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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.

Here’s a guide to what to know before you go to the 2026 Minnesota State Fair, including information on tickets, transportation, attractions, what to bring and ways to save.

‘For the joy of it’: State Fair diehards say they don’t care about winning a blue ribbon

‘For the joy of it’: State Fair diehards say they don’t care about winning a blue ribbon

A blue ribbon at the Minnesota State Fair might seem like the prize that home bakers covet, but many of the Minnesotans submitting to the State Fair enter year after year for more than a placement. For some, it’s become a tradition, community and duty.
by Anika Besst

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Fair warning: How the Minnesota State Fair handles severe weather

Fair warning: How the Minnesota State Fair handles severe weather

Meteorologists from the National Weather Service's Chanhassen office are stationed inside the fair's emergency operations center throughout the fair.
by Mandy Thalhuber

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Beloved ‘Info Booth Ladies’ brace for first Minnesota State Fair since member’s death

Beloved ‘Info Booth Ladies’ brace for first Minnesota State Fair since member’s death

Since 2021, Kristen Donaldson, Margie McCarron and Kathy Riewe have hosted “Info Booth Ladies,” the unofficial Minnesota State Fair podcast. Since Riewe died this spring, Donaldson and McCarron are deciding how to do the fair without her.
by Sam Stroozas

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