1887-1946: The fair has been canceled five times, all before 1947.
The 1861-62 State Fairs were canceled because of the Civil War and Dakota Conflict. In 1893, it was nixed again to avoid conflict with the Chicago World’s Fair.
Attendance was near a low point around the turn of the century. But in 1899, electricity came to the fair, allowing festivities to continue into the night for the first time. Attendance boomed.
After a peak in 1941, attendance plummeted as soldiers left to fight in WWII. A wartime fuel shortage canceled the 1945 fair. The next year, the polio epidemic forced another closure.
1915: Ye Old Mill
makes its fair debut.
1947-1982: When the fair returned, there were twice as many fairgoers.
Butter sculptors ‘round the world rejoiced as Princess Kay of the Milky Way was crowned for the first time in 1954, a nod to dairy farming and pageantry.
Fair officials were overjoyed in 1955 with the passing of the “long dreamed of, all-time record shattering one milllion mark.” The millionth fairgoer was gifted a wristwatch and a silver trophy.
After hitting another new record in 1974, fair officials expanded to 12 days, but attendance dropped to its lowest in years. It wouldn’t return to that record level until the late ‘80s.
1969: The Giant
Slide delights
riders for the first
time. It turns 50
this year.
1983-2018: New features and new foods feed a fresh fair generation.
In a period of steadily climbing attendance, 1988 marked the sixth consecutive year of growth, with ticket sales up 22% since 1982.
Now a favorite fair stop for cuteness overload, the Miracle of Birth Center made its entry into the world in 2001. An estimated 4,000 people an hour made their way through the barn that first year.
Despite several rainy days, attendance passed the 2 million mark in 2018. Minnesotans call that “a little crowded.” With State Fair hype at an all-time high, it can’t be long before we hit another milestone.
2014: Instagram-worthy
food options explode with
the West End development.
1887-1946: The fair has been canceled five times, all before 1947.
The 1861-62 State Fairs were canceled because of the Civil War and Dakota Conflict. In 1893, it was nixed again to avoid conflict with the Chicago World’s Fair.
Attendance was near a low point around the turn of the century. But in 1899, electricity came to the fair, allowing festivities to continue into the night for the first time. Attendance boomed.
After a peak in 1941, fair attendance plummeted as soldiers left to fight in WWII. A wartime fuel shortage canceled the 1945 fair. The next year, the polio epidemic forced another closure.
1915: Ye Old Mill
makes its fair debut.
1947-1982: When the fair returned, there were twice as many fairgoers.
Butter sculptors ‘round the world rejoiced as Princess Kay of the Milky Way was crowned for the first time in 1954, a nod to dairy farming and pageantry.
Fair officials were overjoyed in 1955 with the passing of the “long dreamed of, all-time record shattering one milllion mark.” The millionth fairgoer was gifted a wristwatch and a silver trophy.
After hitting another new record in 1974, fair officials expanded to 12 days, but attendance dropped to its lowest in years. It wouldn’t return to record levels for a decade.
1969: The Giant
Slide delights
riders for the first
time. It turns 50
this year.
1983-2018: New features and new foods feed a fresh fair generation.
In a period of steadily climbing attendance, 1988 marked the sixth consecutive year of growth, with ticket sales up 22% since 1982.
Now a favorite fair stop for cuteness overload, the Miracle of Birth Center made its entry into the world in 2001. An estimated 4,000 people every hour made their way through the barn that first year.
Despite several rainy days, attendance passed the 2 million mark in 2018. Minnesotans call that “a little crowded.” With State Fair hype at an all-time high, it can’t be long before we hit another milestone.
2014:
Instagrammable
food options
explode with the
West End
development.
1887-1946: The fair has been canceled five times, all before 1947.
The 1861-62 State Fairs were canceled because of the Civil War and Dakota Conflict. In 1893, it was nixed again to avoid conflict with the Chicago World’s Fair.
Attendance was near a low point around the turn of the century. But in 1899, electricity came to the fair, allowing festivities to continue into the night for the first time. Attendance boomed.
After a peak in 1941, attendance plummeted as soldiers left to fight in WWII. A wartime fuel shortage canceled the 1945 fair. The next year, the polio epidemic forced another closure.
1915: Ye Old Mill
makes its fair debut.
1947-1982: When the fair returned, there were twice as many fairgoers.
Butter sculptors ‘round the world rejoiced as Princess Kay of the Milky Way was crowned for the first time in 1954, a nod to dairy farming and pageantry.
Fair officials were overjoyed in 1955 with “the reaching — and the passing — of the long dreamed of, all-time record shattering one milllion mark.” The millionth fairgoer was gifted a wristwatch and a silver trophy.
1969: The Giant
Slide delights riders
for the first time.
It turns 50 this year.
After hitting another new record in 1974, fair officials expanded to 12 days, but attendance dropped again. It wouldn’t return to record levels until the late ‘80s.
1983-2018: New features and new foods feed a fresh fair generation.
In a period of steadily climbing attendance, 1988 marked the sixth consecutive year of growth, with ticket sales up 22% since ‘82.
Now a favorite fair stop for cuteness overload, the Miracle of Birth Center made its entry into the world in 2001. An estimated 4,000 people every hour made their way through the barn that first year.
Despite several rainy days, attendance passed the 2 million mark in 2018. Minnesotans call that “a little crowded.” With State Fair hype at an all-time high, it can’t be long before we hit another milestone.
2014: Food
options and
Instagram
posts explode
with the new
West End.