Why is there so few "people of color" at the Minnesota State Fair? (St. Paul: live in, agriculture)

[Refugee56]

While I live in New Orleans, I travel to Minnesota on business on a regular basis. Every time I go to Saint Paul they tell me that if I am in the Twin Cities during late August or early September I should visit the Minnesota State Fair.

On the last day of August of this year I finally went. I liked it but as an African American, I felt funny and out of place. While Saint Paul and the rest of the Twin Cities metro area has a rapidly increasing minority population, it appears that they do not go to the Minnesota State Fair.

Why is just about everyone who goes to the State Fair White?

[davnlndy2]

We had the same experience at the Washington State fair in seattle.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Refugee56

While I live in New Orleans, I travel to Minnesota on business on a regular basis. Every time I go to Saint Paul they tell me that if I am in the Twin Cities during late August or early September I should visit the Minnesota State Fair.

On the last day of August of this year I finally went. I liked it but as an African American, I felt funny and out of place. While Saint Paul and the rest of the Twin Cities metro area has a rapidly increasing minority population, it appears that they do not go to the Minnesota State Fair.

Why is just about everyone who goes to the State Fair White?

I wonder if others have gone once (as you did), felt out of place that first time, and never returned? That might well create a self-perpetuating situation.

[AriEsStaR*]

When I went to the state fair this year, I saw a great amount of African american people there. Maybe you just went on a day that was full of white people?? haha I really don't know why.

[Haver]

I have a suspicion that the organizers steer the events and food offerings towards a fairly bland, homogenious audience.

[Slig]

The state of Minnesota is 90% white, that might have something to do with it.

[Refugee56]

Originally Posted by Slig

The state of Minnesota is 90% white, that might have something to do with it.

Saint Paul is almost 50% minority. I saw only a handful of people of color at the State Fair.

[moving123456]

Originally Posted by Refugee56

Saint Paul is almost 50% minority. I saw only a handful of people of color at the State Fair.

... but it is the state fair, not the St. Paul fair. People from all over the state visit and bring that percentage down by a huge amount.

[JenLee]

We went to the State Fair 3 times, all in the first 8 days of the Fair. DH and I both commented on the fact that the crowds are more diverse than they used to be.

If you went on August 31st, that was a Sunday and maybe in the huge crush of people there it didn't appear that there were many minorities (I hate to go to the State Fair on weekends because the crowds are so thick it's nearly impossible to do or see anything there).

We are becoming a more diverse state, the U of MN site Demographics of Diversity in Minnesota says we have more persons of color: "In 2000, 11.8 percent of Minnesotans identified themselves as people of color, up from 6.3 percent in 1990."

I am sure that the numbers have changed since then; but MN probably won't ever be equal to the diversity of Louisiana.

[Oildog]

Most of the ethnic diversity in Minnesota is in Mpls/StPaul area. Many people from the out-state areas come in for the fair (for farm and agriculture exhibits). Out state is about 95% white, 5% Native american. The state as a whole is not more than 10% black, so you wont see to many folks at an event where highlights are farming, cattle and such.