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Minnesota State Fair 2024

Witness the largest state fair in the USA by daily attendance

Dates: August 22-September 2, 2024

Minnesota State Fair
Minnesota State Fair
Minnesota State Fair
Minnesota State Fair
Minnesota State Fair
Minnesota State Fair

The Minnesota State Fair slogan is "The Great Minnesota Get-Together." It takes place every year for 12 days in late August-early September at the Saint Paul campus of the University of Minnesota in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, halfway between the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The fair still has a traditional agricultural emphasis on livestock shows and delicious food. In 2015, The Minnesota State Fair was voted the best state fair in the US by the USA Today readership. It's visited by almost 2 million people every year, and in 2016, 260,374 people came there in just one day. Tickets for the fair are $14, but discounts are available on certain days, and operating hours are from 6 a.m. to midnight(10 p.m. on Labour Day). Tickets for the Grandstand Stage concerts need to be purchased separately.

The concert program of the Minnesota State Fair includes 900 shows and around 100 acts by such musicians as BoDeans, Clay Walker, En Vogue, Jason Mraz, the Beach Boys, and others.

The main speciality of the Minnesota State Fair is new foods and beverages. Every year there are dozens of brand-new beverages and food premiering at the fair. You have to try Brewzo Lager infused with a touch of licorice and served with a sugar-spiced rim, deep-fried cake-flavored beer, and Caramel corn cream ale.

The Minnesota Fair was first held in 1859 and has run annually ever since.

One of the fair's most famous annual events is the creation of a butter sculpture. Each year, a new Princess Kay of the Milky Way is selected to represent the dairy industry of the state. She has to pose for several hours in a glass-walled refrigerator as a 41 kg block of butter is carved into a sculpture. Butter sculpting started at the fair back in 1898.

Practical info

Is the 2020 Minnesota State Fair canceled?

2020 Minnesota State Fair is canceled due to coronavirus pandemic. Show more

How much does it cost to get into the Minnesota State Fair?

Regular gate admission for adults aged 13 to 64 is $15. The price for children aged 5 to 12 and people aged 65 and older is $13. The entrance for kids aged 4 and under is free. Show more

How much is parking at Minnesota State Fair?

Parking in State Fair's parking lot costs $15 by cash. It is paid for as you enter the park. Show more

How do you get to the Minnesota State Fair?

Metro Transit routes 84, 960, 3, and 61 come directly to the fairgrounds. Buses arrive and depart at the State Fair Transit Hub on the west side of the fairgrounds next to West End Market. Show more

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Last updated: by Eleonora Provozin