Minnesota State Fair by the numbers

Under wraps
A sheep looks ready to rumble at the Minnesota State Fair.
MPR photo/Nikki Tundel

More than 1.5 million people make their way to the Minnesota State Fair each year. Hundreds of them will likely be sporting something with the American flag emblazoned on it.

MPR photo/ Nikki Tundel
You can buy 63 different foods on a stick at the state fair -- perhaps the most traditional being a caramel apple.
On a stick

More than 3,000 people work on the fairgrounds - doing everything from cleaning bathrooms to deep-frying cheese. About 7,000 people apply for these 3,000 jobs.

There will be 2,717 4-H members that will show an animal at the Minnesota State Fair this year.

There are 580 beef exhibitors, 283 rabbit exhibitors and 240 poultry exhibitors, including ducks, geese and chickens. Also, 267 goat exhibitors, 471 dairy animals, 381 sheep and 453 swine exhibits on display.

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The Minnesota State Fair boasts 450 different food offerings. Sixty-three of these items are presented on a stick.

Of course, if munching from whittled wood isn't your thing, there are at least four foods you can get by the bucketful.

Deep-fried goodness
There are eight places to buy pronto pups on the fairgrounds. There are 10 vendors who sell corn dogs.
MPR photo/ Nikki Tundel

There are about 50 games at the Midway for visitors to play.

There are approximately 5,000 entries on display in the fair's Creative Activities building. Fairgoers compete in everything from cross-stitch to taxidermy.

There are 19 different categories for cookie baking, six for scrapbooking and 11 for competitive stamp collecting.

The number of sheep that will try to eat a radio microphone if given a chance, 14.

Average number of times each 4-H competitor will be asked to sweep out the cattle barn, 10 times a day.

Number of 4-Hers seen sweeping while simultaneously text messaging, 14.

Shear genius
It takes about 45 minutes to give sheep a simple shearing.
MPR photo/ Nikki Tundel

Approximately 200 animals are born at the state fair each year.

When pointing out the baby sheep to their children, three fairgoers are overheard referring to the lambs as goats.

Five mistake turkeys for geese.

And one misidentifies a duck as a pelican.

Finally, there's 12, that's the number of days you have to take it all in all the sights and sounds of the Minnesota State Fair.