Day one of the Minnesota State Fair was one for the books: the lines were long, the energy electric and the food options were endless.

While the first day of the Great Minnesota Get-Together brought in big bucks for vendors, families like Valerie Nelson's say the price of participation is expensive. 

"We've spent a lot of money here today, and we've saved up for like months to be able to come here," she said. 

Sherry Ridge and her two kids spent a pretty penny just to partake on Thursday. 

"This is probably a one-third of what I make in a week, what I'm spending today," Ridge said.

For 12 days every summer, the Minnesota State Fair is one of the largest business enterprises in the state, taking in millions of dollars with much of that in food sales.

Last year, Sweet Martha's Cookies made the most money. Across three sites, they cashed in nearly $5 million. 

While fairgoers feel priced out, food vendors say they're also dealing with inflation. 

Butcher Boys, known for their London Broil Steak Sandwich, has seen a similar rise in prices over three decades due to the cost of meat.

"Beef is probably, you know, $1.50 to $1.75 a pound more than we paid last year," said owner Dennis Fraleig.

Though the fun is there, for some, the fair is simply not fair.