A Sweet New Offering at the State Fair

What’s better than sweet corn or ice cream at the State Fair? How about sweet corn ice cream? 

A perfect option for the indecisive or thrifty, you can find the two State Fair staples put together in one tasty concoction this year at the Blue Moon Dine In Theater, a retro diner complete with car seats, classic movies and a wide-ranging menu that offers everything from waffles and wood-fired pizza to Kramarczuk's Sausages and this new vegetable/dessert combo.    

The Blue Moon Dine-In Theater is owned and run by Edina's own Steph and Mike Olson, Minnesota State Fair veterans with a three-decade history, now entering their sixth season with the Blue Moon. The Olsons spent their previous State Fair years running a Ben and Jerry’s, and pitched the Blue Moon concept because of their love of all things retro. 

"We love drive-ins, we love the ‘50s and the ‘60s," Steph Olson said. "At home we have a record player, you know?"

The Blue Moon’s newest offering takes the Olsons back to their ice cream selling days with a distinctive, State Fair-style twist. 

No strangers to experimental flavor combinations, the Olsons notably sold peanut butter hot dogs at the Blue Moon one year, an offering that Steph Olson said has “sadly gone to the graveyard.” Last year’s introduction of Korean barbecue tacos, however, was a big hit and the menu item is making a repeat appearance this year.   

Steph Olson credits her husband Mike, a “mad scientist foodie guy,” with the sweet corn ice cream’s carefully crafted recipe. After taste-testing all winter through 25 versions of the recipe, the Olsons perfected their version of this unique dessert, which includes a homemade corn milk base, corn brittle for crunch, and topping options of honey butter bacon or wild blueberry sauces, all served in a cornbread waffle cone or simply in a dish. Blue Moon uses only Minnesota-grown corn. 

It might not be on a stick, but it certainly sounds like the Minnesota State Fair. 

The Olsons don’t claim to have invented sweet corn ice cream—you can find it all over the world, in fact; the Olsons first learned of it from a Singaporean acquaintance—but they have made it their own, and decidedly Minnesotan. 

“It’s so State Fair,” Steph Olson said. “We’ve taken two of the top State Fair foods–ice cream and sweet corn–and married them. And it’s really good.” 

For those who prefer spicy to sweet, the Olsons are offering a spicy pork Korean taco this year as well.

Find the Blue Moon Dine In Theater at the corner of Carnes Avenue and Chambers Street near Adventure Park at the State Fair.