The Minnesota State Fair is 210 days away, but you won't have to wait quite that long to sink your teeth into a Pronto Pup, take a ride on the Giant Slide or shop 'til you drop at the Merchandise Mart.
For the fourth straight year, the fair will hold its Kickoff to Summer at the Fair from Thursday through Sunday on Memorial Day Weekend. Tickets for the event will become available and more details will be released in April, fair officials said.
Use these guides to explore the fair
But they do say the miniature version of the Great Minnesota Get-Together will feature music and entertainment, more than 40 food and beer vendors, shopping, history tours and the popular 5K Milk Run.
And unlike the end-of-summer event, parking for the Kickoff to Summer will be free.
Fair officials launched the event in 2021 to fill the void when the regular fair was called off in 2020 due to the pandemic. The event drew about 10,000 people and has been a spring staple ever since.
To keep the event more intimate than main event in August, attendance will be limited each day. This year's Kickoff to Summer will run from 4 to 9 p.m. May 23 and 24, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 25 and 26.
