Updated on: August 25, 2022 / 1:59 PM / CBS Minnesota

Thursday is Day 1 at the 2022 Minnesota State Fair!

Discounted admission prices for adults and kids at the entrance gates: $15 for adults (13-64), $12 for seniors (65+) and $12 for kids (5-12). Deals on merchandise and food for all fair guests. All-day specials offered on Mighty Midway and Kidway rides & games. Stop by Dan Patch Park for fun with science and technology on STEM Day.

Another great idea is to head over to the DNR pavilion, where you can spot 45 species of freshly-stocked Minnesota fish in the 50,000-gallon outdoor pond.

And, of course, it's never too early to see the miracle of birth!

Click here to see the entire daily guide from the State Fair for Thursday, Aug. 25.

It's a rockin' start to the 2022 series of Grandstand concerts, with Alice in Chains and Breaking Benjamin joined by Bush and The L.I.F.E. Project. Tickets are $36 and up for the 5:30 p.m. show.

Grandstand Schedule | Free Entertainment Schedule

We all have Minnesota State Fair traditions, like favorite foods and rides we revisit each summer. And we're no different here at WCCO.

So on Day One, it was time yet again for a little friendly competition between Amelia, Frank, Chris and Mike on the Giant Slide!

Some of the Minnesota State Fair's neighbors have formed a volunteer group that patrols outside the gates helping to keep fairgoers safe. 

People who live in these neighborhoods are teaming up with the nonprofit Community Ambassadors, and bringing a human element to safety that you can't get from metal detectors and security cameras. 

This is what Tim Simmons does. He mixes it up with nearly everyone he sees.

In fact, all the Community Ambassadors do. They're a St. Paul nonprofit that specializes in youth outreach, and for the first time, they're working the fair.

"Focus on the youth. Making sure that as time goes through, they're not going to be too disruptive into the community. Make this a safe place for everybody, even them," Simmons said.

The Ambassadors will be out every night from 5 p.m. to midnight in their green shirts – not to be confused with the people in neon yellow shirts that say, "I'm a Neighbor. How Can I Help?"

They live around here, and 150 of them have joined an email list or volunteered to walk shifts, just like the Ambassadors. The two groups are learning from each other -- what to do when people are upset, angry, or just need some help.

"Your approach, your first interaction, is everything," said neighborhood organizer Cindy Mitsch. "Be friendly, stay calm and respect people instead of going at them with an attitude."

These volunteer patrols have the support of St. Paul Police Department.

"I'm marveling at all this. I'm watching this happen organically, and the police aren't leading it," said Cmdr. Joshua Lego. "That's the best part of this."

SPPD say six to eight officers will be out in the neighborhoods every night, too.

If a situation gets out of control, the Ambassadors will first try to de-escalate and only call in police if necessary.

It's been three years since many Minnesotans have returned to the fairgrounds, and the excitement on Thursday was palpable.

WCCO-TV photojournalist Tony Peterson captured the mood, talking to fair-goers who have deeply missed the Great Minnesota Get-Together. 

One woman said that even though the parking situation was crazy, she was happy to see it. 

Promoting the dairy industry at the Minnesota State Fair is one thing. Getting to be the official butter sculptor is another.

It's an honor Gerry Kulzer doesn't take for granted. 

"A lot of pressure," he said Thursday, at the start of the 2022 fair. "You've got to get a portrait of a person done in two days."

As he carved the likeness of Princess Kay of the Milky Way into a massive block of butter on Thursday, Kulzer was aware that he's filling some big shoes. 

Linda Christensen carved Princess Kay faces at the fair for 50 years. She trained Kulzer during last year's fair.

Now, Christensen is retired and giving Kulzer a chance to carve his own legacy. 

Working in front of an audience and inside a 40-degree refrigerator, Kulzer was craving a bust of Rachel Rynda, who was crowned the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way on Wednesday night.

Normally a clay sculptor, Kulzer had to layer up for dairy-carving. 

"I've got three layers over everything and a rain suit here,"  Kulzer said. "So the butter just kinda falls off, and I can wash off at the end." 

While Kulzer says his time at the fair won't be as long as his predecessor's was, he's going to enjoy every minute of it. 

"I can't describe how much fun this is," Kulzer said. "This is the ultimate...To be able to sit and talk with the princess and learn her background and talk with the finalists is so fun." 

During his time at this year's fair, Kulzer will carve over a dozen butter sculptures. 

Outside the fair, Kulzer is an educator at Eden Valley Watkins School in central Minnesota, where he teaches art and shop classes. 

He beat out five other sculptors to get the state fair sculptor gig. 

Karen Cope won her first ribbon at a Minnesota fair in 1967, when she was 9 years old. 

Since then, she's won dozens of ribbons for her cakes, cookies and bars at the Minnesota State Fair. Over the decades, she's earned the title "Supreme Baker of the Kitchen" four times, the last time being in 2021. 

