♪♪ >> ERIC: IT'S A BIG MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND AT THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR.

THE THIRD ANNUAL "KICKOFF TO SUMMER" STARTED YESTERDAY.

THE CONTINUATION OF THE COVID-ERA EVENT COMES DURING A BIG WEEK AT THE FAIR.

FORMER GENERAL MANAGER JERRY HAMMER HAS HANDED OVER THE REINS TO HIS LONGTIME DEPUTY, RENEE ALEXANDER.

ALEXANDER IS THE FIRST WOMAN TO HEAD THE GREAT MINNESOTA GET-TOGETHER.

SHE JOINS US IN THE MIDDLE OF HER FIRST OFFICIAL EVENT AS CEO.

YOU WORK FOR THE TBAIR.

FAIR.

YOU LEFT.

YOU CAME BACK.

WHAT'S THE DRAW OF THE FAIR?

>> WHAT IS NOT TO BE THE DRAW?

IT'S, YOU KNOW, I THINK I STARTED AS A SUMMER INTERN AND HAVING TIME, YOU KNOW, RUNNING AROUND COORDINATING A PARADE, AND BEING ON THE GROUNDS AND SEEING THE MAGIC HAPPEN BEHIND THE SCENES, THAT CERTAINLY WAS A HOOK FOR ME.

SO, YEAH, WHEN I WAS, YOU KNOW, THEY APPROACHED ME ABOUT COMING BACK 18 YEARS AGO, I SAID ABSOLUTELY.

>> Eric: OKAY.

>> Cathy: AND YOU'RE THE PERSON, ONE OF THE PEOPLE BOOKING THE GRAND STAND ACTS WHICH HAS GOT TO BE -- THAT'S DIFFICULT.

I MEAN, WHAT'S THE SECRET SAUCE TO GETTING SOME OF THESE ACTS?

>> YOU KNOW, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I THINK THERE'S -- THE SECRET SAUCE IS -- I MEAN, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE IS THAT WE ARE 12 DAYS, SO WE HAVE TO FILL THAT CALENDAR DURING THAT 12-DAY TIME PERIOD.

FINDING ARTISTST THAT WANT TO PLAY OUTSIDE.

BUT I THINK OUR KEY HAS BEEN REALLY CREATING A GREAT VENUE THAT PROVIDES A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR NOT ONLY THE ARTISTS BUT FOR THE GUESTS AND NOW WE HAVE ARTISTS THAT ASK TO COME BACK.

SO WE'RE IN A GOOD POSITION.

>> Eric: HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE TRADITIONAL STUFF WITH THE NEW STUFF?

>> I LOOK AT IT AS KIND OF A 80-20 RULE.

SO 80% TRADITION AND 20% PEPPERING IN SOME NEW THINGS.

BUT DON'T MESS WITH ANY OF THOSE TRADITIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME STRONG ONES THERE THAT WE REALLY NEVER WANT TO TOUCH.

>> Eric: BECAUSE FAIR-GOERS ARE PRETTY POSSESSIVE OF THE FAIR.

>> JUST A TAD.

AND THAT'S GREAT.

WE REALLY LOOK AT OURSELVES ATZ STEWARDS OF THE FAIR.

WE'RE HERE TO MAKE IT BETTER THAN WHAT IT WAS AND O HAVE IT CONTINUE ON OR SWREN RACES TO COME.

SO THAT'S REALLY THE KEY FOR US.

>> Cathy: SO THE FAIR CLEARLY HAS CHANGED A LOT SINCE URN AN INTERN.

AND IT HAS HAD SOME ISSUES.

SECURITY COMES TO MIND.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT THAT?

BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.

>> SURE, AND THAT'S TRUE THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITIES.

YOU KNOW, SAFETY IS AN ISSUE WITH LARGE-SCALE EVENTS, WITHIN OUR SOCIETY EVERYWHERE.

SO IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE GOT OUR OWN, YOU KNOW, OUR POLICE FORCE THAT IS WORKING YEAR ROUND ON RECRUITING ON, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT INITIATIVES.

WE HAVE GREAT PARTNERS WITH MINNESOTA STATE PATROL, AND SEVERAL OTHER, YOU KNOW, STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERYTHING.

WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER EVENTS, HOW THEY'RE HANDLING THINGS.

AND IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE ANY CHANGES TO OUR SAFETY, OUR SAFETY PLAN WILL BE RELEASED LATER THIS INTHER.

BUT IT'S TOP PRIORITY ALWAYS.

>> Eric: MORE WELCOMING TO PEOPLE OF COLOR?

>> ALWAYS.

>> Eric: ISN'T THAT AN ISSUE?

>> ALWAYS.

I MEAN, I THINK DIVERSITY S SOMETHING WE'RE ALWAYS WORKING TOWARDS THROUGH OUR PROGRAMMING, THROUGH VENTEDDORS.

IT'S A JOURNEY THAT WE'RE CONTINUING ON AND WANT TO CONTINUE TO MAKE IT WELCOMING TO ALL COMMUNITIES FROM PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA.

>> Eric: WHAT WAS LEARNED DURING THE PANDEMIC IF ANYTHING ABOUT THE FAIR'S OPERATION?

>> OH, GOSH, WHAT WAS LEARNED?

YOU KNOW, WE'RE PRETTY RESILIENT.

YOU KNOW, WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE.

I KNOW A LOT OF ARTS ORGANIZATIONS MAYBE HAVE NOT BOUNCED BACK QUITE AS WELL AS WE HAVE.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY TOOK A CLOSE LOOK AT OUR OPERATION, AND MADE PRIORITIES OF, YOU KNOW, TAKING CARE OF OUR STAFF AND, YOU KNOW, WE KEPT OUR ENTIRE STAFF TOGETHER.

SO -- >> Eric: OH, OU DID?

>> YOU DID.

SO WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO COME BACK AFTER THE PANDEMIC, WE WERE ABLE TO HIT THE GROWNTD GROUND RUNNING.

>> Cathy: WHAT MAKES A GENERAL MANAGER SWEAT THE MOST?

>> OH, GOSH.

UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S JUST THE OVERARCHING THING, JUST KEEPING IT ALL ROLLING.

YOU KNOW?

SO -- AND SAFETY IS ALWAYS -- I AM, I THINK THAT MAKES ANYBODY THAT'S IN LIVE -- >> Cathy: BUT WHEN YOU GET UP, AND YOU SEE SNELLING AVENUE TOTALLY JAMMED WITH CARS, DOES IT MAKE YOU HAPPY?

>> IT'S A MIXED BAG.

[ Laughter ] I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE OPEN THOSE GATES ON THURSDAY MORNING AT 7:00 A.M. AND THEY'RE ROLLING IN, IT'S LIKE, OH, LOOK, THEY CAME.

WE MADE THIS GREAT PARTY AND THEY'RE ALL HERE.

SO WE WOULD BE RE-- >> Cathy: WHAT YOUR FAVORITE FAIR FOOD IS.

YOU MENTIONED CHEESE CURDS.

>> I DID, YES.

I DID HAVE A COUPLE CHEESE CURDS BEFORE I CAME OVER.

>> Eric: AND WE'LL BE AT THE FAIR AT LEAST FOR ONE SHOW.

"ALMANAC" WILL BE AT THE FAIR THIS COMING YEAR.

>> OH, GREAT.

WE ALWAYS LOVE HAVING YOU THERE.

>> Cathy: MAYBE WE PASS SOME