There are plenty of traditions at the Minnesota State Fair, but few have been around as long as the Hamline Church Dining Hall. It all started in 1897, when women from Hamline Methodist Episcopal Church’s Ladies Aid Society sold sandwiches and cold drinks to raise money for the church. Nearly 130 years later, the dining hall is still serving fairgoers on Dan Patch Avenue—and remains one of the fair’s last church dining halls.
When the Great Minnesota Get-Together returns Aug. 27-Sept. 7, volunteers will once again fill the dining hall, serving longtime favorites like ham loaf and Swedish meatballs with what co-chair Mary Bloom calls “radical hospitality.” Some volunteers have been coming back for more than 50 years, while others are kids working their first jobs.
Ahead of opening day, we caught up with Bloom about nearly 130 years of fair history, the foods people return for generation after generation, and what it takes to keep one of the State Fair’s oldest traditions going.
Courtesy Hamline Church Dining Hall
Tell me about the history of the Hamline Church Dining Hall and your role there.
Hamline Church Dining Hall is the oldest dining establishment on the State Fair grounds. Next year, we’ll celebrate 130 years. The first year we were out there was 1897, and at the time, there wasn’t really a building. The church came up with the idea of making sandwiches at the church and hauling them over to the fairgrounds to sell to workers as a fundraiser. That’s basically how it started—they’d load sandwiches and refreshments into a cart or walk them over to the fairgrounds to sell. Over time, it slowly grew into a building, then another building, and eventually the dining hall we’re in today on Dan Patch Avenue, which was built in the late 1960s.
At one point, there were something like 90 dining halls on the fairgrounds. Now there are really only two left—us and Salem Lutheran. We’re proud that we’ve outlasted all of them, though it’s also a little sad because it was such a neat tradition of nonprofits raising money for their organizations. But here we are, almost 130 years later.
I’m co-chair of the dining hall committee. There are about 20 of us on the committee, and we meet monthly to plan everything. I’ve probably been co-chair for eight years, but I’ve been involved much longer. Once you’re part of it, your heart gets invested in it. One of the longtime committee members who recruited me used to joke, “Once you’re on the committee, you’re here for life.” And honestly, that’s kind of true.
What do you think keeps people coming back year after year?
I think we’re best known for our traditions. We have foods people come back for year after year after year. People will say, “My grandpa brought me here every year,” or “I always come for the ham loaf.” We hear stories like that constantly. I had one woman come in and tell me her grandfather used to bring her every year and always ordered the ham loaf, but she’d never tried it because it didn’t sound appealing to her. After he passed away, she came back and decided she was finally going to try it “for Grandpa.” She took one bite and said, “I didn’t know what I was missing.” Stories like that just warm your heart.
The atmosphere is part of it too. We serve cafeteria-style, family-style dining. People come through the line, get their meals, and sit together at tables while volunteers pour coffee and water and chat with guests. We’re known for what I call “radical hospitality.” It’s warm, welcoming, and personal. I think that’s why so many volunteers keep coming back too—we genuinely love it.
Courtesy Hamline Church Dining Hall
How many people does it take to run the dining hall during the Fair?
It’s grown tremendously over the years. We probably have around 100 volunteers a day working in three shifts, plus paid kitchen staff and chefs. A lot of our church kids work there too—it’s often their very first job. They learn customer service, teamwork, responsibility, and how to work alongside adults and longtime volunteers. Years later, they still talk about how much they learned and how fun it was.
We also have volunteers who aren’t church members. Some people come in to eat and say, “This place is so wonderful—can I volunteer next year?” And then they come back year after year to help. That’s one of my favorite things about it.
How has the dining hall evolved over the years?
We’ve definitely evolved while keeping traditions intact. Every year we make improvements to the building, menu, and efficiencies, and we try to come up with at least one new food or fresh idea to keep up with the times. The key at the fair is getting on the New Foods list. The last few years, our new foods have done incredibly well—some have even been among the top-selling new foods on the fairgrounds.
A huge part of that success has been working with Allison from Al’s Breakfast in Dinkytown. She joined our committee and helped us introduce Al’s pancakes at breakfast. She’s been such an incredible addition and has brought so many creative ideas that have really resonated with fairgoers.
Courtesy Hamline Church Dining Hall
Where do the proceeds go?
This is our church’s annual fundraiser, so a large portion supports the church. But we also partner with a charity every year. Recently, we’ve worked with Emma Norton, which supports women and children facing homelessness or domestic abuse. We helped support their new building in St. Paul, and all of the tips from the dining hall go directly to them, along with a portion of our revenue.
What stands out most to you after all these years?
The volunteers. We have so many people who have volunteered for 50-plus years. One of our oldest volunteers is in her mid-90s, and this is the first year she’s had to cut back. People just keep wanting to help. Kids start young, asking, “How old do I have to be to work here?” and some of them stay involved for decades. That continuity, those generations of people working side by side, is really special.
