State Fair

The 2025 Minnesota State Fair runs Aug. 21 through Sept. 1. For all of the events at the MPR booth and Dan Patch Park, go to mpr.org/statefair.

Minnesota State Fair fans line up overnight to be first through the gates
Minnesota State Fair superfans gathered beneath a brilliantly colorful sunrise sky Thursday to be the first through the gates as the iconic event started its 12-day run.
71st Princess Kay of the Milky Way crowned ahead of Minnesota State Fair
Her first official duty as Princess Kay will be to sit in a rotating cooler in the Dairy Building to have her likeness sculpted in a 90-pound block of butter the first two days of the Minnesota State Fair.
Job Interview: Climate activist parks cars on her lawn for the Minnesota State Fair
Tina Clarke worked for years in America and Europe to create solutions for climate change. When she moved to Minnesota in 2017 to help her mom, she didn’t realize she had also stumbled upon her largest captive audiences for discussing climate solutions: the Minnesota State Fair.
More police, cameras at the Minnesota State Fair in 2024
The State Fair Police Department is now 185 strong, up from 170 last year and 130 in 2022. Another hundred or so officers from local, state and federal agencies will flesh out the ranks charged with the responsibility of two million fairgoers, employees, volunteers and vendors.
Infantoriums, embalmed whales and the Minnesota Ice Man: Weird State Fair tales
The Minnesota State Fair, established in 1859, is known for its unique and beloved quirks such as butter sculptures and crop art, but it has also hosted some truly bizarre events.
Indigenous Food Lab to debut new menu items at the Minnesota State Fair
Nothing may excite more than the new foods that make their debut each year at the Minnesota State Fair. This year, the Indigenous Food Lab will introduce pre-colonial menu options that showcase a taste of the Americas with ingredients from close to home.