Fair-inspired entertainment venue now open at Mall of America
A state fair-inspired food hall and entertainment venue has opened at Mall of America.
The Fair on 4, a new concept from the creators of the Victoria Burrow in Victoria, opened March 12 on the east end of the fourth floor of the Bloomington megamall.
“We wanted to create something fresh and new at Mall of America while celebrating our beloved state of Minnesota, and what better way than having an atmosphere filled with everyone’s favorite fair foods and activities year-round,” Jeffry Brown, managing partner of The Fair on 4, said in a statement last fall.
The 35,000 square foot space is a family-friendly, fair-inspired restaurant with go-karting, ax-throwing and other activities.
"Drive like a pro on the quarter-mile go-kart track, learn to throw axes, enjoy delicious fair food like cheese curds, house-cut fries, hand-dipped corn dogs and our signature cocktail ice cream float for dessert,” Brown said in a March 31 news release. "Laugh, compete and just let loose with our long list of shenanigans. This is an experience worth enjoying with friends and family."
Activities
The go-kart track is one of the only indoor multi-level race tracks in North America, featuring electric Sodi race karts that accelerate quickly, the website says.
It costs $23-$28 per race (each race is 7-10 minutes, plus a pre-race briefing and safety instruction session) and includes a helmet head sock. Each session runs 15-20 minutes total.
There's also ax-throwing, with each session including training from Fair on 4's "expert ax chuckers," throwing demonstrations and safety protocols.
There are 30- and 60-minute sessions available, which cost $25 per person for an hour or $15 per person for a 30-minute session.
There is no group minimum or maximum, with Fair on 4 saying it can accommodate "nearly any sized group."
The menu
The restaurant is a food hall concept "perfect for any size group," where people order self-serve food from an "extensive menu," the release says.
On the menu, there are fair-inspired foods like corn dogs, cheese curds, soft pretzel knots, duck drumsticks, cheesy tater tots, mini doughnuts, funnel cakes, pickles and other foods on sticks, as well as burgers, salads and more.
There's also Blue Horse Pizza, The Fair on 4's scratch pizza kitchen featuring local ingredients like Neapolitan dough developed with the Food Buildings's Baker's Field Flour and artisan sausage from Red Table Meats, a release says.
The drink list includes several cocktails and mocktails, from gimmicky drinks you'd find at the fair, such as the "boozy donut float" and "adult milk and cookies," to popular libations, such as mules, margaritas and martinis.
You'll also find 40 beers on tap, including a variety of local craft beers and domestic brews, as well as ciders hard seltzers and Lift Bridge's non-alcoholic root beer and mini donut soda.