Business & Tech

Fairy Finery Brings A Touch Of Magic to the State Fair

Golden Valley native Susan Berns has been selling children's items for 14 years in the Merchandise Mart.

You can't possibly miss Susan Berns' booth at the .

In the middle of the Merchandise Mart, Fairy Finery is brimming with brightly colored butterfly wings, tutus and capes for children.

Berns, wearing a nametag that said "Queen Mab," smiles and answers the questions of parents and grandparents who are looking for just the right combination of color and fantasy.

Berns grew up in Golden Valley, the daughter of Sam and Ione Siegel. She attended and Golden Valley High School.
She began selling children's clothing and accessories at the State Fair about 14 years, she said.

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"I felt the fair was the perfect place to reach a super wide demographic," she said last week. "You really see people from all over the state, and multiple states."

She started in a 10-foot-by-10-foot booth and about eight years ago expanded to 20 feet.

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On Thursday, she and Deb Klaers, wearing a nametag that said "Pansy," waited on a never-ending stream of customers.

"A lot of people come every single year to see what we have and what's new," Berns said. Since she's always been in the same building, it's easy for customers to find her.

She calls her helpers, like Klaers, "pixies." Together Queen Mab and her pixies make all the items with the "Fairy Finery" tag in her Golden Valley home. She said she's found that her customers care about the fact that her items are not only made in America, but also made in Minnesota.

The essential ingredient, however, isn't made of polyester or tulle, she said.

"I firmly believe that the magic of adding a child completes my project."

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The Fairy Finery booth is in the east center aisle of the Merchandise Mart at the Minnesota State Fair.

To contact her business Berns after the fair, you can contact her in one of the following ways:

  • Call her "troll free": 888-377-4511
  • Fax her: 763-377-2106
  • Mail her: 224 Burntside Drive, Golden Valley, MN 55427
  • Email her:sales@fairyfinery.com
  • Use this online form:http://www.fairyfinery.com/contact-us.aspx

 

Saturday 'Where at the Fair?' Answer: Haunted House

 

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Pre-fair information

Here’s Patch’s rundown on what you need to know to get to the fair and find your way around:

Admission

Hours

Admission gates open daily at 6 a.m. Ticket sales end at 10 p.m. (9 p.m. on Labor Day). Grounds close at midnight (10 p.m. on Labor Day). Most buildings are open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Cost

Adults (13-64) pay $12, seniors and children 5 and older pay $10, and children younger than 5 are admitted for free. Promotional days are offered throughout the fair.

Transportation

The Minnesota State Fairgrounds are located at 1265 North Snelling Ave. N. in St. Paul. Maps and directions are available on the fair’s website. Note that light-rail construction on University Avenue will slow traffic flow; the fair’s Website has tips on how to avoid the congestion.

Here’s a breakdown of various transportation options:

Car
Fairgrounds parking
State fair parking lots cost $12 and can be accessed off Larpenteur, Snelling, or Cleveland avenues. Discount tickets can be purchased in advance through Aug. 24 at Cub Foods or the State Fair Box Office. (Motorcycle parking is offered for $6 on Como Avenue.)

Free park and ride
Free parking is available at 34 locations around the fairgrounds. Complimentary buses leave every 20 minutes from 8 a.m. to midnight to pick up fair-goers. In 2010, the park and ride program gave 920,000 rides.

Bike
Free bike racks are offered at the Como-Snelling and Hoyt-Snelling gates and at Commonwealth-West Dan Patch from 6 a.m. to midnight daily.

Bus
Regular bus routes
Three buses service the fair and accept cash or transit passes. Route 960 goes from Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis to the fairgrounds in about 15 minutes. Route 84 travels along Snelling Avenue. Route 3 connects downtown Minneapolis to downtown St. Paul along Como Avenue.

Express bus service
State Fair Express buses operate from 17 Twin Cities locations on 15- and 30-minute loops. Check the fair’s express bus Website for more information.

Navigating the fair

The state fair’s Website has downloadable maps of the grounds and daily activity schedules. You can also keep checking Patch for a daily rundown of the top five things to see and do at the fair.

Smart phones

The state fair is also smart phone accessible, with a mobile Website and stand-alone apps for iPhones and Android phones that include a manipulable map and the ability to search listings of events, merchandise and food.


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