Planning to visit the “Great Minnesota Get-Together” this year? While you are at the State Fair, stop by and visit the Gopher State One Call (GSOC) booth! We will be spreading the damage prevention message to fair-goers and distributing our wildly popular GSOC yardsticks, along with other GSOC promotional items. Spin our wheel and land on an APWA color-coded utility to determine the color of the yardstick you’ll receive! You can find us in the Blue Flame Gas Association building on the west side of Nelson Street, between Dan Patch and Carnes Avenues (across from the Giant Slide) from August 24th-September 4th, 2017.

Here are some fun facts about the State Fair:

In 1859, just one year after being granted statehood, Minnesota held its first State Fair. Several cities hosted the Fair until St. Paul became the permanent location in 1885. The number of attractions and exhibits increased and attendance grew. The Fair originally had an agricultural focus to encourage farming in Minnesota, which has now evolved to include entertainment, games, family events, and educational opportunities. Nearly two million visitors attended the fair in 2016!

Help us protect the integrity of our underground infrastructure by taking the precautionary step of filing a locate request before starting any excavation. We understand that life gets busy, so we have streamlined the filing process for you. Homeowner Online Locate Request is a simplified online ticketing system that allows homeowners or occasional excavators to quickly and efficiently file a notification ticket. GSOC provides this free and easy-to-use service to help you excavate safely. Remember, for all projects big and small, to file your request 48 hours in advance, excluding weekends and holidays, before you begin work.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have about damage prevention and learn about the important steps you should take to prevent damage to buried utilities. Talk to us! We want to know your thoughts about how we can improve GSOC to better serve you. Stop by the GSOC booth at the Minnesota State Fair to learn more!