2016 Minnesota State Fair sets record with 1.9 million attendees

Crowds fill up Judson Ave.
Crowds fill up Judson Ave. at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights, Minn. on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016.
Evan Frost | MPR News

The 2016 Minnesota State Fair was the best attended in state history.

More than 1.9 million people attended the recently concluded State Fair during its 12-day run that ended Monday on Labor Day. That breaks the previous record of 1.8 million set in 2014.

This year's Great Minnesota Get-Together also had three record attendance days — including the best-attended day in State Fair history. That was Saturday, Sept. 3, when 260,374 people attended.

The fair's agricultural and creative competitions drew more than 30,000 entries this year. The 4-H Purple Ribbon Auction on Aug. 27 set 12 record prices and raised more than $605,000 to benefit 4-H programs.

The 2017 Minnesota State Fair will run Aug. 24 through Labor Day, Sept. 4.

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