​Well, here I go! It is officially time to kick off my favorite stretch of the summer: my first County Fair of the season. Working for KLQP, I have the distinct honor—and the stamina—to set up our radio booth at five different county fairs. That’s right, five!

​Usually, you can find me holding down the fort in the Q-92 booth from Thursday through Sunday, broadcasting live and eating my weight in fried food. I’ve been doing this for more years than I care to admit, and I absolutely love it. Why? Because of you. Visiting with the listeners is hands-down the best part of the job.

​Over the decades, I think I’ve heard just about every comment under the sun regarding what we put on the air. But without a doubt, the number one thing people want to talk about is our Saturday Old Time Show—or, as I affectionately call it, The Polka Show.

​We run that accordion-heavy goodness every Saturday from 12:30 to 3:00 PM, and to my absolute amazement, it remains our number one show. It simply refuses to die! Local nursing homes even put it on their official Saturday afternoon activity schedules. I don’t know what polka music holds over western Minnesota, but our listeners cannot get enough. Mind you, we’re a rare breed—hardly any stations play polka anymore. KNUJ down in New Ulm is the Polka Capital of the World and plays it 24/7, but we definitely hold our own on the Q-92 airwaves!

​Aside from the polka praise, the other comment I get most often at the fair involves a severe case of “radio face.” People who have listened to me for years meet me in person for the first time and are visually shocked by what they see.

​Just a few years back, an elderly lady from Clarkfield stopped by the booth. When I introduced myself, her jaw dropped.

​I looked at her and said, “You look a little disappointed.”

​With complete, brutal honesty, she said, “I am!”

​I laughed and asked, “What were you expecting? Tall, dark, and handsome?”

​Without missing a beat, she said, “Yes!”

​We ended up hugging and laughing up a storm. It’s easily one of my favorite fair memories. You just can’t buy that kind of entertainment!

This week, the KLQP roadshow rolls into Canby for the Yellow Medicine County Fair. One of my absolute highlights there is interviewing Mya Pesek. Mya is a 4-H rockstar, and I’ve interviewed her at the fair every single year since she was in kindergarten. This year, she’s going to be a high school senior! We’ve basically watched her grow up on the air, and over the years, I’ve become friends with her and her family. She’s also a phenomenal runner on the cross country and track teams.  I’m really looking forward to catching up with her again this week.

​Of course, we can’t talk about the fair without talking about the real MVP: the food.

Every fair has its own masterpieces, but my personal Mount Rushmore of fair food includes:

• ​Real-deal malt milkshakes
• ​A classic Pork Chop on a Stick
• ​Hot beef commercials at the church stands
• ​And the granddaddy of them all: the Saturday afternoon Ribfest at the Swift County Fair in Appleton.

I’m also a pie judge! They keep asking me to come back every year, so I must do a pretty good job judging pies! I’m an expert now. Its all about the crust!

Every single stop on our fair tour has its own unique flavor. We start with Yellow Medicine in Canby, all about 4H, head to Chippewa in Montevideo for the food, move to Stevens in Morris (which probably boasts the biggest crowds), hit Swift in Appleton, Ribfest and free entertainment, and wrap the whole circus up right here at home in Madison with Lac qui Parle in September. Cooler temps (And yes, I’m squeezing a one-week vacation in between Chippewa and Stevens just to let my stomach recover).

If you are attending any of the fairs this summer, please don’t be a stranger! Stop by the KLQP booth, say hi, tell me how much you love polka, or feel free to tell me how much better-looking I am in person! I would love to visit with you.

​Let the fair fun begin!