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.

A kernel of peace: MPR News host Cathy Wurzer finds her zen in crop art
With more submissions than ever before, it’s a bumper year for crop art at the Minnesota State Fair. So MPR News host Cathy Wurzer decided that this summer, it was finally time to give it a try.
Review: Soft-serve beer makes its debut and s'mores abound
This year’s roster of new Minnesota State Fair foods includes a wide variety of new foods and drinks to sample. And as she’s done every year, food writer Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl was out there bright and early on the first day to try every single new offering.
Photos: Check out the some of the 451 pieces of crop art at the Minnesota State Fair
Crop art, the much-adored Minnesota tradition, only continues to boom in popularity. This year saw a record-breaking number of registrations and submissions.
Wright County’s Malorie Thorson crowned 72nd Princess Kay of the Milky Way
A 20-year-old college student from Waverly was crowned the 72nd Princess Kay of the Milky Way on Wednesday, the night before the Minnesota State Fair began. The winner, Malorie Thorson, studies dairy production at South Dakota State University.
 From horse races to rock concerts: The unique history of the Minnesota State Fair’s Grandstand
For more than a century, the Grandstand has held decades of laughs, speeches and sparks of cultural change. But how did this towering piece of history become such a fixture of Minnesota summers? The answer lies in its long and often surprising history.
Minnesota DNR stocks fish pond ahead of State Fair opening
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources stocked its popular State Fair fish pond Tuesday morning. There, fairgoers can see the rare paddlefish and prehistoric lake sturgeon, plus a few dozen more species.