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Is it time for the Minnesota State Fair to come back? Wasn't the last state fair nearly 300 days ago?
Oh, right.
Last year's exhibition was 6th best attendance everwith a total attendance of over 1.8 million people over the twelve days. Since then, the fair officials have been preparing for this year’s meeting. There are many new attractions and foods to explore alongside our cherished traditions, and the fair organizers have also made some updates.
From a redesigned crop art gallery to fried ranch dressing to a temporary moratorium on live cow births at CHS's Miracle of Birth Center, here's what's changed, what's new, and what's gone at this year's fair:
What is changing?
Prices do not include admission: OK, we admit we’re starting our “what’s changing” section with something that definitely won’t. Admission prices for the 2024 Expo will remain the same as last year: Regular admission for people ages 13 to 64 is $18, with children ages 5 to 12 and seniors 65 and older entering for $16. Children under 4 are free.
Close-up crop: The fair has redesigned the Agriculture and Horticulture Building wing, which houses the increasingly noisy agricultural art exhibits. Audio descriptions will also be available via QR code to make the crop art more accessible. Officials didn’t describe the specific changes they’ve made to the space, but promised to “improve viewing of this popular attraction.” We’ll see if that helps make the crop art line shorter than Sweet Martha’s again.
The skilled man comes: Fair leaders and the Minnesota State Fair Foundation, which funds fairground improvements, also completed two other construction projects. Highlights: In the Fine Arts Center, 38 new 8-foot-tall windows and 12 new 11-foot-tall doors were custom-fabricated, the entrance was recast, and permanent shade structures were installed in Dan Patch Park.
Wanted poster: The exhibition also Artist assignment program completedSo this year’s fair won’t be celebrated with a poster designed by an outside local artist. Instead, Samuel Tapia, who works on the fair’s in-house creative team, has illustrated a “distinctive design” depicting a red canna flower in front of a variety of fair icons including the SkyGlider, Skyride, the Cattle Barn brick arches and the Streetcar Arch sign. The design will be sold on a variety of merchandise items.
It is raining heavily: The fair's rotating North End Event Center transforms into “Cats & Dogs: The Exhibition,” an interactive exhibit about how domestic pets communicate and perceive the world. It's free. (I won't give away all my secrets, but the North End Event Center is well air-conditioned.)
Take the bus: There are 31 park-and-ride locations this year, including an expanded one near Interstate 35W and County Road C in Roseville that is open all 12 days of the fair instead of just five. Metro Transit is operating six express bus stops this year instead of four last year: The locations in Maplewood (every day of the fair) and Maple Grove (weekends and Labor Day only) will join the stops in Blaine, Bloomington, Cottage Grove and Minnetonka. SouthWest Transit is adding service from Carver as well as Chanhassen, Chaska and Eden Prairie; those buses will run every day except Labor Day.
What's new?
There is an app for that: This year, the fair is launching a downloadable mobile app, which replaces the somewhat modest web-based mode of previous years. The new app uses location services to help you find and navigate to nearby food, shopping, and activities. You can also now search for food options at the fair by menu item, which I may or may not use to create a walking tour of the cheese curds.
New accessibility additions: The fair has partnered with Aira, an app that connects blind or visually impaired fairgoers with trained interpreters who use a person’s phone camera to describe their surroundings and help them navigate. The new KaiBi Mobile Family Care Center provides an air-conditioned space for feeding, changing and pumping babies. And the Care and Assistance Building, next to the West End Market, now includes a height-adjustable changing table for people of all ages.
Be strong: Mighty Midway is adding two new rides this year: Kraken — a massive pendulum-shaped machine that swings riders 147 feet high — and Defender, a “spectacular propeller ride” featuring “fast-paced stunts.”
Absolutely competitive: In the Creative Activities Building, several categories have been added. Food contests now include fermented cucumbers (also known as kosher pickles), kimchi, fresh vinegar and several dessert decorating challenges including cupcakes inspired by local books. A new Quilt On-A-Stick contest invites design of small textiles celebrating Minnesota mascots.
Join the Wall of Fame: A new 40-foot-long “welcome wall” was built this year, covered in custom-engraved tiles that will be displayed from next year’s fair forward. The 7-by-3-inch tiles cost $600 each, a tax-deductible contribution to the fair’s foundation. The wall is located at Gate 9, which is along Como Street, near Lee & Rose Warner Stadium.
Eat your heart out: Thirty three New official foods There are a lot of dishes coming this year. Some are tempting—cheesy chicken tacos, dill pickled potato wedges, strawberry lemonade donuts—and others are fried ranch dressing. There’s also a dish called “the raging ball,” which I’d rather not talk about, thank you very much.
what went
There are no live cow births at Miracle Birth Center CHS: The change comes amid growing concerns about highly pathogenic avian influenza in livestock herds. Dairy calves and non-lactating cows will still be on display, but they will give birth elsewhere and test negative before being brought to the fairgrounds. There are no changes to live births for other animals such as sheep, pigs and poultry. Both the cattle barn and Moo Booth will remain in normal operation, but the Moo Booth milking parlor will be enclosed with glass windows and hand milking demonstrations will use fibreglass cows.
New seats installed: The exhibition establishment no longer costs anything. Those special personal seatsBecause they no longer have enough space to store them during the recession. The existing seats will remain throughout the fairgrounds as usual, at least until they are in poor enough condition to be used.
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