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State Fair

The 2026 Minnesota State Fair runs Aug. 27 through Sept. 7. For all of the events at the MPR booth and Dan Patch Park, go to mpr.org/statefair.

Grandstand guru takes over as new Minnesota State Fair CEO

Grandstand guru takes over as new Minnesota State Fair CEO

Renee Alexander, deputy general manager at the Minnesota State Fair and head of the fair’s entertainment offerings, will be the new CEO for the Great Minnesota Get Together. 
by Tim Nelson

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Walz presses for tougher sentences, more funding following State Fair gunfire

Walz presses for tougher sentences, more funding following State Fair gunfire

"There's too many guns on the streets,” Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday as he announced the victim from Monday’s night shooting just outside the fairgrounds had been discharged. Gunfire inside the fair Saturday night sent fairgoers running for cover.
by Dana Ferguson and MPR News Staff

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Minnesota State Fair draws the crowds for final weekend

Minnesota State Fair draws the crowds for final weekend

Fairgoers soaked up the Minnesota State Fair’s return, with even a security scare on Saturday not keeping the holiday weekend crowds away.
by Brian Bakst

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A State Fair classic: 125 years later, Hamline Church Dining Hall still cooking

A State Fair classic: 125 years later, Hamline Church Dining Hall still cooking

The Hamline Church Dining Hall is a Minnesota State Fair tradition that continues to thrive amid the fried ice cream, falafel on a stick, pronto pups, turkey legs and other unusual eats. But it’s not just the food that keeps people coming back.
by Sam Stroozas

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Shooting incident injures one, shuts down Minnesota State Fair on Saturday night

Shooting incident injures one, shuts down Minnesota State Fair on Saturday night

The Minnesota State Fair closed early after reports of “disturbances” in the Midway area Saturday evening around 10:20 p.m., according to the fair’s website.
by Tim Nelson, Brian Bakst, Sam Stroozas and Samuel King

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Making a more accessible fair experience

Making a more accessible fair experience

The Minnesota State Fair is a different experience for everyone. There is no denying it is loud, overcrowded and anxiety-inducing but if you’re autistic, it can be even more nerve-wracking. Jillian Nelson of the Autism Society of Minnesota took MPR News on a tour of the fair through the lens of an autistic person.
by Sam Stroozas and Ben Hovland

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