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Minnesota State Fair's rainy second day brings sharp dip in attendance

The fair announced Saturday that attendance on rainy Friday was 108,059.

August 26, 2018 at 4:14AM

Andrew Gasperlin and Zoe Knutson-Kolodzne, both seniors at St. Cloud Apollo, shared a bucket of Sweet Martha's Cookies while sitting on a bench near the Grandstand on a rainy Friday afternoon at the Minnesota State Fair. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

After a record-setting opening day, Minnesota State Fair attendance dipped on a rainy second day.

The fair announced Saturday that attendance on rainy Friday was 108,059. The record for second-day attendance was 141,023, set in 2016. Last year, 125,324 went to the fair on its second day.

Thursday's attendance was 122,695. The previous record for first-day attendance was 119,145, from 2010. Last year, 117,877 people went to the fair on opening day. In 2016, 111,902 went.

The all-time record for single daily attendance was 260,374, from the fair's final Saturday in 2016. A record for total fair attendance — 1,997,320 — was set last year.

Saturday's attendance number will be released Sunday.

The fair runs through Labor Day, Sept. 3.

STAFF REPORT