Roller coaster among new State Fair attractions

Large crowds
Crowds fill Cooper Street on the opening day of the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights, Minn. Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012.
MPR File Photo/Jeffrey Thompson

Nearly two dozen new exhibits are headed for the 2013 edition of the Minnesota State Fair.

Fair officials have unveiled their new lineup and it includes a new roller coaster called Rip Tide that will replace the Windstorm coaster that used to anchor the west end of the Midway. There will also be three other new Midway rides.

Other attractions include skating on an outdoor hockey rink on artificial ice and giant sculptures made of canned goods headed for the agriculture horticulture building. A new "idea house" will help with ways to keep people in their own homes as they age.

Fair spokeswoman Brienna Schuette said there will also be a new Lego Road Trip exhibit, with life-size Lego models and building blocks for kids. That will be near the Kidway.

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"This will be really fun for kids and families," Schuette said. "I know so many kids are just crazy about Legos, so we're really excited to bring this so that parents can take a break while the kids play."

There will also be a new Krazy Maze in Adventure Park near the Grandstand.

"I kind of liken it to one of the old hamster mazes. But in this case, the fairgoer is the hamster," Schuette said.

The fair runs from Aug. 22 to Sept. 2 this year.