The Minnesota State Fair is THE pop culture event of the year for Minnesotans from all corners of the state. It’s one of the largest state fairs in the country and attracts all kinds of people from Minnesota, the Upper Midwest, the U.S. and Canada.
The Minnesota State Fair is a world-class showcase of Minnesota’s finest in agriculture, arts, industry and entertainment. It is a self-supported organization that has received no public money since 1949, and has been held on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds since 1885, a 320-acre parcel of land located between St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Minnesota State Fair Fun Facts
- Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt delivered the famous “Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick” speech at the Minnesota State Fair in 1901. Later known as the “Big Stick Policy”, it was a foreign policy that advocated the use of caution and diplomacy, backed by the use of power if needed.
- The very first state fair was in 1859, the year after Minnesota was granted statehood.
- Legendary pacer horse, Dan Patch, set the world record for one-mile at the Grandstand; the record stood for more than 30 years —1906.
- John Phillip Souza composed the “Minnesota March” and performed it in 1927 at the Minnesota State Fair.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote about the Minnesota State Fair in his 1928 book titled “A Night at the Fair”.
For more information, be sure to visit the Minnesota State Fair web site.