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Tim Nelson

What's new at the State Fair this year: 7 rides and a lot more bathrooms

The Super Frisbee ride.
The Minnesota State Fair says the Super Frisbee is one of seven new rides that will be at the Midway and Kidway for the 2018 fair.
Courtesy of Minnesota State Fair

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The State Fair will unveil a new state-of-the-art kitchen at this year's Great Minnesota Get-Together. The upgraded kitchen, housed in the Creative Activities building, will host demonstrations by HGTV host Scott McGillivray and local celebrity chefs Andrew Zimmern and Sean Sherman.

Fairgoers will also notice new rides and food vendors, and a lot more restrooms on the fair's North End. The fair offered a preview of its new attractions Wednesday, just 35 days before the gates open for this year's fair.

Among the highlights: Seven new Midway and Kidway attractions, including the Super Frisbee, a gondola ride that swings five stories into the air and spins 20 revolutions a minute. Another ride, described by fair officials as simply as the Twin Flip, promises a stomach-churning experience for thrill-seekers.

The building that used to house the Pet Center, has been repurposed as a fast-casual restaurant and entertainment stage. The former airplane hangar is now a second location for Minnesota's craft beer brewers. The pet attractions are moving to a new pavilion nearby, where pets and police K-9s can display their obedience and agility skills in a large grassy area.

The Cambria Kitchen.
The Minnesota State Fair is adding a big new demonstration kitchen to its Creative Activities building and will be bringing in some food celebrities for demonstrations at this year's fair.
Courtesy of Minnesota State Fair

The first Monday of the fair will have special programming to highlight mental health awareness and resources. The Eco Experience, the largest environmental education exhibit in the country, will get new features focusing on salt pollution, food waste and the effect of climate change on Lake Superior.

The fair has added 35 new vendors, including upgrades at three long-time food vendor buildings: the Minnesota Farmer's Union, Pronto Pup and Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at the production.

Two new park-and-ride locations have been added, one at Calvary Church in White Bear Township, and another at North Heights Lutheran Church in Arden Hills.

Regular admission remains $14 this year. Seniors and kids pay $12. The fair opens Aug. 23 and runs through Labor Day.