Photographs by Caitlin Abrams
Minnesota's Largest Candy Store
For the longest time, you’re driving through endless rolling fields and RV dealerships on 169. And then, suddenly, you see where all the traffic is headed. Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store can’t be unseen. It sprawls across a field, calling you to turn off the highway into a dirt parking lot.
Out front, overflowing bins of pumpkins and gourds prove to be mere distractions for what awaits inside. That is, rows and rows of candy, walls stacked from floor to ceiling with root beers of the world, Milka bars from Germany, Hi-Chews from Japan, and perhaps a dozen flavors of taffy (gingerbread, golden pear, green apple, guava, etc.).
There’s a lot of novelty to be sampled at Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store. Try the Leninade: a bottle of pink communist sparkling lemonade (“A taste worth standing in line for! Join the party!”). Or cuddle up to a giant gummy bear the size of your toddler. Some of this kitsch surely qualifies as folk art. Check out the whimsical fairy-tale ceiling murals or the animatronic band. Is that the Millennium Falcon? Of course it is.
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Photo by Caitlin Abrams
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Grab a basket—you’ll need it. But don’t skip the freshly baked apple pies on your way out, which secretly represent the best treat in the store.
One last, essential tip: You don’t want to face your kids when they bring their candy basket to the register and learn that Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store doesn’t take credit cards. Bring cash.
