Steampunk at the Great Minnesota Get Together
The Minnesota State Fair is a tradition in my house. My husband and I love the fair so much, we planned our wedding over the State Fair because we knew that weekend would have great weather.
The Great Minnesota Get Together is a great opportunity to get all kinds of different goods in one place and fill your tummy at the same time. For my husband and I, it is our favorite unexpected time to shop and see a lot of new things. Not only can you see a lot of unique Minnesota-made things but fine art too!
This year, I’m going to feature a new vendor to the fair every day this week. I will be showcasing some of the new foods as well!
Machine Agehttps://machineagelamps.com/ Lamps
Steampunk has come to the State Fair. Shawn Carling is the owner of Machine Age Lamps. He started making these unique functional art pieces as a hobby at his home in Lakeville.
His first piece was a table for his father for Christmas. He wanted to give him something personal that was reminiscent of his time on the farm. He built the lamp with gas gauges, gears, and other industrial parts. He got such as a positive response from friends and family he made a few more.
It wasn’t until he was offered an early retirement from his corporate job that he became a full-time artist. He took his hobby and made it into a business. The things he is turning out are remarkable works of art.
Everything he makes is made from parts from salvaged Americana. Shawn looks for pieces that have etched writing, iron faces, and Minnesota logos and turns them into new tables and lights.
All of his pieces have a unique character to them. To this day he has produced over 1,000 different pieces. This week, Shawn is heading up to the old Papermill in Brainerd and salvaging all of the interior components.
He features his work online at MachineAgeLamps.com and at different art festivals around the state. This year he will also be at the Minnesota State Fair in the West End Market. If you are like me and are concerned about how would I get one of these pieces out of the fair, he’s got you covered. He is offering to ship everything to you or if your car’s close, he has a dolly too.
If you are looking for something to do at the fair, that is not on a stick, check out this machine-age art.
Need Tickets to the State Fair?
Are you wondering how to get tickets? You can purchase discounted admission tickets, and Blue Ribbon Bargain Books (while supplies last) via the online ticket office or at your local Cub Foods before the start of the fair. After that, you can purchase tickets directly at the fair gates. From a seasoned veteran, I highly recommend purchasing them before hand to avoid the lines.
For DayTripper fans, I have a special offer just for you. I am giving away a state fair prize package sponsored by the Minnesota State Fair. The package includes:
- 2 Tickets to See Bonnie Raitt play in the Grandstand on September 5th
- 2 General Admission Tickets to the State Fair
- 1 Blue Ribbon Bargain Book
To qualify all you need to do is head over to my Facebook page for further details.
