FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. — Tens of thousands of Minnesotans braved the hot and steamy weekend weather for the first weekend of the 2024 Minnesota State Fair, but it wasn't enough to eclipse the longest-standing daily attendance record at the fair.
According to fair officials, 134,644 people passed through the entrance gates on Sunday. That's nearly 40,000 fewer people than last year, and nowhere close to the first Sunday record of 209,969, a record that has stood for three decades since 1994.
To put that into perspective, the next oldest attendance record is for the first Monday, which was set just seven years ago in 2017.
The hot weather may have played a role in the weekend attendance numbers slipping behind the record pace, after setting new records for opening day (138,875) and the first Friday of the fair (171,233).
For those avoiding the heat, KARE 11's meteorologists are forecasting more comfortable temps after today and for much of the remainder of the fair.
