Staff photo by Fritz Busch Ted, left, and his son Tim Bergstrom of New Ulm prepare food while customers keep their distance as fair food vendors sell food at the Brown County Fairgrounds Sunday. Ted Bergstrom said corn dogs, french fries, funnel cakes and onion rings were his biggest sellers.

NEW ULM — Fair food lovers waited ahead of time for Brown County Fair food vendors to begin selling food at the Brown County Fairgrounds Sunday morning.

Before long, dozens of customers ordered food from a number of vendors, then backed away to maintain social distance, waiting to pick up their orders.

Ted and Barb Bergstrom of rural New Ulm and their children should be familiar to fair food fans. The Bergstroms have been in the concession business for more than 30 years.

If you don’t recognize them by sight, perhaps you will by the smell and taste of fresh popcorn, the sweet and salty smell and taste of kettle corn. They also feature corn dogs, onion rings, french fires and funnel cakes.

“I’d like to thank everyone for coming out and supporting us,” Ted Bergstrom said, while preparing food with family. “I’d like to thank the Brown County Fair people too for allowing us to do this. They didn’t have to.”

In previous years, the Bergstroms would spend weekends selling concessions at county fairs and community festivals in Winthrop, St. Peter. They have traveled to events as far away as Ely and Indiana.

The Bergstroms sell kettle corn year around, sometimes from a tent near the New Ulm Hy-Vee Food Store or at other events.

Those that enjoy the Bergstrom’s concessions should be happy to know that the New Ulm Economic Development Authority (EDA) recently approved a lease agreement with them for property at 326 N. Broadway.

The Bergstroms plan to use part of the property to set up a concession stand on weekends in July, August, September and October.

The property is currently rented by the Broadway Haus for tenant parking and winter snow removal. The Bergstrom’s don’t plan to use the property in winter.

Other food vendors would be allowed to use the Broadway location, but the Bergstroms asked that no menu items be duplicated by other vendors, who would have to follow a lease process.

Back at the fairgrounds Sunday, Justin Wilhelmi of New Ulm sold gyros and said business was good over the weekend.

Sunday food vendors Sunday included the Bergstroms, Short But Sweet including donuts and tacos, Goofy Doofy Gyros, Five Finger Foods, Scotty Biggs BBQ and The Lemon.

Due to the recent cancellation of the Minnesota State Fair and the cancellation of many other fairs and festivals due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Brown County Agricultural Society Board unanimously voted to cancel the 2020 Brown County Free Fair.

“It was a difficult decision. We will not debate with those that disagree. The health and safety of our community, along with financial stability is the top focus of our board. We will see you again August 11-15, 2021,” read a Brown County Free Fair Facebook post.

Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.