Wednesday, August 14, 2013

LMC and The Great Minnesota Get-Together

Courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society


On the back cover of the August 1922 issue of Minnesota Municipalities magazine, an ad featured such various spectacles as “Dr. Carver’s Diving Horse,” a popular auto race, and Lillian Boyer and her Flying Circus (yep, that’s Lillian hanging out in the photo above). The event being touted?

Why, the Minnesota State Fair, of course.

Though we can’t promise anything as daredevil as Ms. Boyer’s high-flying act, the League of Minnesota Cities will once again be at the Great Minnesota Get-Together.

Our presence has grown mightily in the five short years LMC has been at the Fair: In 2009, the League shared a booth with Minnesota Public Radio for just one day. The next year we had our own booth in the Grandstand for all twelve days of the Fair. Then in 2011, LMC made the move to the Education Building, and that’s where we’ve found our home!

In past years, you may have stopped by the League booth to “be a city bean counter,” making tough decisions about spending priorities (just like city officials do every day). Or perhaps you watched one of our videos based on Minnesota icon Babe the Blue Ox, asking you to think “Outside the Ox” when it comes to funding city services.

So what’s on tap these days?

This year, step on up and play a game show with us! You’ll have some fun and learn about city services, too. And do you know a child who would like to be Mayor for a Day? Pick up a form and have them write an essay describing how they would run their city, if given the chance.

The League of Minnesota Cities will be at the fair every day in the Education Building—so stop by after you get your fill of cheese curds or gaze at the butter sculptures, will you? We hope to see you there!