State Fair

The 2025 Minnesota State Fair runs Aug. 21 through Sept. 1. For all of the events at the MPR booth and Dan Patch Park, go to mpr.org/statefair.

September 5, 2022 9:30 AM

Minnesota State Fair draws the crowds for final weekend

Fairgoers soaked up the Minnesota State Fair’s return, with even a security scare on Saturday not keeping the holiday weekend crowds away.

by Brian Bakst

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September 4, 2022 4:00 AM

A State Fair classic: 125 years later, Hamline Church Dining Hall still cooking

The Hamline Church Dining Hall is a Minnesota State Fair tradition that continues to thrive amid the fried ice cream, falafel on a stick, pronto pups, turkey legs and other unusual eats. But it’s not just the food that keeps people coming back.

by Sam Stroozas

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September 3, 2022 11:54 PM

Shooting incident injures one, shuts down Minnesota State Fair on Saturday night

The Minnesota State Fair closed early after reports of “disturbances” in the Midway area Saturday evening around 10:20 p.m., according to the fair’s website.

by Tim Nelson, Brian Bakst, Sam Stroozas and Samuel King

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September 3, 2022 4:00 AM

Making a more accessible fair experience

The Minnesota State Fair is a different experience for everyone. There is no denying it is loud, overcrowded and anxiety-inducing but if you’re autistic, it can be even more nerve-wracking. Jillian Nelson of the Autism Society of Minnesota took MPR News on a tour of the fair through the lens of an autistic person.

by Sam Stroozas and Ben Hovland

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September 2, 2022 5:30 PM

Infrequently Asked Fair Questions: Where does all that cooking grease go?

Fair food vendors dispose of 125,000 to 150,000 pounds of used cooking oil most years. That grease is then picked up and recycled into something else.

by Megan Burks and Tom Crann

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September 2, 2022 5:06 PM

Fair offers opportunity to kick the tires on fresh crop of electric vehicles

Curious about the Ford F150 Lightning or Mustang Mach-E? Head to the Minnesota State Fair to learn more.

by Paul Huttner and Megan Burks

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September 2, 2022 4:00 AM

At State Fair, Walz, Jensen try to make campaigns stick

With a little more than two months left before Election Day, the frontrunners in the race for Minnesota governor took different tacks to making their presence known at the annual end-of-summer event.

by Dana Ferguson

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September 1, 2022 4:20 PM

Infrequently Asked Fair Questions: What happens to all the money at the State Fair?

There’s a lot of money at the fair. Beyond the cash and cards used by visitors, vendors have to pay for their business spaces. In this edition of Infrequently Asked Questions, MPR News Reporter Tim Nelson traces the fair-wide money flow.

by Tom Crann and Tim Nelson

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September 1, 2022 11:51 AM

A year's worth of work takes center stage at state fair's high school FFA competitions

Nearly 1,000 high school students have moved into the barracks at the State Fairgrounds for the big weekend of Future Farmers of America competitions. Cathy Wurzer talked with T.J. Brown, FFA superintendent, about the changing FFA and what all those young people are up to this last weekend of the fair.

by Melissa Townsend and Cathy Wurzer