Despite hot weather, MN State Fair attendance soars to sixth-highest

Molly Guthrey, Pioneer Press
Updated ·4 min read
Despite hot weather, MN State Fair attendance soars to sixth-highest
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We came for new favorites like pickle fries, we came for old favorites like the Giant Slide, we came to hear Brandi Carlile and Keith Urban and Duran Duran and others perform at the Grandstand, we got together so much for our Great Minnesota Get-Together that we made it the sixth-best Minnesota State Fair for attendance.

Still, 2023’s 12-day attendance total of 1,835,826 is 6,396 fewer than 2022’s 1,842,222 (the fifth best-attended Fair).

The all-time attendance record was reached just before the pandemic, in 2019, with 2,126,551 (nearly 300,000 more than this year).

The other top attendance years were also recent but pre-pandemic, with 2,046,533 in 2018, 1,997,320 in 2017 and 1,943,719 in 2016.

This year’s strong post-pandemic numbers came despite the holiday weekend’s hot weather that caused a dip in attendance numbers compared to 2022.

Still, the Fair isn’t just about numbers.

“This was my first fair as CEO, and I was more awe-inspired by the dedication of so many than I could have imagined — the dedication of fair fans, staff, volunteers, vendors, livestock exhibitors, competitors, safety and security partners and so many others who went above and beyond to be a part of an amazing fair experience despite some challenging temperatures,” said Renee Alexander, the Fair’s CEO, in a statement on Tuesday. “All of us across the state came together to celebrate one of the best Great Minnesota Get-Togethers.”

The first Friday of the Fair broke an attendance record, with 164,741 people waiting in line for Pronto Pups, admiring the 156 newborn animals at the CHS Miracle of Birth Center or viewing the butter sculpture of Emma Kuball, the 70th Princess Kay of the Milky Way. That Friday’s attendance was 11,374 more people than showed up the first Friday in 2022, when 153,367 attended.

This year, the first Friday (Aug. 25) was hot — with a high of 91 degrees at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Somehow, though, we seemed to miss out on any big storms during the 12 days of the Minnesota Get-Together.

“There weren’t any issues,” says Joe Calderone, a meteorologist with the Twin Cities office of the National Weather Service on Tuesday. “Well, there weren’t any issues from a precipitation standpoint.”

There was heat, though, especially during the Fair’s final weekend, when there were heat advisories in effect and temperatures soaring into the upper 90s.

“On Monday (Labor Day), we tied a record high of 98, and on Sunday, we tied a record of 97,” Calderone says.

Photos: Here are John Autey’s photos from the Fair’s opening day, and another Fair slideshow from John featuring butter sculptures of the dairy princesses and more.

The heat affected the attendance of some animals, including those in the CHS Miracle of Birth Center.

Due to the hot temps, animals including FFA livestock, beef cattle, dairy goats and rabbits were allowed to begin departing the Fairgrounds at 11 p.m. on Sunday instead of 1 p.m. on Monday.

“We know fair guests will be disappointed that livestock animals are leaving a half-day early,” the Fair noted in an update. “But, given the unprecedented heat, our hope is that cooler temperatures and decreased traffic expected late Sunday evening will enable livestock to be transported safely and exhibitors to get home to care for all of their animals.”

The holiday weekend’s heat was a contrast with the Fair’s first weekend, when temperatures were only in the 70s on Saturday and Sunday and fairgoers might have needed their light fall jackets or hoodies.

Here are the daily numbers, with 2022 numbers for comparison:

  • 106,327 on Thursday, Aug. 24 (15,151 less than in 2022)

  • 164,741 on Friday, Aug. 25 (11,374 more than in 2022)

  • 212,850 on Saturday, Aug. 26 (54,972 more than in 2022)

  • 173,724 on Sunday, Aug. 27 (12,472 more than in 2022)

  • 134,146 on Monday, Aug. 28 (13,858 more than in 2022)

  • 134,952 on Tuesday, Aug. 29 (22,030 more than in 2022)

  • 128,068 on Wednesday, Aug. 30 (16,207 more than in 2022)

  • 129,501 on Thursday, Aug. 31 (12,424 more than in 2022)

  • 190,290 on Friday, Sept. 1 (32,868 more than in 2022)

  • 200,170 on Saturday, Sept. 2 (49,320 less than in 2022)

  • 141,326 on Sunday, Sept. 3 (80,876 less than in 2022)

  • 119,731 on Monday, Sept. 4 (37,614 less than in 2022)

For more 2023 numbers, visit mnstatefair.org/about-the-fair/attendance.

With 2023 behind us, there are 351 days until the start of the 2024 Minnesota State Fair.

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