Minnesota State Fair time again? Didn’t the last State Fair just end 300-some-odd days ago?
Oh, right.
Last year’s Fair was the sixth-best-attended of all time, with a total attendance of over 1.8 million across all 12 days. And since then, Fair officials have been preparing for this year’s get-together. There are plenty of new attractions and foods to explore alongside our cherished traditions, and the Fair folks have also made some updates.
From a redesigned crop art exhibition hall to deep-fried ranch dressing to a temporary no-go on live cow births at the CHS Miracle of Birth Center, here are the highlights of what’s changing, what’s new, and what’s gone at this year’s Fair:
What’s changing
Not admission prices: OK, we admit we’re starting the “what’s changing” section with something that’s decidedly not changing. Admission prices for the 2024 Fair will stay the same as last year: Regular admission for folks 13-64 years old is $18, and kids 5-12 and seniors 65+ get in for $16. Children under 4 get in free.
Crop in closer: The Fair has redesigned the wing of the Agriculture Horticulture Building that houses the increasingly buzzy crop art exhibitions. Also, audio descriptions will be available via QR code to make crop art more accessible. Officials did not describe the specific changes they’ve made to the space, but they promise “optimized viewing of these popular attractions.” We’ll see if this helps make the crop art line shorter than Sweet Martha’s once again.
The handyman cometh: Fair leaders and the Minnesota State Fair Foundation, which funds improvements to the Fairgrounds, have finished a couple of other construction projects, too. Highlights: In the Fine Arts Center, 38 new 8-foot windows and 12 new 11-foot doors were custom-made and entryway concrete was re-poured, and over at Dan Patch Park, permanent shade structures have been installed.
Wanted poster: The Fair also ended its artist commission program, so this year’s Fair won’t be commemorated with a poster designed by an outside local artist. Instead, Samuel Tapia, who works in the Fair’s in-house creative team, illustrated a “featured design” that depicts a red canna lily in front of a variety of Fairgrounds icons including the SkyGlider, Skyride, Cattle Barn brick archways and Streetcar Arch sign. The design will be sold on a variety of merch items.
It’s raining cats and dogs: The Fair’s rotating North End Events Center is becoming “Cats & Dogs: The Exhibition,” an interactive exhibit about how household pets communicate and perceive the world. It’s free. (And not to give away all my secrets, but the North End Events Center is well air-conditioned.)
Get on the bus: There are 31 park-and-ride lots this year, including an expanded lot near Interstate 35W & County Road C in Roseville that’s open all 12 days of the Fair instead of just five. Metro Transit is operating six express bus stops this year instead of last year’s four: Locations in Maplewood (every day of the Fair) and Maple Grove (weekends and Labor Day only) will join lots in Blaine, Bloomington, Cottage Grove and Minnetonka. And SouthWest Transit is adding service from Carver in addition to Chanhassen, Chaska and Eden Prairie; these buses run every day except Labor Day.
What’s new
There’s an app for that: This year, the Fair is launching a downloadable mobile app, which replaces previous years’ somewhat lackluster web-based situation. The new app uses location services to help find and navigate to food, shopping and activities close by. You can also now search the Fair’s food options by menu item, which I may or may not be using to create a cheese curd walking tour.
New accessibility additions: The Fair has partnered with Aira, an app that connects blind or low-vision fairgoers with live, trained interpreters who use the person’s phone camera to describe surroundings and help them navigate. The new KaiBi Mobile Family Care Center provides air-conditioned space to feed kids, change diapers and pump. The Care & Assistance building, by the West End Market, also now includes a height-adjustable changing table for people of all ages.
Get mighty: The Mighty Midway is adding two new rides this year: the Kraken — a massive pendulum-style contraption that swings riders to 147 feet high — and the Defender, a “spectacular propeller ride” that boasts “fast-action movements.”
Categorically competitive: In the Creative Activities building, several categories have been added. The food competitions now include fermented cucumbers (a.k.a. kosher pickles), kimchi, fresh vinegar and several dessert decorating challenges including cakes inspired by local books. And the new Quilt On-A-Stick competition calls for mini textiles celebrating Minnesota mascots.
Get on the wall of fame: A new 40-foot-long “welcome wall” has been built for this year, covered with tiles that can be custom-engraved and displayed from next year’s Fair henceforth. The 7-by-3-inch tiles are $600 each, a tax-deductible contribution to the Fair Foundation. The wall is by Gate 9, which is along Como Avenue, near the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum.
Eat your heart out: Thirty-three official new foods are coming our way this year. Some are enticing — buffalo chicken cheese curd tacos, dill pickle tater tots, strawberry lemonade donut — and others are, well, deep-fried ranch dressing. There’s also a food item called “Raging Ball,” which I’d rather not talk about, thank you very much.
What’s gone
No live cow births at the CHS Miracle of Birth Center: The change comes amid growing concerns surrounding highly pathogenic avian influenza in cattle herds. Dairy calves and non-lactating cows will still be on display, but they’ll have given birth elsewhere and tested negative before being brought to the Fairgrounds. No changes for live births of other animals like sheep, pigs and poultry. The Cattle Barn and Moo Booth will both still operate as normal, but the Moo Booth milking parlor will be enclosed with glass windows and hand-milking demos will use fiberglass cows.
New benches have been benched: The Fair Foundation isn’t commissioning any more of those iconic personalized benches, because they’ve run out of space to store them during the off-season. Existing benches will still be placed around the Fairgrounds as normal, at least until they’re no longer in good enough condition to use.
