The Minnesota State Fair keeps traditions alive while attracting folks with new food and rides. 

The Minnesota State Fair predates the state itself, beginning as a Territorial Fair in 1855, said Minnesota State Fair spokeperson Maria Hayden.  The fair was a traveling event that stopped in St.Paul, Rochester, Red Wing, Winona, Minneapolis and Owatonna. 

After 30 years of travel, organizers were given a 210-acre farm in St. Paul and still reside on the land today. 

“The Minnesota State Fair is a tradition as old as the state itself,” Hayden said. 

Today, the state fair is 322 acres with agriculture, exhibits, attractions and more. The fair has undergone technological advancements, large-scale entertainment and participation of government institutions.

“We represent the gold standard in what a state fair can be, presenting the very best in agriculture, technology, competition, entertainment, food, shopping and so much more,” Hayden said.

The state fair had a total of 1.9 million attendees in 2024 and had a record attendance in 2019 of 2.1 million. The state fair takes place for 12 days a year, ending on Labor Day.

Eli Norris-Weber, a Minneapolis community member and former state fair employee, said his parents have gone to the state fair since they were young. 

“The state fair is an event my parents went to growing up, I went to growing up, and is just really special in my family,” Norris-Weber said.

This year, the state fair will take place from Aug. 21 to Sept. 1. 

The fair will have new foods and rides — including the tallest portable swing in North America, a space exhibit, two new Midway rides and two new Kidway rides. 

“My favorite part of the state fair is everything on a stick, but specifically bacon on a stick,” Matthew Reinstra, a Minneapolis community member, said. “I have loved it ever since I was little.” 

The fair has been held every single year with only six exceptions:

• 1861 and 1862 due to the Civil War
• 1893, because of a scheduling conflict with the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago
• 1945, due to travel restrictions during World War 2 
• 1946, due to the polio epidemic
• Most recently 2020, due to COVID-19.

The state fair introduced its gopher mascot, Fairchild, in 1966. After a statewide naming contest, the mascot was named after Henry S. Fairchild, the man who suggested the land as the permanent site for the state fairgrounds. 

The state fair features a variety of different competitions, from agriculture to food to art, in which people can win a variety of awards. These competitions range from K-12 competitions to being for senior citizens, allowing everyone to participate.

“We strive to present a blend of traditional and new features each year in a fun, safe and one-of-a-kind environment, and believe that is what puts us on so many people’s must-do list,” Hayden said.