Special links for May Fair

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It’s a very special year for the annual Afton May Fair.

The free community event has the honor of being part of the official Minnesota Sesquicentennial celebrations.

And for a city that boasts of being older than the state in which it lies, it is only fitting that Afton (founded in 1855) should be included in Minnesota’s 150th birthday party through its May Fair, which celebrates its own sweet sixteenth this year.

“We are pleased to be a part of that,” said Lisa Damon, organizer of the May Fair.

“What we are doing is to have not only some of our traditional fair activities, but we are going to be highlighting some of the historical aspects, too. So, for example, we are having this old-fashioned pie-baking contest, like they have at state fairs.”

Another historical highlight of the May 17-18 weekend will be a presentation by Kate Roberts, a historian with the Minnesota Historical Society, who has coordinated the society’s 150 Years exhibition at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul, and written the accompanying book, “Minnesota 150: The People, Places and Things that Shape Our State.”

One event aimed at the May Fair’s younger visitors is the scavenger hunt, which will see kids scattering around the Old Village to hunt for clues and evidence related to the sesquicentennial.

In addition to the 150-year theme of the fair, other themes will come into play during the weekend, such as activities supporting Norwegian Independence Day, which falls on May 17.

Also, there will be a number of activities promoting greener, more environmentally- friendly living.

Music, arts, crafts, foods and specialty booths will be clustered around Afton from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 17 and from 11 a .m. to 4 p.m. on May 18.

For more information and the full schedule of events, log on to www.aftonmnarea.com.

Watch out for upcoming features in the Woodbury Bulletin giving more details on the Afton May Fair.

Tags: news, afton, may, fair, damon, roberts