Your guide to dietary restriction-friendly food at the Minnesota State Fair

The Minnesota State Fair is just around the corner and the food is all the rage. If you or someone you’re visiting the fair with has a dietary restriction, here’s a look at the most popular fair foods that are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or dairy-free.

Most food vendors post allergy warnings (particularly those regarding nut issues). However, the Minnesota State Fair recommends guests inquire about specific allergies with each vendor. On the Fair Finder section of the fair’s website, guests can search by key words like “vegetarian,” “vegan” or “gluten-free" that can populate options.

Gluten-free foods at the Minnesota State Fair

• El Burrito Mercado will serve gluten-friendly options such as quesabirria taquitos (deep-fried, rolled tacos filled with beef marinated in red sauce and cheese, topped with salsa verde and crumbled cheese); esquites (corn kernels cooked with herbs, topped with sour cream, crumbled cheese, chili powder and lime); and agua de sandia loca (watermelon drink with chamoy and bits of seasoned dried mango).

• Arepa Bar (located in the Food Building) serves three gluten-free arepas, which is a baked Venezuelan corn pastry.

• Cotton candy iced tea at Loon Lake Iced Tea, which is a brewed butterfly tea sweetened with natural flavor and cane sugar, garnished with edible glitter and a rock candy stick.

• French Meadow Bakery and Cade has a ginger-apricot scone that is a gluten-free fair treat.

• Auntie M’s funnel cakes offer gluten-free classic fair foods such as cheese curds and funnel cakes. The original funnel cake is vegan and certified gluten-free.

The Minnesota State Fair recently released its new drink menu, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic selections. Here are some options that are gluten-friendly, but may be brewed in the same machinery as beverages with gluten. Proceed with caution:

• Black currant mead made of honey from midwestern pollinators, fermented dry and then sweetened with freshly pressed black currant juice is brewed in Minneapolis by Sociable Cider Werks and can be found it at LuLu’s Public House.

• The blackberry mojito hard seltzer is a cocktail-inspired sugar-free hard Seltzer, with notes of blackberry, lime, mint and sweet honey. It’s brewed in Minneapolis by Bauhaus Brew Labs and can be found at Cafe Caribe.

• The Bent Brewstillery will sell a Tropical Escape seltzer flight so visitors can try all the different flavors they have to offer. Flavors include Imperial Mai Tai, Passion Fruit Daiquiri and Watermelon Hard Candy.

• Piña Ciderlada — a fun blend of pressed apples fermented dry then sweetened with pineapple juice and coconut cream –— will be up from grabs by Sociable Cider Werks, located at Giggles’ Campfire Grill,

This is only a selection of gluten-free options at the Minnesota State Fair. Twin Cities ROCK, an independent nonprofit organization, puts together a full list of gluten-free fair food options based on information received from the food and beverage vendors.

The full list of gluten-free options for the 2024 State Fair will be available at the fair on Cooper Street, at any information booth or on ROCK’s website.

Vegetarian foods at the Minnesota State Fair

• Baba’s offers a vegetarian option of its Ba’bacon sour cream + onion, which includes sour cream and onion hummus, sumac tater tots, caramelized onions, French onion crème fraiche and chive oil.

• There are vegetarian fried-food options as well, such as the deep-fried ranch dressing at LuLu’s Public House. This midwestern delicacy is deep friend ranch seasoning, buttermilk and cream cheese, deep-fried and dusted in ranch powder and served with a side of hot honey sauce.

• Nautical Bowls will have a place at the fair where vegetarian guests can enjoy fruit-blended treats that are also gluten-free and plant-based.

• Some sweeter vegetarian options include the fried bee-nana pie at Sabino’s Pizza Pies, a handmade pie filled with Minnesota honey, fresh banana and Biscoff cookie butter.

This is only a selection of vegetarian items available. The Minnesota State Fair does not maintain a list of specific vegetarian foods or beverages, but a full list of vegetarian options can be found by using the fair finder with keyword “vegetarian.”

Vegan foods at the Minnesota State Fair

• Kosharina Egyptian Cuisine will offer vegetable koshari (rice, pasta, chickpeas, lentils, tomato sauce, “dakkah” sauce, topped with friend onions) which is a new vegan option at the fair.

• Dino’s Gyros will have a vegan friendly option of its blazing Greek bites, which include a blend of chickpeas, tomato, roasted red pepper, scallions and cayenne pepper.

• Union Hmong Kitchen has nqaij with lemongrass turmeric tofu, making for a delicious vegan and gluten free option.

• For dessert, guests can try Tasti Whip’s chile mango whip, a Mango Dole soft serve topped with chamoy and tajin, which is also vegan.

• Minneapple Pie offers apple and blueberry pie, which can be made vegan.

• Daryl’s Dog House serves a classic fair favorite with a plant based twist! Visitors can try a vegan corn dog or a jumbo vegan corn dog at this food stand.

• Food vendors serving all or multiple vegan options include The Herbivorous Butcher, St. Martin’s Olives on a Stick and French Meadow.

The Minnesota State Fair does not maintain a list of specific vegan foods or beverages, but a full list of vegan options can be found by using the fair finder with keyword “vegan.”

Dairy-Free

• Paella Depot serves paella, a traditional Spanish dish, with vegetables and the choice to add fried egg or seafood. This dairy-free option can be paired with one flavor of aguas fresca, made from fruit puree, agave and water.

• At the Dairy Bar, guests can enjoy an oat milk soft serve for dessert. This is a dairy-free ice cream alternative, as well as vegan.

Paleo and Keto

• The Hangar serves foods for those who are paleo and keto such as turkey legs and bacon-wrapped pork belly.

• If you’re in the mood for seafood, head to The Hideaway Speakeasy for firecracker shrimp stuffed avocado.

• Pickle-lovers can grab a giant pickle-on-a-stick at Fried Pickles.

• Pork chops on a stick and turkey legs will be at Carousel BBQ for paleo and keto guests to enjoy.

For those who do not have food options available at the fair, the Minnesota State Fair allows guests to bring in outside food and drinks. Coolers are permitted but will be searched upon arrival.

This year’s Minnesota State Fair opens on Aug. 22 and runs through Labor Day, Sept. 2.

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