The biggest event in the region, the Minnesota State Fair, is a make-or-break business venture for many food purveyors and highly sought after. With a new fair entry being added, Blue Plate had an opportunity to present a bid to be the newest showcase venue added to the fairgrounds. 

The challenge for any vendor is how to stand out among the thousands of businesses, many of whom have been established for decades, but first you needed to win the coveted Minnesota State Fair spot.

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The goal was to create a modern, reimagined state fair experience that greets customers as they enter the fairgrounds and serves as a landmark for fairgoers for years to come. 

Bolster helped Blue Plate win the highly sought after location with a concept pitch deck, brand, identity and story that tied the project back to Minnesota’s agricultural roots. The Blue Barn is exactly as advertised and more.
The rustic yet modern exterior, featuring folk art style graphics, draws huge throngs of customers for clever, modern twists on fair food classics, and the experience, comfort and uniqueness of the space provides a hot spot for social media posts and iconic state-fair photos.

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