to be Minnesotans."
Even while away from home, Walz and the DFL still managed to celebrate the first day of the Great Minnesota Get-Together.
Sweet Martha's Cookies were the centerpiece of every table and Pronto Pups were part of the buffet. And nobody in the crowd would take the last piece of bacon.
"Why didn't anybody take the last piece of bacon?" a reporter asked delegates.
"My shortest answer is because I didn't know," said St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter.
"There were some non-Minnesotans in the room, so it should have been gone," joked Chuck Smith-Dewey of Lakeville.
A reporter asked Mayor Carter how this event compares to the Minnesota State Fair.
"They're both very electric," Mayor Carter said. "They're both exciting. They're both packed and full of people. There's much more food on a stick available at the State Fair."
"We go on the first day of the State Fair," said Elise Smith-Dewey, also of Lakeville. "So we are sacrificing to be here today. We're missing the State Fair."
But when the choice came to butter sculptures or seeing Walz and Harris accept their nominations, witnessing history won out.
"There's no comparison," explained Elise Smith-Dewey. "This is a pinch me. It's a pinch me once in a lifetime."
It all culminated when Harris took the stage to accept the nomination, becoming the first Black woman nominated by one of the major parties. And she did it on her wedding anniversary and the first day of the Minnesota State Fair.