Nuri Ducassi, Star Tribune
Butter together: Though we can't jam together at the fair this year, the crowning and carving of Princess Kay of the Milky Way went ahead, with Brenna Connelly of Byron, Minn., beginning her reign last month, and artist Gerry Kulzer carving her likeness in a huge block of butter. This has been going on since 1954, when "a brown-eyed 4-H girl with bangs" named Eleanor Maley became the first Princess Kay. All the finalists for princess also get to take home their butter heads plus the shavings, where it's put to good use, from corn feeds to baking. The butter royalty promote dairy across the state, explaining as they go "Why Minnesota Is So Justly Famed as a Great Dairy State," as the St. Paul Globe reported in 1890.

Saturday Sept. 5

Grandstand/Nachito Herrera: A grave case of COVID-19 that landed him in intensive care for 18 days couldn't stop this powerhouse piano star from Cuba. Noon.

Food Guide: There's no Dairy Barn for malts and shakes this year, but there are plenty of ice cream options around the Twin Cities that can make you miss the fair less.

DIY Fair: Seed art champion Jill Moe breaks down the basics so you can craft crop art at home. Check out the instructional video starting at 9:30 a.m. and share your seed art masterpiece later on social media with #DIYstatefair.

Fair Minute: Here's why you should add the 4-H Building to your must-visit list next year, when the shindig is on again. 2 p.m.

Conversations: Gov. Tim Walz on Minnesota's future