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.

Virus fears lead around 150 vendors to skip Minnesota State Fair
Around 150 vendors will be missing when the Minnesota State Fair returns Thursday from a one-year layoff due to the pandemic. Many pulled out due to COVID-19 fears, staffing shortages and supply chain issues.
The Minnesota State Fair prepares for a smaller, safer return
Minnesota's State Fair opens next Thursday, after a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the “Great Minnesota Get-Back-Together” isn't going to be the fair you remember from 2019, either.
Lawsuit: State Fair must allow people to carry guns
A gun owners group and two other plaintiffs filed a lawsuit Tuesday that argues the quasi-state agency that produces the Minnesota State Fair cannot prohibit people with permits from carrying firearms on the fairgrounds. 
Minnesota State Fair disbands its police as reopening approaches
Minnesota State Fair officials are looking for a new police force after fair officials decided to eliminate the department following the departure of the current police chief.
The annual State Fair weather quiz with Mark Seeley is on
The Minnesota State Fair might be canceled, but there’s no way we would have let the annual weather quiz with Mark Seeley go on hiatus for a pandemic. For the 24th year in a row, Seeley took listeners’ questions about the weather and quizzed them back.
The Minnesota State Fair we're all missing this year
The Minnesota State Fair was scheduled to kick off on Thursday, but because of the coronavirus pandemic there is no fair this year. We shared our Minnesota State Fair memories while checking in with some of the people who are keeping the fair alive during the pandemic.
'If it's sacrifice to keep people safe, I'm OK': Vendors react to State Fair cancellation
Friday’s announcement that the 2020 Minnesota State Fair was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic was a painful one, bringing a loss of tradition and — for thousands — income. But two of the many fair vendors said it’s the right decision.