The Minot Daily News published an article about the 2008 North Dakota Tourism Conference today.  One of the awards presented at the Governor’s Travel and Tourism Awards Luncheon yesterday was the Event of the Year, which went to the North Dakota State Fair.

My personal experiences at the North Dakota State Fair have always been wonderful.  The fair was one of the first places I ever had deep-fried mini-donuts.  It was one of our first real family vacations (my oldest child was just a year old), and it was the first place I ever heard music from the Andes in South America–an art form that has become one of my greatest listening joys.

Attendance at the North Dakota State Fair has been growing for the past seven years, and the state fair board is building on past traditions and trying new things to keep that trend going.   In addition to the traditional rock and country band concerts, this year’s state fair will feature a concert by the Christian rock group Casting Crowns.

The 2008 North Dakota State Fair will be held July 18-26.