State Fair
![Gloria Brasher of Arkansas sets up the Hurricane ride on the Midway at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. ] (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune) leila.navidi@sta](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/MJKGN76QKQWZ4O5PACUHSG5WN4.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
State Fair schedule for Aug. 25: Thrifty Thursday
Here's a list of things to do on Day 1 of the Minnesota State Fair.
Local
2016 Princess Kay of the Milky Way is from Goodhue County
Haley Hinrichs, a 19-year-old college student from Goodhue, Minn., was crowned the 63rd Princess Kay of the Milky Way at the Minnesota State Fair on Wednesday night. Hinrichs represents Goodhue County, in southeastern Minnesota.
Variety
Minn. State Fair keeps getting bigger and better, even as other states struggle
Minnesota's Great Get-Together keeps it mass appeal by mixing tradition and surprise
TV & Media
As 'Pokémon Go' invades the State Fair, will you be elated or annoyed?
The Minnesota State Fair begins in less than 24 hours and "Pokémon Go" players are rejoicing.
Variety
Shopping at the fair? Where to find deals on Minnesota-made goods
Believe it or not, the Minnesota State Fair is a fine place to score discounts from Faribault Woolen Mill and other home-state manufacturers.
Local
![Fair goers made their way to the new bus transportation hub at the Minnesota State Fair, Sunday, August 24, 2014 in Falcon Heights, MN. ] (ELIZABETH F](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/742R73CMUVT74D6XZ7PQQPOETY.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Your guide on getting to the Minnesota State Fair
Driving to the fair can be a pain, and fair officials acknowledge that.
Local
Miles of footlongs, tons of manure and other State Fair yardsticks
We fairgoers go through a staggering amount of cookies, milk, hot dogs and other comestibles. And those animals really pile up the pies, too.
Local
In Minnesota, 'We can all use a little State Fair right now'
Opening day is Thursday, offering the state some respite-on-a-stick. The fair is a nostalgic retreat to a place where butter is sculpted, livestock is within easy patting range, and all-the-milk-you-can-drink is a legitimate beverage choice.
Music
Natalie Maines auctions off VIP tickets to sold-out Dixie Chicks concert at Minnesota State Fair
It's a fundraiser for Proclaim Justice, which helps wrongfully convicted people.
Eat & Drink
What do Twin Cities chefs eat at the Minnesota State Fair?
We asked nine Twin Cities area chefs for their food favorites at the Minnesota State Fair.
State Fair
Despite changes, State Fair still brings us together
The more the Minnesota State Fair has changed over the last century, the more it has stayed the same.
State Fair
26 new Minnesota State Fair foods: A bevy of delights
Which will wear the crown? Which will belly flop? Pass the Pepto-Bismol, and let's get through this.
State Fair
How your favorite Minnesota State Fair attractions have changed
In the 1880s, when the State Fair settled into its permanent location, modern carnival rides were 50 years away and the area where the Midway now stands was marshland.
Variety
![Catherine Guden, of Apple Valley, watched as cookies fell out of her bucket as they were being handed to her at Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar Thursday. ]](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/LHMQ6ZOOK4U2SJLENXVA53LRLI.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Sweet Martha's cookies to be State Fair's only kosher-certified food stand
"I've lived here for eight years, and I've been dreaming that my family would have something to eat at the fair," a Twin Cities rabbi said about popular Sweet Martha's, whose sales hit $3.3 million at the 2015 fair.
Music
State Fair to tighten security at gates, around grounds this year
Virtually everything will be searched at the fair's 11 gates. The Great Minnesota Get-Together starts Aug. 25 and runs through Labor Day.
Local
State Fair to celebrate Prince with 'Unite in Purple' Day Aug. 26
"Unite in Purple" Day will offer tributes to the late rock icon on Aug. 26.
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Minnesota State Fair
Coverage of the annual Minnesota State Fair. including food reviews, grandstand concert performances, full daily schedules, live video and a fairground map.