This was not my first visit to the Minnesota State Fair! In fact, it was actually my 3rd or 4th visit. I do however consider myself an expert in fairs! Not only was I involved with the Franklin County Fair in my hometown for more than 10 years, T and I love visiting different fairs and especially the Iowa State Fair!
So, what’s so great about the Minnesota State Fair?
Things To Do
You will not, I promise, run out of things to do at the MN State Fair! The choices are endless!
1. Math On A Stick
If you have small children, we recommend heading to Math On A Stick! Created as a way for kids and adults to both enjoy mathematical skills without actually doing equations, there are several stations that challenge kids to use their logical and creative brains at the same time! The stations can change each day as well! The day we visited, there was a station that used balloons to create different shapes, etc. Even the big guys found it entertaining!
Tips for Visiting the Iowa State Fair
2. Eco Experience
Of course, there are rides and other activities as well! One of my favorites is the Eco Experience, which features several exhibits on preserving our world and eco-system! You can race these veggie cars…
Or check out this enormous Paul Bunyan which is made out of 110 t-shirts, 9 PG’s, 1 skirt, 1 robe, and 43 pairs of blue jeans!
3. Agriculture Horticulture Building
This is one of my favorite buildings. I love to check out all the sculptures and floral creations. Each year this is a different theme. We have seen several displays focused on the Wizard of Oz and Prince’s famous “Purple Rain”.
4. SkyGlider
A great way to view the fair grounds while resting your legs is to enjoy a ride on the SkyGlider! Check out the buildings, the crowds, and the view from above it all!
5. Enjoy Entertainment
Between their several free stages and the grandstand, you won’t be bored! Big name acts like Sam Hunt, Jim Gaffigan, and Nickleback are just a few of the acts that graced their grandstand in recent years! There are also several free stages that have artists like Chris Janson & Tanya Tucker, Tonic Sol-Fa, and Romantica, just to name a few! You’re bound to find something for everyone! Of course these all change every year, so make sure to check the current schedule.
6. Shopping
We enjoy checking out the vendors selling their goods at any fair and there is a large variety and many of them at the Minnesota State Fair! Beneath the grandstand, you’ll find two floors of vendors! On the North side of the grounds, you’ll find the Pet Center with it’s numerous pet vendors, as well as an avenue of dog breeds that you can actually pet! (I’m not going to lie…other than the food, this was my favorite part!)
There are also several large vendors set up around the grounds where you can check out sheds and buildings for your property, farm implements, construction companies, trucks, and more!
7. Food
Let’s be serious, don’t we all attend fairs to eat the amazing food? The choices at the Minnesota State Fair are endless! You can find it all from alligator to sweet corn, wine slushies to Kombucha, fresh fruit to cheese curds. They have it all! So, what did we eat?
Of course they have classics like corn dogs, but if you want to really be Minnesotan, grab a Pronto Pup (slightly different than a corn dog)
There’s always tons of options for dessert like hand-dipped chocolate covered strawberries and bananas. They were fresh, chocolaty, and yummy! T chose chocolate dipped cheesecake!
Gluten-Free Eats
Lucky for me, there are several options for gluten-free eats at the Minnesota State Fair. Of course, the chocolate covered fruit is a great start, but my personal choices are gluten-free corn dogs from Auntie M’s. Sooooo good! (They also offer gluten free cheese curds & funnel cakes). For me, dessert is at French Meadow Bakery & Cafe where they have several options including gluten free brownies, chocolate caramel bars, muffins, and most importantly sconuts! These delights are a buttermilk scone dough filled with chocolate, marshmallow, & nutella. They are deep fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Heaven on Earth!
Food Tour of the Iowa State Fair
And finally, but certainly not least…you can’t forget the Sweet Martha’s! These are the best cookies in a bucket that you will find anywhere! They are so amazing that there are three stands on the grounds and they can crank out 190,000 cookies a day! Yup, you read that correctly! T, of course, always snags a bucket and takes it to go to enjoy on the drive home or at the hotel.
No matter what your interest is at the fair, the Minnesota State Fair is bound to fulfill your expectations!
Want more Minnesota State Fair goodness?! Check out what donnahup.com found yummy to eat: Minnesota State Fair Food!
I need to visit the Minnesota State Fair sometime! Like you, I love everything fair!
It’s so different than the Iowa State Fair, that it’s great to experience!!
I had so much fun following your trip! They did such a great job. Glad you could make it and try some of our favorite fair foods.
Thank you! We had so much fun!!!