FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. — There’s something magical about walking through the gates of the fairgrounds on the first day of the Minnesota State Fair.
For Emma Dorn, it’s tradition.
“I’ve lived in Minnesota forever. I come here all the time, every year,” Dorn said. “Everyone coming together is just so amazing.”
After setting a record for attendance in 2019 with 2.1 million visitors – the last fair held before the pandemic – the Great Minnesota Get-Together has once again roared back to life the past few years. In 2024, fair organizers are hopeful they can build on last year’s attendance of 1.8 million.
Sarah Rathbun, a lifelong fairgoer, brought her young son James this year for the very first time.
“We are diehards. We love the food, we love the art, the people-watching. We have a list of all the new foods we’re going to run down and try,” Rathbun said. “It’s one of my favorite times of the year. Just the energy, and excited to bring (my son) along and kind of experience it through his eyes.”
Despite a heavy rainfall that pounded the fairgrounds during the early afternoon, there was no dampening the buzz on Day One.
That was true for folks who’ve been coming to the Minnesota State Fair for years, as well as for visitors making their fair debut.
Allidah Hicks, a Colorado native, got a taste of fair food for the first time on Thursday.
“Oh, there’s some kind of pineapple slushie thing? Or something? I don’t know,” Hicks said with a laugh. “We just moved here three and a half months ago, so we’re trying to hit up all the big adventures in Minnesota.”
Antonio Williams, meanwhile, came all the way from the Atlanta area.
“I mean, this is massive,” Williams said as he walked through the gates. “Like, compared to the fairs in Georgia, this is like another level. But it's the food that is going to determine!”