Taste of MN

It was my first time ever to the Taste of Minnesota since it moved from the front lawn area of the Minnesota State Capitol grounds. Back then it was crowded and noisy. The food was wonderful and widely varied, but a small bite was incredibly expensive. Fancy restaurants were represented that I could hardly afford to visit, but the smells were nearly as satisfying for the curiosity as the actual tastes (and much cheaper). Now it's moved to Harriet Island, where there is plenty of room. The foods are less varied, less sumptuous, and vended by plain, ordinary booths from much the same fast food places as ones I visit on a daily basis. The prices are more than the norm, but not astronomical as before (If memory serves, a 1.5" square piece of cheesecake didn't leave much change from my mother's $5 bill, but she said it tasted heavenly.). Now a piece of roasted sweet corn goes for a bit more than it does at the State Fair, but it was just as flavorful. So I guess my question remains; are we tasting the products of Minnesota, or are we tasting whatever food is made in Minnesota? Anything can be made here, but I didn't see much offered that lead me to believe we were being presented with those sorts of foods that Minnesota produces (no chicken, turkey or beef kabobs, no apples, no soy nuts, and no strawberry shortcake, just corn on the cob.). As for my take on the variety of other vendors, I saw only 1 vendor that was offering things that resembled Viking merchandise, and very few others that had anything that looked hand-loomed or otherwise hand made. Most were from out state (I asked for cards from several). The music, on the other hand was unbelievable! I loved every minute of the shows I got to see, and hope to go again some day; I will just bring my own food and beverages - which they do NOT discourage;-D. And I will leave much earlier - as the bridges begin to clog up well before sundown with every sort of fireworks enthusiast imaginable; including more than a few trouble makers. That made me so extremely uncomfortable, that I risked a heart attack scurrying my fat behind out of there! more

Lots of fattening, fried food at ridiculous prices! While the food is similar (on a much smaller scale) to what you would find at the State Fair, for some reason the Taste of Minnesota just doesn't have the same appeal to me. We have gone once or twice and probably wouldn't go again. Save your money and go to a nice restaurant, or wait for the Fair! more

My title says it all: the food could come straight from the Minnesota State Fair, and the music acts could basically be picked out of a hat. Taste of Minnesota was not what I expected it to be. I was told that there would be a sampling from many local restaurants and there would be great entertainment and fireworks to accent the food. The food was corn dogs, cheese curds and other fried "delicacies" from a vendors just waiting their turn to stake out some real estate at the great Minnesota get together. The musical entertainment absolutely can NOT be counted on. If you are looking for some gourmet snacks for a picnic, go to Byerlys then Minnehaha falls, you will have a much better time! more

Taste of MN is Ok if you don't expect much. I bought non-packaged food there just once and it was not good at all, State Fair food would taste gourmet in comparison. Ice cream is fine, but why goes there for ice cream? I would recommend NOT going. I hope visitors to MN don't get the wrong impression :) more

If you go to the Taste of MN which is now located on Harriet Island around the 4th of July, go for the music and bring lots of money for the food. The free music is good local talent usually and it is a great place to listen and enjoy the summer. The food is sold by vendors and is pretty expensive for a corn dog or similar. more

I think that where I differ from other reviewers is that I don't go to the taste to eat. I go for the has been musicians. Allow me to give a list of acts I have seen: Kansas (terrible), Ringo Starr and the all-starr band (great), Former lead singer of Styx (OK), Boyz to men (bad), Doobie Brothers (awesome), Jefferson Airplane (blah), and many more. Some good some bad. Go for the music, the people watching, and only then the food. It's like the state fair, but without the entry fee. more

Taste of MN has become a breeding grounds for trash. The prices have just skyrocketed. This makes it not even fun to people watch. It is so crowded and filled with people that come from I have no idea where. We used to go but have stopped the past 2 years because it just isn't fun anymore. I'd rather get twice as much food at the fair! more

I think that the Taste of Minnesota is incredibly over rated. It is always too hot, too crowded, and too expensive. I think that the idea itself is good, however it would be better to make an effort yourself to go out and try new restaurants. Save yourself the hassle and explore on your own! more

In my opinion, don't go. You have a long walk to get there first of all. And once you get there it is definately not worth it. The food is so over priced that I didn't end up buying any at all. They do have live music playing everyday and fireworks at night. They do offer a wide variety of food to try out though. But most of it can also be found at the State Fair which I would prefer. more