Your guide to Day 1 of the Minnesota State Fair

Plus: Gus Walz goes viral 🥲 [Plus: Gus Walz goes viral 🥲] View this email as a [web page]( [The Minnesota Star Tribune](   [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota! Will I see you at the State Fair today? David, Zoë and I will be at the Strib booth at 1 p.m. ⭐️ On to the news 📢 [Eder Campuzano] By Eder Campuzano TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [How does Minnesota’s income inequality compare to other states?]( - [MSP wanted more investment from Delta. Here’s how it happened.]( - [Harris and Walz ‘politics of joy’ theme traced back to another prominent Minnesotan]( - [CampOut weekend creates ‘instant neighborhood’ for LGBTQ community on the Iron Range]( - [The Minnesota State Fair’s opening weekend will be hot and steamy](   Brace yourself for a barrage of deep-fried snacks, carnival rides and other dispatches from the Minnesota State Fair Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune Deep-fried ranch dressing, anyone? The Minnesota State Fair begins today and we're ready. Are you ready? Because we're very ready. The Star Tribune's Taste team is already in Falcon Heights to do its traditional tour of the new food offerings at the fairgrounds. Politics editor Laura McCallum and reporters Briana Bierschbach and Sydney Kashiwagi will take the Strib stage at 10:30 a.m. to talk about their work. The Essential Minnesota team and special guest Jennifer Brooks will be there to take your questions about the newsletter and our digital-first team at 1 p.m. We've got all that and more at the links below, which comprise your full guide to Day 1 of the Great Minnesota Get-Together. What questions do you have for our reporters on the ground? What would you like to know about Essential Minnesota? Got any story ideas for us to pursue over the 12 days? Let us know at essential@startribune.com. Related coverage - [Live: We’re trying all of this year’s new Minnesota State Fair foods]( - [Minnesota State Fair unveils the 33 new foods for 2024]( - [Drink up: Here are the 63 new State Fair specialty sips for 2024]( - [Latina music star Becky G will kick off 2024′s Minnesota State Fair grandstand series]( - [Full schedule for Minnesota Star Tribune’s stage at 2024 State Fair]( - [Sign up for our Essential State Fair newsletter](     GOING OUT - [Scene Makers Q&A: How Nate Dungan books all the free music at the Minnesota State Fair]( - [This Minneapolis band was one of the last to work with studio legend Steve Albini]( - [John Legend leads a Prince tribute before Gov. Tim Walz speaks at the DNC]( What's happening today 🗞️ Vice President Kamala Harris will formally accept the Democratic nomination for president on the final night of the party's convention in Chicago tonight. 🗞️ Becky G. kicks off this year's slate of State Fair grandstand performances. Chris Riemenschneider will have a review this evening. 🗞️ The Minnesota Twins rest for a day before a three-game series versus the St. Louis Cardinals. The team routed the San Diego Padres last night, 11-4, to break a three-game losing streak. Phil Miller [has that story](.   [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.   Gus Walz loves his dad, who also happens to be the Democratic nominee for vice president Minnesota took center stage on the penultimate night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago as the party gathered for Gov. Tim Walz to formally accept its nomination for vice president. But it was Gus Walz, the governor's son, who stole the spotlight as he tearfully clapped and shouted "that's my dad" as the night wound down. Read all about that moment and the rest of last night's happenings below. Democratic National Convention coverage: - [A tearful Gus Walz shouts ‘that’s my dad’ in emotional reaction to DNC speech](//t.e2ma.net/click/bg99f4c/3hp1m0/bk0xvtsb - [Gov. Tim Walz steps onto national stage as VP nominee in Chicago]( - [Hundreds attend watch party at Mankato West High School for Gov. Tim Walz’s DNC speech]( - [Minnesota delegation elated after Tim Walz’s speech at the DNC]( Renée Jones Schneider/The Minnesota Star Tribune MORE FROM THE MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE - [She’s Minnesota State Fair’s new Princess Kay of the Milky Way]( - [Scoggins: Kevin O’Connell’s leadership has helped Vikings navigate turbulent summer]( INTRODUCING 'THIS WEEK IN NATURE' Jeff Wheeler/The Minnesota Star Tribune Our newly launched Outdoors Desk has just published the inaugural edition of its weekly series, "This Week in Nature." Senior team leader Pam Louwagie describes it as "a quick glimpse of what’s happening in the natural world, so you’ll know what to look for when you head outside. (Or, if you’re stuck inside, you can think of it as your few moments of zen for the day.)" We'll spotlight the feature in this space every Thursday morning. Today, for instance, the Outdoors team is focusing on a few blooms and the emergence of Minnesota's "dog-day cicadas." Check out our [coverage about the other flora and fauna that populate our fine state here](. IN OTHER NEWS - [‘I love writing about complicated things using very everyday language’: Guante and Big Cats tackle climate change]( - Racket - [Stepping out of Tim Walz’s shadow, Peggy Flanagan is poised to make history]( - MinnPost - [Inequality, complacency behind Minnesota’s lagging student achievement, experts say]( - Minnesota Reformer     THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE Jennifer Brooks via X In case you haven't heard, it's State Fair season. I spent the last week carefully plotting out my plans for the first three days of the Great Minnesota Get-Together. But my colleague Jennifer Brooks has been looking forward to today since just after Labor Day 2023. The energy is infectious — it feels like the entire state awakens from a lazy summer nap in late August as the season winds down and we all begin crafting our plans for a new school year and the holidays beyond. I've only lived in one other state, but I cannot for the life of me fathom any other event that brings this many people together for a common cause. Is this what it felt like to be alive for the bicentennial? Anyhoo, tell us what you're most excited about at this year's State Fair: essential@startribune.com. Thanks for reading Eder Campuzano, reporter David Taintor, editor     [Premium digital access] GET IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO EVERY STORY [Premium digital access] GET IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO EVERY STORY [Subscribe]( SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER [Email]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]( [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.