Minnesota State Fair – Must-Sees

Dates and Hours for the Minnesota State Fair

First, let’s start with the basics, the timeline of the Fair. The Fair begins on August 22nd and is open every day through Labor Day, September 2nd. While regular fairground hours are from 7am-11pm, it’s important to note that the last admission is at 9pm and many things like the barns, food buildings, rides, and centers only open between 8-9am. You can view the full hours here.

Fair Events and Schedule

There is always a ton of stuff going on each day at the Fair. We highly recommend looking at the full event schedule for the days you plan to attend. Lesser known must-sees include:

• Joyful World Mural Park - Featuring large-scale artworks painted live by Minnesota artists each day of the fair.
• Thank a Farmer Magic Show - Children of ALL ages are completely engaged while learning the important role agriculture and our farmers and ranchers play in their daily lives.
• All-Star Stunt Dogs Splash - From large to small breeds, these dogs will mesmerize you as they compete in challenges, dock dives and leaps into the air to catch flying discs, plus astounding stunts such as jumping rope, walking backwards and doing paw-stands.
• Timberworks Lumber Jack Show - world-class forest sports athletes compete in a decathlon of timber events designed to challenge even the hardiest lumberjacks.
• Arts A'fair - Minnesotan arts organizations and individual performing artists are selected each year to entertain fair guests in pop-up showcases throughout the fairgrounds.
• And so much more!

Rides and Attractions at the Minnesota State Fair

The fun is never ending at the Minnesota State Fair, and you will be sure to find many things to keep the whole family happy. Here are just some of the attractions to consider checking out:

• Adventure Park – the home to the most extreme activities, which include; rock climbing, skyscraper, slingshot, and turbo bungy.
• Kidway – perfect for families with small children as the rides are kiddie friendly and tons of games to try your hand at.
• Mighty Midway – rides, games, and food galore!
• Old Iron Show - Reminiscent of the former Machinery Hill, the Old Iron Show gives fair guests an opportunity to get up-close for demonstrations and displays of beautifully restored, rare antique farm equipment.
• Haunted House
• Butterfly House
• Giant Slide - this iconic five-story attraction gives riders of all generations a thrill down a slide much larger than the one found on your average playground.
• And much more!

New in 2024

The Fair is jam-packed with never-ending fun, and every year they cook up new foods, beverages, attractions, and vendors for us to try! The 2024 list of new foods includes 33 new foods and six new food vendors. Foods that caught our eye this year include:

• Sweet Corn Cola Float - Minnesota-made sweet corn cola and sweet corn ice cream in a cup, finished with whipped cream, popping candy and house-made frozen caramel.
• PB Bacon Cakes - Thick-cut bacon dipped in pancake batter, griddled and topped with peanut butter whipped cream, grape jelly and banana chips.
• Buffalo Cheese Curd & Chicken Tacos - Fried buffalo-flavored cheese curds and chicken topped with blue cheese slaw, drizzled with buffalo sauce, and served in a fried flour shell.
• Afro Poppers - Bite-size pastries infused with an African blend of spices, deep-fried and coated with choice of coconut flakes, sugar or served plain. Topped with choice of drizzle – mango chutney, caramel or chocolate.
• Fried Bee-Nana Pie - Handmade pie filled with Minnesota honey, fresh banana and Biscoff® cookie butter; battered and deep-fried. (Vegetarian)
• Strawberries and Cream Waffle Stick - Belgian waffle filled with strawberry shortcake cookie dough, topped with whipped cream and strawberry sauce, and served on-a-stick.

Other new attractions for 2024 include Cats & Dogs The Exhibition where you can go inside the minds of your favorite furry friends, two new midway rides, new merchandise vendors, and more!

Fair Favorites

While these are definitely not new, these are long-standing state fair attractions that remain popular year after year:

• Blue Ribbon Bingo - Stop by Ramberg Center, sponsored by Cal Spas, to play Blue Ribbon BINGO benefiting the Minnesota State Fair Foundation.
• Daily Parade - The State Fair Parade begins at 2 p.m. daily and features the high school marching band competition, floats, animals, specialty units, and visiting royalty.
• Free Live Music & Shows - 900 shows and 100+ acts, all free with the price of fair admission!
• History on-a-Schtick - See what happens when Minnesota icons face off in a quiz show hosted by Betty Crocker and when Minnesota’s state symbols stage a fashion show.
• Amateur Talent Contest - enjoy singers, dancers, instrumentalists, cloggers and every type of performer in between as they compete for the right to be named Minnesota’s top talent.
• Ye Olde Mill - Touted as the “original tunnel of love,” Ye Old Mill is the oldest attraction on the fairgrounds. Take a relaxing boat ride in a dark tunnel – and see some kitschy vignettes while you do!
  
• Kemps Little Farm Hands - Children and their families don their work aprons and fire up their imaginations to help with farm chores, collect goods to sell at the farmers market, and then spend their “earnings” on real products made from the farm at the grocery store.
• CHS Miracle of Birth Center - This one-of-a-kind agricultural education exhibit is home to baby animals - calves, lambs, goats and piglets. Stop by the adjoining FFA Chapter House & Leadership Center for hands-on activities.

Stay Close and Do It All - Hotels Near the Minnesota State Fairgrounds

Plan to stay close to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds this year so you can get there early and stay late to pack everything in. By staying close to the Fair, you can even plan to hit it up multiple days in a row in case you simply can’t pack everything into one day. Plan ahead and make sure you see and do as much as possible! Check out the best places to stay for the fair (we might even have a few deals up our sleeves!).