🎥 Arthouse meets State Fair

State Fair on the Big Screen

The State Fair may be over, but its place in the Midwest imagination endures. So when I heard local filmmaker Alec Fischer was creating a documentary on the fair, I was mostly surprised I hadn’t watched one yet. But then I saw “THE FAIR” documentary’s trailer and was instantly charmed by familiar sights elevated through an arthouse aesthetic. Not sponsored by the Minnesota State Agricultural Society, Fischer looks at the Great Minnesota Get Together’s yearly rituals to capture what makes it so special to so many. [🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]

• Through time: The documentary guides the viewer through a day at the fair that is actually a supercut of three years of footage. Fischer reflected on filming in 2024, when Gov. Tim Walz hit the national scene as Kamala Harris’ running mate, and how that compares to the present day. Fischer said he found something “poetic” about how Minnesotans express their political beliefs through seed art, despite being known as reserved. “We're not necessarily gonna tell it to your face, but like, we'll let you know through crop art.” [🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]
• Fast forward: Expect a theatrical release of “THE FAIR” next summer.

Worrying signs: Despite court records documenting the alleged Shoreline Plaza shooter’s previous violent behavior, he was able to legally own a gun. The Star Tribune reports the shooter had a child protection order and a restraining order against him. An eviction notice also claims he assaulted another resident and threatened others with a gun. Overall, police have received 438 calls about incidents at Shoreline Plaza in the last two years. [Star Tribune / KSTP]

Standoff: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s 2027 budget proposal includes cutting $2.7 million from violence interrupter programs. After the murder of George Floyd, the city poured money into these initiatives hoping for a model of community safety without guns. But since then, the relationship between the city and violence interrupter groups has been rocky. Earlier this year, the Minnesota Attorney General sued the founder of violence interrupter group We Push For Peace, alleging misuse of nonprofit funds. [MinnPost / The Trace / KSTP]

Picklemaxxing: What’s your post-fair pickle count? Probably not as high as ours. Producer Adam Sage took our contributors Sam Choo and Denzel Belin on a journey to eat as many pickle foods as possible. The result is delightful and briny. [City Cast Twin Cities]

Events this week: If you’re feeling lucky, Café Milagro is hosting Lotería Nights every second Thursday starting this week. Or, you could head over to the Walker Art Center for Cake as Canvas. On Friday, experience a great cultural mash-up at La Doña Cervecería Brewery’s Mextoberfest. On Saturday, celebrate the beauty of migration at the Monarch Festival and get groovin’ at the Selby Ave. JazzFest.

• Vice President of Revenue Growth at Minnesota Aurora FC | $75k–$150k per year
• Digital Content Coordinator at The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra | $24–$27 per hour (PT)
• Public Grants Manager at Minnesota Land Trust | $76k–$82k per year
• Building Maintenance Technician at Walker Art Center | $35.50 per hour
• Senior Communications Coordinator at The Open Door | $24.50–$28 per hour