Skip to content
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Menu
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Happy News

The State Fair Magic That Turned Into Summer Romance

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.

PrevPreviousThis Math Class Will Make You Believe in Surprise Romance
NextFamous Jumping Frog Came Back From Near ExtinctionNext

Recent Articles

Happy News

This Drug Enters Cancer Cells 12.5x Faster With NO Side Effects

November 6, 2025

Researchers at Northwestern University have completely reimagined a classic chemotherapy drug using nanotechnology, transforming a weak, poorly soluble compound into a precision cancer therapy that is up to 20,000 times more effective at destroying cancer cells. The scientists created the drug entirely from scratch as a spherical nucleic acid, a

Read More
Happy News

Diagnosed At 11 And He’s CHANGING Cancer Research

November 6, 2025

Sam Taylor was just 11 years old when he went to the emergency room for an MRI and received a devastating diagnosis: a low grade optic glioma, a brain tumor in the optic pathway that accounts for only five percent of all childhood brain tumors. The surgeon initially planned to

Read More
Happy News

She Couldn’t Invite Them All So They Brought Wedding To HER

November 6, 2025

Brianna Lanoye, principal of Buffalo Academy of Science in New York, kept telling everyone she wished she could invite her entire K through 12 school to her wedding, mentioning it so many times that her school family decided to make it happen in the most unexpected way. Just days before

Read More
« Previous Next »
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2025 HappyNews.