Longtime Minnesota State Fair supporter honored with bench bearing her name

Visiting the Minnesota State Fair is a tradition for many families. Carol Sawyer's love for the fair is legendary, and so is the number of times she attended.

Carol Sawyer passed down her passion for the Great Minnesota Get-Together to the next generation.

"It started in 1921 when my mother was a baby. Her father was the treasurer of the fair," Carol Sawyer's son, Chuck Sawyer, said. 

Carol Sawyer first went to the fair in a stroller. She continued to go year after year. 

"The only two she missed was when it was closed: World War II and the polio epidemic, so there's an asterisk behind her record," Chuck Sawyer said. 

The mother of five passed along the tradition to her family, including six grandkids and more than a dozen great-grandchildren. 

"It's almost like you can't grow up in our family without just actually loving the fair," granddaughter Katy Sawyer said. 

"It didn't matter what stage in her life; she might have been in a wheelchair, but it didn't stop her and that's something I want to continue to pass down too," granddaughter Amy Ludwig said. 

They say for Carol Sawyer, family came first. The grandkids looked forward to the time together. 

"She'd been many, many years, and to keep doing that tradition with her was really, really special," Charlie Sawyer said.

Carol Sawyer died at 100. Her family donated the bench to honor her, Chuck Sawyer said.

"One thing she loved about the fair was being with people. People she knew, people she didn't know. People watching was one of her favorite things, and so having this spot for people to gather, I think, is just a great way to have her memory live on," Ludwig said.

Carol Sawyer's picture on her bench captures her spirit and her motto, 'Always pet the horses.'

"So, she loved her ponies. So, every single year she'd always go to the horse barn, so petting the horses was a must for my mother, Carol," Chuck Sawyer said.

Now, they're asking you to join in. Snap a picture on Carol Sawyer's bench and tag or share it on Instagram using #carolatthefair or @carolatthefair.

Her legacy lives on through her family and through the bench.

"When you think of 100 years, it's a rare story, probably the rarest story," Chuck Sawyer said.

Like every bench, Carol's moves each year. This year, it's near Wright Avenue and Underwood Street.