At the Minnesota State Fair, where the smell of funnel cakes mingles with the sounds of carnival rides, something even sweeter has been happening for decades as young people working the 4-H programs find their future spouses among the barns and exhibition halls. Marie Zimmerman still laughs about how her husband Nate beat her at the 4-H Favorite Food competition in 2005 with his crockpot ribs, earning an engraved cake pan that she had tried to win for years, joking that “the last laugh is mine because I married him, so now I have the cake pan.” Their story is just one of many remarkable romances that have blossomed at the fair, from Aaron and Leah Janz’s first kiss by the DNR building in 2003 to Steve Lammers winning Ashley’s heart by grabbing her dinner tray at the 4-H Cafe in 2013.
What makes these love stories so special is how they began with shared values, hard work, and genuine connections formed while caring for livestock, serving food, and participating in youth development programs that bring together teenagers from across the state. Cindy and Josh VanDerPol, who met in 1988 while helping unload livestock and have been married 32 years, have only missed the State Fair three times, showing how these couples return year after year to celebrate where their love began. These aren’t just fairground romances but lasting partnerships built on the 4-H foundation of leadership, community service, and shared purpose, proving that sometimes the best relationships start not with dating apps but with shared summer jobs, singing for leftover donuts, and the magical late nights at the fairgrounds. As 15-year-old camp counselors Anna and Mike discovered when they met at 4-H leadership conference, there’s something special about finding your person while working together to make a difference in young people’s lives.