As you read this, I’ll be strolling the Minnesota State Fair grounds, trying to sweat as little as possible. While I was growing up, the state fair was always a bittersweet treat for me; something fun and exciting to be sure, but also a reminder that summer is… yep, almost over.

And while the swelter of the past few days is not likely to make me yearn for much more summer, there is still a winter hiding around the corner, and a reluctance in my step. So, while there’s still time, let’s linger at the fair: let’s wander all of the grounds, jostle all of the people, and eat all of the food.

Laurence Stephen Lowry, Fun Fair at Daisy Nook, 1953. Oil on canvas. Private collection.

Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration, November 1938. Children at the state fair in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. Photograph. Via Shorpy.

Lyonel Feininger, Carnival in Arcueil, 1911. Oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL.