Trampled by Turtles (Dave Carroll & Dave Simonett above) are headed to the grandstand

Star Tribune photo by Jeff Wheeler

So the Cat Video Festival wasn't enough animals for the State Fair grandstand. Now a double dose of musical turtles has been booked.

Trampled By Turtles, the Duluth-bred bluegrass/folk group that has developed into one of Minnesota's all-time great live acts, will graduate from the bandshell to the grandstand to headline MN Music on a Stick on Aug. 30, with Mason Jennings and the Chalice. Tickets, priced at $28, will go on sale at noon May 18.

The Turtles, those peppy 1960s hitmakers ("Happy Together," "She'd Rather Be with Me") starring vocal powerhouse Howard Kaylan, will return to the grandstand for the third consecutive year with their Happy Together Tour.

This tour also features Chuck Negron of 3 Dog Night, Gary Puckett, Gary Lewis & the Playboys and Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere & the Raiders. Tickets, priced at $21, will go on sale at 10 a.m. May 18.

And for something totally new at the grandstand, it's a trio of former "Saturday Night Live" staffers -- Dana Carvey and Dennis Miller, from the 1980s and early 90s, and Kevin Nealon, who was on board from 1986-99. They will kick off the grandstand series on Aug. 22. Tickets, priced at $38, will go on sale at 11 a.m. May 18.

Tickets will be available at the state fair box office (open from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. on May 18; full time in June), etix.com, mnstatefair.org and 1-800-514-3849.