Q&A: Usually mute Fairchild is funnier – and punnier – than we thought
Q&A: Usually mute Fairchild is funnier – and punnier – than we thought
Minnesota State Fair mascot Fairchild salutes passersby at the fair’s Snelling Avenue gate on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016. Fairchild will be celebrating his 50th anniversary at the fair this year. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)
With his green-striped jacket and his jaunty straw hat, Fairchild the gopher is a bouncy, furry representative of the Minnesota State Fair. He became the Fair’s official mascot in 1966, which means he’s celebrating his 50th birthday at this year’s Great Minnesota Get-Together.
To celebrate his birthday and the start of the 12-day extravaganza, the usually mute Fairchild agreed to this interview via his translator.
Q. What’s your favorite part of your job?
A. I love meeting Fair visitors young and old and being able to make them smile.
Q. Have you ever been hugged too hard?
A. No, I have a lot of natural padding that protects me, thanks to all that tasty Fair food.
Q. Why do you have your own security staff?
A. I don’t have a driver’s license because for some ridiculous reason they aren’t issued to rodents, so I have a human companion who helps me get to appearances.
Q. Have they ever had to protect you?
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A. Only when my animal magnetism becomes irresistible to the ladies.
Q. What are some of your favorite things at the Minnesota State Fair?
A. I love the daily 2 p.m. parade (and not just because I’m in it). I also like to GO-pher a spin on the Space Tower — conveniently located near the giant likeness of yours truly. As for food, you can’t beat a malt from the Gopher Dairy Bar.
Q. What would you tell someone coming to the Great Minnesota Get-Together for the first time?
A. Come early. Come often. Stay late. And bring your appetite. There is truly nothing like the Minnesota State Fair. Use the free Park & Ride system to get here. And please come get a photo with me at Visitors Plaza. My nephew Fairborne and I are there at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. every day.
Q. What new things are you looking forward to at the Fair this year?
A. Obviously I’m looking forward to trying all the new foods. You don’t get a physique like this by accident! And the new Recipe Card Roundup — where you can get free copies of award-winning State Fair recipes — means you can taste the Fair’s goodness all year long. I am also excited for Unite In Purple on Friday (Aug. 26) when Prince will be celebrated throughout the Fairgrounds.
Q. I’ve seen you and Fairborne at the St. Paul Winter Carnival Torchlight Parade. What else do you do in the winter?
A. As you know, gophers don’t hibernate. Fairborne and I like to build snow gophers, watch Gophers hockey and drink cocoa while wearing our all-natural furry slippers.
Q. Are you related to the University of Minnesota’s Goldy Gopher?
A. I believe we might be distant cousins on my mother’s side.
Q. What’s the hottest day you’ve ever had to meet folks at the Fair? How do you stay cool?
A. Despite my natural FUR-nace, the weather is not a problem. When you LOOK cool, you FEEL cool.
Q. You’re like another famous character, Donald Duck, in that you don’t wear pants. Why?
A. Actually, I DO wear pants. They’re custom made by FUR-sace and allow me to show off my magnificent tail.
FAIRCHILD FACTS
- Fairchild was named in a statewide contest in 1966.
- Fairchild wears a green-and-white striped jacket and is often seen with his sidekick and nephew, Fairborne, who was introduced to the Fair in 1983. Fairborne wears a blue-striped jacket.
- Fairchild’s name is also a tribute to Henry S. Fairchild, the man who suggested the Ramsey County Poor Farm become the permanent site of the State Fair.
- State Fair visitors can pose for photos with the birthday boy daily at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Visitors Plaza.
FAIR FACTS
- The Minnesota State Fair opens Thursday and runs through Labor Day.
Hours: Gates open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., 9 p.m. on Labor Day. The Fairgrounds close at midnight, 10 p.m. on Labor Day.
Admission: Regular admission at the gate: Adults (13-64) $13; seniors (65 and older) $11; kids (5-12) $11; children (under 5) free.
Parking at Fair lots: $13
Midway/Kidway tickets: $40 for a sheet of 54 tickets, $25 for a sheet of 30 tickets, $1 for a single ticket
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