Minnesota State Fair facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Minnesota State Fair
The State Fair Gopher 'Fairchild' greets fairgoers.
Genre	State fair
Dates	12 days before and including Labor Day
Location(s)	Falcon Heights, Minnesota
Years active	1859–Present (excluding 1861, 1862, 1893, 1945, 1946, 2020)
Attendance	2,126,551 (2019)
Website	www.mnstatefair.org

The Minnesota State Fair is a huge yearly event in Minnesota. People call it "The Great Minnesota Get-Together" because so many people come! It's the biggest state fair in the U.S. by how many people visit each day. It's also the second-largest overall, right after the State Fair of Texas. The fairgrounds are in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, between the cities of Saint Paul and Roseville.

People from all over Minnesota and nearby areas come to the fair. They enjoy shows, see amazing farm animals, and check out art and cooking contests. It's also a great place to learn about new things and, of course, eat lots of different foods – especially foods on a stick! In 2015, USA Today readers voted the Minnesota State Fair the best state fair in the country.

The fair runs for twelve days, starting in late August and ending on Labor Day. About two million people visit the fair every year. In 2019, a record 2,126,551 people attended. The busiest day ever was September 1, 2018, when 270,426 visitors came!

History of the Fair

A postcard from the 1910 Minnesota State Fair.

Minnesota had its first fair in 1854, when it was still a territory. The very first official Minnesota State Fair happened in 1859, a year after Minnesota became a state.

In the early years, the fair was held in many different places. Sometimes it was near the current spot, but other times it was in cities like Rochester or Winona. For a while in the 1870s, the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul even had their own competing fairs!

In 1884, a group decided to find a permanent home for the fair. They chose the Ramsey County Poor Farm, which is where the fair is held today. This spot was a good choice because it was about halfway between Minneapolis and St. Paul. The fair first opened its doors there on September 7, 1885. Back then, the fairgrounds were about 210 acres, but now they are 322 acres.

Sculptor John Karl Daniels made a life-size butter sculpture of Theodore Roosevelt in 1910.

One of the fair's oldest traditions is the butter sculpture. Each year, a new Princess Kay of the Milky Way is chosen to help promote Minnesota's dairy farms. Part of her job is to sit in a cold, glass room while a 90-pound block of butter is carved into her face! Butter sculptures have been at the fair since 1898, but the tradition of sculpting a person's head began in 1964.

The main entrance to the fair is on a road called Dan Patch Avenue. It's named after a famous pacer horse who won every race he ran from 1900 to 1909.

In 1901, something very important happened at the fair. Then-Vice President Theodore Roosevelt visited and said his famous words, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." Just 12 days later, he became president after President William McKinley was assassinated.

Fair Cancellations

Since 1859, the fair has been held every year except for six times.

• In 1861 and 1862, it was canceled because of the Civil War and the Dakota War of 1862.
• In 1893, it was canceled because of a conflict with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
• In 1945, the fair was not held due to World War II and a shortage of fuel.
• It was canceled again in 1946 because of a polio outbreak.
• Most recently, the fair was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, a special food parade was held in October with some popular fair food vendors.

To make up for the 2020 cancellation, the fair hosted a new spring event called "Kickoff To Summer." It had some food and attractions, and it helped the fair prepare for its return in 2021. This "Kickoff to Summer" event has continued in 2022 and beyond.

Fun Things to See and Do

Farm Animals

A big part of the fairgrounds is filled with barns for farm animals. You can see horses, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, llamas, chickens, ducks, rabbits, and even stock dogs! The animals and their owners compete for awards in livestock shows. Many of these shows happen in the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum, a large indoor arena.

Delicious Food

A stand selling cheese curds.

The Minnesota State Fair is famous for its food! You can find traditional treats like baked beans, cotton candy, and homemade apple pie. Many foods show off Minnesota's farms, like cheese curds, milk shakes, and corn dogs.

Lots of fair foods are deep-fried or served on a stick! You can find everything from classic corn dogs to alligator-on-a-stick and deep-fried candy bars. In 2006, "hotdish on a stick" was new, which is a fun version of a classic Minnesota meal. A popular spot is "Sweet Martha’s Cookies," which serves warm chocolate chip cookies in buckets.

Every year, new foods are introduced. In 2018, 27 new foods appeared, including Firecracker Shrimp Stuffed Avocado and Nordic Waffles. In 2019, new items included fried tacos on a stick and stuffed cabbage rolls.

Machinery Hill and The North End

Machinery Hill is a large area that used to show off the biggest farm equipment in the world. Now, it often features cars, trucks, lawn mowers, and recreational machines like motorbikes. There's also an interactive exhibit for kids called Little Farm Hands, where children can pretend to plant seeds and sell goods at a farmers market.

This area is slowly being renamed "The North End." In 2019, a new entrance gate and the North End Event Center opened. This center hosts different traveling shows and exhibits.

Shows and Entertainment

A Prairie Home Companion, live at the grandstand in 2008.

The State Fair has many shows, including concerts, comedy acts, and the State Fair Talent Contest.

