FALCON HEIGHTS, Minnesota — The Minnesota State Fair may be one week away but the fairgrounds are already full. Vendors and State Fair employees have been busy preparing for the crowds.
"We're further ahead than we've ever been," said Jackie Lerom, visual merchandising director for Love From USA. The company runs two booths at the fair: Minnesota Explorer and Love From Minnesota.
Lerom has been preparing the booths for the past two weeks with their Minnesota-themed merchandise but operations really picked up on Monday.
"This week is crunch time. Normally, we have a lot to do next week but we have orientation and things next week. So I will be set and ready for them," Lerom said.
While Lerom said they are finished hiring, there are still jobs available throughout the 12 days at the fair.
"It's all hands on deck right now," said Maria Hayden, a Minnesota State Fair Spokesperson.
Hayden said the State Fair alone has more than 3,000 employees and that doesn't include the vendors. More than half of their employees are returning from last year.
"Our hiring has been great this year. We've had a lot of people coming in and out of our Employment Center every single day. Our Employment Center is always open throughout the fair in case additional positions open up. So if people are interested in still trying to get into the 12 days of the fair as an employee, they can head on to our website mnstatefair.org. We've got all of our information about our Employment Center hours for the next week and then how to make appointments during the fair, as well," Hayden said.
The State Fair Police Department will have nearly 190 officers — an increase from last year's approximately 170. Additionally, they have more than 100 officers from local, state and federal agencies that supplement throughout the fair.
"Safety and security is our number one priority year-over-year working a large-scale event. We take a lot of measures to prepare ahead of time," Hayden said. "We also work with more than 60 different state and local and federal agencies. So that's everywhere from the DNR to intelligence agencies nationwide. So we've got a really robust safety and security plan in place for the fair next week."
According to a State Fair spokesperson, additional support and resources are provided through partnerships with Saint Paul Police Department, Saint Paul Fire Department, Minneapolis Police Department, Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, Region's Hospital, Metro Transit Police Department, Minnesota State Patrol, Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, National Weather Service, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, community ambassadors, and four security firms, among others.
The State Fair is also celebrating new food, exhibits and vendors.
Pre-fair discount admission tickets are also still on sale for $15 (compared to $18 or $16). Children 4 and under are always free. You can find more information on discount tickets, here.
The State Fair also has a new official app to help fair goers plan their trip. It's free to download in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.