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Updated: Aug. 22, 2018| Posted: Aug. 23, 2017

If long lines and huge crowds aren't your thing — but 

 — listen up: The least crowded day to visit the Minnesota State Fair is also the first day.

On average, the first Thursday — typically the first day of the Great Minnesota Get-Together — draws about 107,482 people, the "lowest" number of daily visitors during the fair's 12-day run, according to attendance figures from the past six years. 

Compare that to 233,514: the highest number of daily visitors, on average, for the last Saturday of the fair. In 2016, the fair even set a new attendance record, with 260,374 on its last Saturday. 


Now wait a sec, you say. What if I can't go to the fair on the first day because I have to work?


Your next-best bet is to plan ahead and take a personal day on either Tuesday or Wednesday. On average, each of those days draws around 118,000 and 116,000 visitors respectively.

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Daily attendance figures for the Minnesota State Fair from 2012 to 2017. Source: Minnesota State Fair.  Nancy Yang | MPR News 

Nancy Yang

Author

We looked at attendance figures from the past six years and concluded the first day — Thursday — is the best time to go if you hate long lines and big crowds.

This is the least-crowded day to go to the State Fair

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