The new State Fair foods are here

Plus: A local line-dancing legend [Plus: A local line-dancing legend] View this email as a [web page]( [Star Tribune]( [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota! Does anyone have an antacid handy? Just wondering. On to the news! 🎪 [David Taintor] By David Taintor TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [Gophers running back Darius Taylor Jr. pushes ahead with a father in prison for murder]( - [Man shot at Lake Street light-rail platform in critical condition]( - [Twins put away White Sox 8-6 in 11 innings]( - [Mounds View moves to discharge racist deed language before home sales]( - [Obituary for local music matriarch Mary Lou Westerberg goes viral](   Behold the new Minnesota State Fair foods Minnesota State Fair Ahead of the other most wonderful time of year, the State Fair has announced its new crop of foods. From seafood boil-style wings to deep-fried ranch (yes, you read that right), the State Fair has flavors for every family member. Where else can you eat a pronto pup at 7 a.m.? Not that I'm speaking from experience. Seven new vendors are hitting the fair this year, along with old standbys sharing new flavors. Midtown Global Market’s Indigenous Food Lab is serving up Native fare, including bison meatballs and sweet potato dumplings. Kosharina Egyptian Cuisine is offering a dish of rice, pasta, chickpeas, lentils, tomato sauce, garlicky vinegar dukkah sauce, topped with fried onions, served with an optional protein. See the full list below, and let us know: What fair foods are you most looking forward to? Reach us at essential@startribune.com. We’ll see you in line at the fair! [image] Minnesota State Fair [READ MORE](     Choral takeover Stroll past Peavey Plaza tomorrow and you will be treated to a wall of sound from thousands of singers descending on the city for a quadrennial celebration of LGBTQ voices. The GALA Choruses Festival is the world’s largest gathering of LGBTQ singers and choirs. And it's coming to Minneapolis this week. The sheer scale of the event is impressive. Roughly 7,000 singers will perform 50 concerts over five days in Minneapolis. Singers are traveling from China, Ukraine, Taiwan, Finland, Estonia and Mexico. Organizers have planned a mass singalong at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Peavey Plaza. “We’re going to hum together, acknowledge the land that we’re standing on, and sing two songs as a choir of 7,000,” said GALA Choruses Artistic Director Jane Ramseyer Miller, who has served in the role since 2010. [Read more here](. Josh Gold, GALA Choruses MORE FROM THE STAR TRIBUNE - [Bill Maher explains why his upcoming Orpheum Theatre show may be his last in Minnesota]( - [Critics' picks: The 15 best things to do and see in the Twin Cities this week]( IN OTHER NEWS - [Rep. Angie Craig joins donor discussion about replacing Biden on ballot - Washington Post]( - [Can wolf haters and wolf lovers talk without howling? - MPR News]( [Share this newsletter with friends]( Do you enjoy Essential Minnesota? Encourage your friends and family to [sign up](. You also can share it using the links below. A line dance legend Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune Country music is all the rage all of a sudden, from Beyoncé to Post Malone to TikTok trends. Laura Yuen has the heartwarming story of a skateboard instructor falling in love with line dancing and discovering a master of the craft right here in Minneapolis. [Read more about line-dancing legend Diane Horner here.](     THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE A first-time visitor [snapped this photo]( of the sparkling Minneapolis skyline, as seen from the North Loop. We're halfway through 2024 already. Soak up the warm weather while you can. Hope you come back to visit, OP! Thanks for reading David Taintor, reporter Ashley Miller, editor [Email]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]([Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Manage]( your preferences | [Opt Out]( using TrueRemove™ Got this as a forward? [Sign up]( to receive our future emails. View this email [online](. 650 3rd Ave. S. Suite 1300 | Minneapolis, MN 55488 US This email was sent to {EMAIL}. To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.