The Grandstand is a huge outdoor concert venue. It hosts the biggest concerts at the fair. Many local TV and radio stations also set up temporary studios at the fair.

Since 2012, the fair has hosted the Walker Art Center's Internet Cat Video Festival at the Grandstand. People watch popular cat videos and memes and vote for their favorites. Famous internet cats like Grumpy Cat and Lil Bub have even visited!

Art and Crafts

The fair has an annual art exhibition where artists from Minnesota show their work. You can see paintings, photographs, sculptures, and more.

A very unique display is the crop art competition. This artwork must be made from plant parts like seeds, stems, and flowers that can grow in Minnesota. For many years, an artist named Lillian Colton was famous for her seed portraits of celebrities like Prince and Willie Nelson.

There are also many other competitions, including needlecraft, woodworking, baking, and canning.

Milk Run

There's an annual 5-kilometer (about 3.1 miles) run that starts at the fairgrounds. It goes through the University of Minnesota campus and a nearby neighborhood, then finishes back at the fairgrounds.

4-H Activities

4-H has a big presence at the fair. Kids in 4-H show their animals and projects. They compete in things like horse showmanship, public speaking, and even a llama and alpaca costume contest! About half of all 4-H projects at the fair are about animals. Other projects include photography, crafts, and cooking.

Science and Eco Experience

The Progress Center at the fair hosts the Eco Experience exhibit. This exhibit teaches about being eco-friendly. It has activities and displays about building green homes, rain gardens, climate change, saving energy, and organic farming.

State Fair Carousel

In 1913, a man named Austin McFadden wanted to build a roller coaster at the fair. He was turned down, but he came back the next year and offered to include a merry-go-round too. The fair agreed! This beautiful carousel, with 68 hand-carved horses, became a beloved part of the fair.

However, in 1988, the fair decided not to renew the carousel's lease. It was taken apart and sent to an auction in New York. People in Minnesota worked hard to save it, and even though it's not at the fairgrounds anymore, it's still in Minnesota at Como Park. It's now named after Gerard Cafesjian, who gave a lot of money to keep it in Minnesota.

Rides and Fun

Permanent Rides

Some rides are always at the fair.

• The Giant Slide: You ride down a huge fiberglass slide on a burlap sack.
• The Skyride: An aerial lift that carries you across the fairgrounds in a gondola, giving you a great view.
• The Space Tower: A tower that spins as it lifts you over 300 feet in the air, offering views of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
• Ye Old Mill: Opened in 1915, this is a "tunnel of love"-style boat ride for all ages.

Temporary Rides

The Midway.

The Midway is like a carnival with most of the fair's rides. It has funhouses, roller coasters, and other thrilling rides, plus many games. Kidway is a separate carnival area specifically for younger children.

How the Fair is Run

The Minnesota State Fair is managed by the Minnesota State Agricultural Society. The fair has not taken money from the government since 1949. All the money earned from the fair is used to maintain the fairgrounds and plan for the next year's fair.

The Minnesota State Fair Foundation is a group that helps improve and preserve the historic buildings at the fair. They also support the fair's educational programs.

The fair has about 80 full-time staff members. In the summer, they hire about 400 seasonal staff, and during the fair itself, around 3,000 temporary employees are hired.

J. V. Bailey House

The restored J. V. Bailey House.

The J. V. Bailey House is one of the oldest buildings on the fairgrounds, built in 1911. It was restored in 2006. This house used to be where the greenhouse superintendent lived year-round. Today, the State Fair Foundation operates out of this building.

Fair Mascots

The fair's mascots are two friendly gophers named Fairchild and Fairborne. Gophers are a symbol of Minnesota, which is sometimes called the "Gopher State."

Fairchild, the original mascot, was created in 1966. He's named after Henry S. Fairchild, who helped choose the fair's permanent location. Fairchild looks like an old-fashioned carnival barker with a straw hat and striped jacket. In 1986, his nephew, Fairborne, joined him in promoting the fair.

Attendance Records

Off-Season Events

The fairgrounds are busy all year long, not just during the State Fair! Many different events are held there, including:

• Horse shows and expos.
• Gymnastics meets and other sports events.
• Dog shows.
• Antique and hot-rod car shows.
• Motorcycle shows.
• Comic book conventions.
• Flea markets and swap meets.
• Buildings are also rented for sales events like appliance, computer, and car sales.
• Some roads are used for bike races in the summer.
• Many buildings are used for winter storage of boats and camping trailers.

Images for kids

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  Audrey Mohr of New Ulm, Minnesota, Princess Kay of the Milky Way 2006–2007

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  Showing a Holstein cow

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  Skyglider over Machinery Hill

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  The Fine Arts and 4-H buildings

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  Jams, jellies, and honeys

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  The Giant Slide

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  A crowd at the fair in August 2010

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  Breads and baked goods

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  Fairgoers on August 25, 2007

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  Golden Gopher Spirit Squads during the Maroon and Gold Day Parade in 2003

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  A daytime crowd at the Fair

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  A television interview during the 2006 Fair