ST PAUL, Minn. — Aretha Franklin. The Beach Boys. Dolly Parton.
What these legendary artists have in common is that they've graced the Grandstand at the Minnesota State Fair. Since hosting the first musical acts in 1962, the fair's main stage has become a mainstay.
Parton has performed on it four times, in fact, and Taylor Swift walked the stage in 2007 when she was still a rising star.
"They wanted to add this young woman named Taylor Swift, and I was annoyed because we already have two opening acts," said Minnesota State Fair CEO Renee Alexander, lifting the curtain on how music is made at the fair.
A lot has changed... especially for Alexander. She rose to the fair's top post last year after interning at the Great Minnesota Get-Together, and years later... becoming the head of entertainment.
"The entertainment is what brought me here, so I think as long as I can, it will be a piece that I remain connected to," she said. Alexander says she continues to book performers herself, something most CEOs do not do in the industry. "It is a relationship business, and I built those relationships, so I'm not quite ready to give it up yet."
Alexander attributes her favorite music memories to the fair. The first Grandstand performance she saw in the '80s was also her first concert ever.
"This is a dream job," she said. "I think that the fact that I was sitting in seats like this in 1985, and now here I am overseeing the whole thing. It's a pretty incredible, incredible journey."
The 2024 Minnesota State Fair, which opens Aug. 22 and runs until Labor Day, will feature artists like Blake Shelton, Chance the Rapper and Ludacris with T-Pain.
The final act will be announced in mid-June, Alexander told KARE 11, though she did not reveal who it was.
"Give us some kind of tease," KARE 11's Michelle Baik asked.
"I can't. They're all my favorites," Alexander said.
With parts still moving for this year's fair, Alexander tells KARE 11 she has already made offers to three artists for next year. "There's all kinds of criteria that come into play as it relates to, 'Will they play outdoors?' [or] 'Are they touring during our 12 days?' We're pretty well locked into that timeframe."
When asked whether Taylor Swift could ever perform at the Grandstand again, Alexander answered, "You never know," later adding "I think it will be a long time before she'll be back."
You can purchase tickets for fair admission and Grandstand performances here.
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Watch more from the Minnesota State Fair
Watch the latest coverage of the 2023 Great Minnesota Get-Together from KARE 11 in our YouTube playlist: