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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.

‘Our way of life’: State Fair traditions keep a Minnesota farm family close across generations

‘Our way of life’: State Fair traditions keep a Minnesota farm family close across generations

Sarah Schmidt hoped her kids would take to the farm life she grew up with and maybe show their animals at the State Fair. Years of early mornings, livestock shows and ribbons prove she didn’t have to worry.
by Sam Stroozas

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‘This will take forever’: My crop art journey to the Minnesota State Fair

‘This will take forever’: My crop art journey to the Minnesota State Fair

A first-time crop artist chronicles her exhausting but joyful journey of creating a whimsical, Magritte-inspired seed art piece for the Minnesota State Fair, discovering both the beauty and madness of gluing millet one seed at a time.
by Alex V. Cipolle

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A kernel of peace: MPR News host Cathy Wurzer finds her zen in crop art

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.
by Cathy Wurzer and Gracie Stockton

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Review: Soft-serve beer makes its debut and s'mores abound

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.
by Emily Bright and Ngoc Bui

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Photos: Check out the some of the 451 pieces of crop art at the Minnesota State Fair

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.
by MPR News Staff and Alex V. Cipolle

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Wright County’s Malorie Thorson crowned 72nd Princess Kay of the Milky Way

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.
by Regina Medina

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