Couple gets engaged at Minnesota State Fair

FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (KMSP) - Among the masses at the 2018 Minnesota State Fair, you'll find two people with a little extra sparkle in their eyes this afternoon.

In front of hundreds, a Minnesota man got down on one knee and asked the love of his life to marry him while the cameras were rolling.

The fair has been a staple in their relationship for some time now, as it is for many Minnesotans.

Justin Monsrud told Fox 9 that he was especially nervous this afternoon and, though they were surrounded by hundreds of smiling people, in that moment it was just the two of them.

He worked hard to propose to his now fiancée Jenelle Kristapovich.

“I practiced going down on one knee this morning,” he said.

He wanted to do it right.

“He asked for Janelle’s dad’s phone number and wanted to ask for permission to marry Janelle,” said Jenelle’s mother, Jody Huberty.

He wanted it to be a surprise.

“Is this real?” she said. “It just felt unreal I was in complete shock.”

“I feel like I’m pretty good at figuring surprises, and secrets out, so he did really well,” said Kristapovich. “I played it really cool. He was completely cool. I don’t even know how he did it.”

When he knew, he knew.

“I knew I wanted to do it this summer,” said Monsrud.

He said he knew the perfect place to propose. 

“We made it a point to come to the fair every single year,” Kristapovich explained. “He taught me how to do the fair right, is what he said when we started dating. And he has exceeded expectations every year.”

This year is no exception.

The fair has a special place in their hearts and their house.

“Since the first time we’ve met, we’ve gone to the fair ever single year. We have a Minnesota wall in our house dedicated to Minnesota, and we buy the state fair poster every year and it hangs there,” Monsrud said.

As they have for the past four years, the newly engaged couple will hit the streets of the Great Minnesota Get-Together, checking the poster, pronto pups and the proposal off this year’s list of fair to-dos.

“I’m glad you were surprised. I was completely surprised,” said Huberty.

The couple said they haven’t ruled out the Fairgrounds as a place to get married.