Minnesota State Fair 2006

Star-spangled state fair

by Nikki Tundel, Minnesota Public Radio

The Minnesota State Fair is awash in American flags. Apparently, nothing brings out patriotism quite like a barn full of pigs and bucket full of chocolate chip cookies.

St. Paul, Minn. — Disneyland calls itself the happiest place on Earth. But the Minnesota State Fair just might be the most patriotic -- at least if we're going on appearance alone.

Of course, the numerous political candidates have decorated their booths with countless American flags. But that's just the start.

There are U.S. flags waving from the tops of the funnel cake stands and the corn dog stands -- and, curiously, the French crepe stand.

One of the scarecrow entries in the agriculture building is draped in a flag, and it's displayed next to a bench painted to look like a flag.

And if you can get a ping-pong ball to land in a tiny fish bowl, you'll win a stuffed bulldog donning flag-print boxers.

If that weren't enough, fairgoers literally wrap themselves in the flag. When heading out to the fairgrounds, it seems the stars and stripes are as necessary as sunscreen.

The fair crowds are full of people in American flag shirts, USA hats and, believe it or not, Old Glory wooden clogs.

Reporter Nikki Tundel tries to make sense of this flag mania -- and takes a closer look at the U.S. Flag Code, which actually frowns on such commercialization of the flag.