Cope is hoping to hold onto that title this year. One of her entries this go around was her "Do-re-Mi-fa-So"  peanut butter miso cookies. 

WCCO-TV's Marielle Mohs spoke with Cope about her love for baking and why she's driven to compete year after year. 

The first of WCCO-TV"s 4 p.m. newscasts at the Minnesota State Fair began with wine.

First, Heather Brown took a little tour of the Minnesota Wine Country building. She got some wine and food pairing suggestions and tried one of the fair's newest drinks: the Green Apple Wine Slushie.

After this, Mike Max and Chris Shaffer sampled some Minnesota-grown wines from Chisago City's Winehaven Winery. Some favorites to check out are the Frontenac Gris and the Marquette Reserve. 

While she grew up in Minnesota and was no stranger to the Great Minnesota Get-Together, WCCO-TV reporter Pauleen Le somehow never tried one of Sweet Martha's cookies. 

That all changed Thursday. Before the noon newscast, she bought a bucket and tasted one of the most beloved treats at the fairgrounds live on air. 

The verdict? We think she liked them. 

LIFE CHANGED: Minnesota native Pauleen Le went her whole life without tasting a Sweet Martha's cookie! That all changed during our live noon newscast. Join us for our hour-long '4 at the Fair' today at Carnes & Nelson. pic.twitter.com/6CDvqfm6HJ

Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar has been a Minnesota State Fair staple for more than 40 years. 

The fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookies come in cones and buckets for fairgoers to takeaway. There are multiple Sweet Martha's locations at the fairgrounds. 

WCCO's John Lauristen has a sneak peek at the new butter sculptor at the Great Get-Together. More at 5 p.m. 

WCCO's Marielle Mohs was on hand as one standing Minnesota State Fair record went down like ... well, a ton of pumpkins!

The @mnstatefair largest pumpkin record has officially been broken! 🎃 The pumpkin at the top of the podium was grown in New London, MN and weighs in at 1,676 lbs 🤯#wcco pic.twitter.com/eXjyqw4L2y

From the Minnesota State Fair:

"Today, the Hamline Church Dining Hall is the oldest food concession at the Minnesota State Fair. It is run by more than 250 volunteers who put in more than 3,000 hours serving around 20,000 meals each year throughout the 12 days of the fair. This 9 a.m. event will include a short program where several dignitaries will extend their congratulations and some will present proclamations."

Elaine Christiansen has long been a volunteer at the State Fair's Hamline Church Dining Hall, which this year marks 125 years, making it the fair's oldest food concession. On Thursday she was knighted by the St. Paul Winter Carnival's royal family, including King Boreas Rex. You can see the moment she was honored below.

A lot of people lined up outside the gates of the Minnesota State Fair Thursday morning, and among them was Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

"I think people now see the lighthouse on the horizon. They want to get out and see people. They know they have to be careful when they do, but the point is everyone's here, they're having fun," Klobuchar said. "It's just great to see people."

Klobuchar said that the fair is a great opportunity for residents to get face time with their elected officials, that those who might not call them at the office or write them a letter or email still feel comfortable raising issues with candidates in person.

"Literally, this is where you find out where people are," Klobuchar said.

Klobuchar, speaking with WCCO's Heather Brown, talked a bit about the big news out of D.C. Wednesday -- President Joe Biden's announcement of up to $20,000 in student loan forgiveness.

"I'm always focused on the fiscal issues. I've made very clear, I was not in favor of some of these proposals that would literally have just, regardless of any income level, paid off everyone's loans. I don't think that's fair to other people. This is more targeted. And I will say Minnesota, we are in the top five when it comes to the number of students who have loans to pay off. So our students will be benefitted by this in a big way," Klobuchar said, adding she'd like to see some focus added on apprenticeships, especially in manufacturing bills.

Klobuchar said on Thursday, she's stopping at the Farmer's Union, the cattle barns, and will be accompanying Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as he visits the fair.

"He's from Indiana, he thinks he's seen everything, but he hasn't seen the Minnesota State Fair, which is the biggest state fair in the country," Klobuchar said. "I will be bringing him to the butter carving."

She also joked that she'd be keeping her fair diet "normal" with a slice of pickle pizza , probably before 10 a.m.

Asked what she plans to tell people if she's asked if she's running for president again in 2024, she said she will reply, "I'm headed to the butter carving booth."

The gates didn't open until 7 a.m., but that didn't stop WCCO This Morning's A.J. Hilton and Heather Brown from sampling some of the ... unorthodox breakfast foods the State Fair has to offer.

First, A.J. stopped over to Giggles Campfire Grill to get a taste of their walleye cakes.

As if that wasn't enough, A.J. and Heather then took in the new food from Soul Bowl -- the Soulsicle. The on-a-stick treat incorporates fried chicken topped with candied yam sauce, cornbread crumble, mac-and-cheese seasoned cheddar cheese, hot sauce and green onions. Yowsah!

These were our first bites of the fair, but one thing's for certain -- they won't be the last! ?

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