It’s August, and for the first time ever the BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota will have a booth at the Minnesota State Fair! Each day of the Fair you’ll be able to find us over in the Education Building. Our staff has been working hard to prepare for the Great Minnesota Get-Together. Handout materials had to be ordered, labeled and stored in (heavy) boxes to await delivery to the Fairgrounds. Opening day is fast approaching!

The Minnesota State Fair, at its current location in St. Paul, has been around* since 1885, which is even longer than we’ve been in operation (1912). Combined, that’s an awful lot of history, and it only seems fitting that we’ll be a part of the festive Fair atmosphere this year.

Just as the State Fair has been there as the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul grew up around it, so have we; working hard to establish and maintain an honest and ethical marketplace where buyers and sellers can trust each other.

As it’s grown over the years, the State Fair has attracted people from all over the country – indeed, all over the world. Conversely, from our humble beginnings in Minneapolis back in 1912, the Better Business Bureau has expanded to cover the entire U.S. and all of Canada. Today, there are 122 BBBs in operation.

The tradition of the Minnesota State Fair is a magnificent one. Is there anything better than a gorgeous late summer evening beneath the midway? Still, just as there’s no other Fair quite like the Minnesota State Fair, no other BBB can say that they were the very first BBB. We can, and we say it proudly.

We’re very excited to be a small part of the wonderful experience that is the Minnesota State Fair, and we look forward to seeing you there!

*According to Wikipedia, the first Minnesota State Fair was held in 1859.