State Fairs started as a no-nonsense celebration of the work that keeps us alive: farming. Livestock, crops, the sweat of long summer days… it all got hauled into town to be shown, judged, and sold. Minnesota’s version has grown into a late-August ritual, one part spectacle, two parts tradition, and still very centered around food and the people who raise it (and cook it). If you want to get past the carnival gloss and into the heart of agriculture and local food at the state fair, here are a few stops worth your time.
Catch a Chef Demo at Renewing the Countryside’s Exhibit
This year’s theme is Plant Protein Power! This is a window into how Minnesota farmers are shaping what’s next in food. You’ll find beans, grains, nuts, and mushrooms turned into food that’s as tasty as it is satisfying. There are stories, photos, hands-on demos, and plenty of samples. Learn how soy becomes tofu, how oats become lattes, and how peas sneak their way into plant-based burgers. Stop in, eat, and talk with the people reinventing what it means to grow food here.
See Livestock and 4-H in Action
The barns are the soul of the fair. Walk through and you’ll see families tending to cattle, pigs, goats, and chickens with the kind of care you can’t fake. Want a break from the sun? Duck into the Coliseum for a livestock show or a horse event.
And don’t skip the 4-H program. These kids are farmers, cooks, creators, and actors. Their Chef for a Day demos are a don’t miss, the play is a treat year in and year out, and livestock projects are a reminder that the next generation of farmers is already carrying the torch and putting in the time.
Go Out of Your Way for the Agriculture Horticulture Building
The Ag-Hort Building is where the fair slows down and reminds you what’s in the soil here. Prize-winning pumpkins, perfect apples, seed art that’s equal parts kitsch and genius. There’s craft beer, honey displays, and flower shows that tower over you.
Tucked in with all that beauty are groups like Every Meal, working to close the hunger gap for Minnesota kids. It’s a place where you see both the abundance and the need, side by side.
The Apple Freezes in this building are one of the most affordable treats at the fair. A great option for adults and kiddos.
Eat Something Delicious
Food is the easiest way to put your money where your values are. We are excited to see that many of the local foods we stock on our shelves have made their way to the state fair. Grab a turkey sandwich from Turkey To Go, supplied in part by our vendor partner Ferndale Market. Cool down with a Jonny Pop, made right here with fresh, simple ingredients. Or head to Baba’s, where one family is serving Middle Eastern flavors with heart and hustle.
The Fair’s True Feast
Yes, the rides, music, and fried novelties are near and dear to our hearts. But if you want to taste the real Minnesota State Fair and connect to both the history and future of our land, look for the farmers, the kids, the food that didn’t have to travel far. The fair at its best is loud, dusty, generous, and alive with the people who make our food system work.