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Issue: 46
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October 20, 2020
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Thanks for your continuing interest in news from the State Fair, even in a year when we couldn't get-together in our usual way. Read on for some exciting holiday news and other fall updates from the fair to your inbox.
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Fair Fans Get Early Chance at Tickets!
Our friends at GLOW Holiday Festival are bringing Minnesota's newest must-see wintertime light experience to the State Fairgrounds! This one-mile drive-thru wonderland features more than a million holiday lights, a dozen stunning stops, a 100-foot illuminated tree, and icicle and art installations, all wrapped up with the opportunity to purchase tasty food and drink.
GLOW lights up the fairgrounds Nov. 19, 2020, through Jan. 3, 2021. Timed entry is available Sundays through Thursdays, 4:30 to 9 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays, 4:30 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $46 per vehicle plus fees (one vehicle = one ticket; some vehicle restrictions apply). Each night, $2 of each ticket will benefit a different local nonprofit. The Minnesota State Fair Foundation is the selected nonprofit for opening night, Nov. 19!
Fair fans can purchase tickets NOW using the presale code FAIR at glowholiday.com/tickets. Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 22.
Find additional event details here. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]. Don't miss out on your chance to get your preferred entry date and time!
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Fair Food With Fall Flair Highlights Encore Parade
Just as the fall foliage on the fairgrounds reached its peak vibrancy, 12,000 vehicles rolled through as part of the Fall Food Parade over eight days in early October. This encore to the first drive-thru parade in August and September featured 16 vendors serving up fair classics plus fall specials including turkey sandwiches with brie and cranberry topping, deep-fried apple pie with cinnamon ice cream, polish sausage sandwich with sauerkraut, hot apple cider, pumpkin spice funnel cakes and more.
Fun facts from this sold-out event:
- 20,000 Duck Bacon Wontons, 2,700 pounds of walleye and 1,000 pounds of duck drummies were served by Giggles' Campfire Grill.
- To accommodate demand at the fall parade, Fresh French Fries shipped in special white potatoes from Canada.
- Turkey to Go by MN Turkey Growers served up 11,775 pounds of turkey meat and drumsticks.
- 1.25 gallons of milk was needed to make each one-pound bucket of Mouth Trap Cheese Curds.
- The Hangar deep-fried 20,000 Oreos and twisted 2,500 pounds of potatoes for its Tater Twisters.
Thanks to everyone who participated in and purchased items at the Fall Food Parade. Critically needed event revenue will be used for maintenance, operations and preparations for the 2021 fair in a year when the State Fair is without nearly all of its revenue.
A big shout-out to Fall Food Parade sponsors and supporters: Cal Spas, Explore Minnesota, Allina Health | Aetna, Humana, Xfinity, Star Tribune, Faribault Woolen Mill, Girl Scouts River Valleys, Xcel Energy, Minnesota Vikings, TPT, Straw Bale Garden Club, Soderberg's Floral & Gift, Minnesota State Horticultural Society, and Freestyle Productions.
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It's Official! The State Fair Is Part of a Guinness World Record!
Yes, we're the Great Minnesota Get-Together, and now we're officially Guinness-great too! In honor of the 100th birthday of prolific blue-ribbon winner and baker and canner extraordinaire Marjorie Johnson, she was presented with the largest award ribbon of them all during a KSTP-TV "Twin Cities Live" broadcast at last year's State Fair.
Measuring 6' 9.6" in diameter, the rosette is an exact scale replica of an actual State Fair award ribbon, which means the ribbon streamers are approximately 18' long. Creator and master seamstress Jennine Duda used 25 yards of blue satin fabric and also painted the gold-colored inscription on the front.
The extensive qualification and application process (14 months in the works!) meant the rosette design needed to be pre-approved by Guinness World Records. KSTP coordinated the submission materials, including a written history on the tradition of awarding blue ribbons and rosettes to competition winners at the Minnesota State Fair, plus a detailed breakdown of materials used to create the ribbon. Two members of the Minnesota State Agricultural Society board of managers, which oversees the State Fair, served as the official presenters of the ribbon to Johnson, and the on-air ceremony recorded in front of a KSTP studio audience of fair guests served as the video evidence. A Guinness adjudicator was even on hand at the State Fair to measure the rosette to make it all official!
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Join Our Fall Give-Together for Minnesota Students!
Education is core to the Minnesota State Fair's mission - to be an educational, engaging, world-class showcase that is innovative, entertaining and fun. As our young, future fair fans have headed back to school this fall, we know that they and their families are persevering through challenging times.
Whether students are learning from home, in-person or a combination of the two, technology has become a major component of education. This reality is particularly daunting for our neighbors across urban and rural Minnesota who don't have access to reliable, affordable internet, adequate computing devices, or the support services needed to learn.
The Great Minnesota Get-Together invites fair fans to consider making a contribution to Partnership for a ConnectedMN, which distributes funds to nonprofits, school districts and organizations working to support students most in need of technology and connectivity tools. For examples of the 68,000 students supported so far and to make a donation, visit our Community Cares page. Thank you!
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 Official 2020 State Fair Merchandise Still Available!
Don't miss your chance to commemorate a year without a fair. Buttons, T-shirts and more are still available through StateFairWear.com. Plus, new knit hats perfect for chillier weather are in stock now. And, of course, you'll also find face coverings, drinkware, sweatshirts, ornaments, magnets and more - something for everyone!
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State Fair Vendors Showcase Fall Fare
Find these and other fall gifts for friends, family and yourself when you shop the online, searchable hub of State Fair vendors. Currently featuring 280 shops, the marketplace helps fair fans support their favorite vendors and discover new shopping surprises. The marketplace is available until Dec. 31, 2020. (We all know how time flies, so start exploring now before it's too late!)
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Welcome and Thank You to Our Newest 3,000 Friends!
Friends - new and old - have come together, raising funds to support the Minnesota State Fair this summer and fall. During the five Food Parade weekends, the Minnesota State Fair Foundation welcomed more than 3,000 fair fans who signed up to be Official Friends of the Fair. Thank you!
Our Friends of the Fair make it possible to enrich the unforgettable memories and traditions you experience only at the Minnesota State Fair through improvements to State Fair buildings, the fairgrounds and educational programs.
Your donation is even more meaningful during this challenging year. In a year without a fair and without nearly all of its revenue, the State Fair needs the support of our Friends of the Fair more than ever!
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Versatile Coliseum Available for Event Rental
 Looking for a wide-open event space with plenty of room for your guests to socially distance? These days, event planners need every ounce of out-of-the-box thinking to successfully host in-person events. While it may not be a conventional venue choice, the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum may be the answer to help you follow current guidelines for safe gatherings.
The 32,000-square-foot Coliseum floor is surrounded by arena seating for 5,250. We offer affordable rates, free parking, friendly and professional staff, and an a la carte menu of equipment, labor, catering and other services needed to host a successful event.
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This photo answers the question: Where else would you see a State Fairgrounds
put on such a magnificent show of autumn color for a Fall Food Parade?
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