Great Minnesota Get-Together is just days away

The high swings is a State Fair classic.
The swings at the State Fair is seen in front of the sun, as it begins to set on a beautiful Thursday evening.
Maria Alejandra Cardona | MPR News

More than 1,000 vendors are working hard to set up for the Minnesota State Fair, which starts its 12-day run on Thursday.

Fair spokeswoman Danielle Dullinger said Sunday that the fairgrounds in Falcon Heights were a whirlwind of activity, ahead of the fair that draws nearly 2 million visitors each year.

The Hangar at the State Fair.
The Minnesota State Fair has turned the former Pet Pavilion into a new food, craft beer and entertainment destination on the fair's North End.
Courtesy of Minnesota State Fair

"Rides moving in on trailers, and vendors delivering their stuffed animals, and food deliveries — it's just packed, and people are setting up tents," she said. "It's wild and I never understand how (on) Wednesday it looks the way it does and Thursday it opens and it's completely ready to go."

Among the new attractions this year: Part of the north end of the fairgrounds has been converted into a destination for food and craft beer, called the Hangar. It's in renovated space in what had been the Pet Center building, which in turn had previously been home to the fair's aircraft show.

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A reflection of the State Fair.
In front of a food truck, the reflection of the State Fair shows the vast variety of things that happen in a day of fun.
Maria Alejandra Cardona | MPR News

Dullinger said the new food and beer venue stemmed from the requests of fair visitors; she said the fair's full-time staff of 80 people starts working immediately after the state fair wraps up each year to plan for the following year.

"We take into consideration attendance, what fair guests are doing at the fair — so we noticed there that were really only a couple beer vendors north of Dan Patch Avenue," she said. "(So we thought), 'Well, let's add another one up there, it's clearly what they're asking for.' "

The Pet Center has moved to an open-air pavilion. Find more new Minnesota State Fair attractions here.

Rainbow cloud roll
The rainbow cloud roll - three scoops of ice cream sprinkled with fruity cereal and wrapped in a pillow of cotton candy - is one of the new foods available at the Minnesota State Fair this week.
Courtesy of Minnesota State Fair

There also are 27 new fair foods for 2018.

The fair runs from Thursday through Labor Day.

MPR will be at the fair with special programming and activities; find more information here.