This Year’s Minnesota State Fair Is Canceled

The Minnesota State Fair will not be held in 2020. The announcement came on Friday, May 22nd following a meeting with the Minnesota State Agricultural Society, who governs the state fair.

The event was scheduled for August 27th through Labor Day, September 7th. In a full statement below, State Fair General Manager Jerry Hammer says, “This isn’t a difficult decision. It’s the only decision.” Navigating health risks is the most important piece in a very complex situation. In addition, the State Fair’s vast and strong network of partners and thousands of people are facing challenges that seriously hamper their ability to fully participate in the State Fair.

In a normal year, preparing for an event the scale and scope of the Minnesota State Fair is a year-round operation and a mammoth undertaking; in the midst of a global pandemic, it is impossible.

While the State Fair is one of many celebrations to go quiet this year, we are looking forward to 2021. “We’re extremely grateful for the understanding and support of everyone who makes the State Fair possible – especially the millions of fair fans from around the globe,” Hammer says. “Your team of State Fair pros is working hard to come back bigger, better, stronger and smarter in ‘21.” The Great Minnesota Get-Back-Together is from August 26th to Labor Day on September 6th, 2021.

The full statement from General Manager Jerry Hammer:

“We’ve been working hard and doing our very best with preparations for the 2020 State Fair. The picture was cloudy in March, but things have cleared up considerably since then. Right now is the time of year when things need to really take off if we’re going to have a fair, but we can see that we’re out of runway and can’t get off the ground. There will be no State Fair this year.

“Like everything during the past few months, it’s complex and difficult. The State Fair is built on a vast network of agriculturists, vendors, artists, entertainers, competitors, amusement operators, sponsors, State Fair staff and thousands more who always give their very best. They are the pillars of the fair, and almost all have been affected during the past two months. Some are doing okay, but many have eroded including some who provide our biggest and best programs. It’s a challenging time for our determined young people in youth agriculture programs. More and more livestock exhibitors, entertainers and attraction operators are concerned with going on the road this summer. Some commercial exhibitors are past their deadlines for getting products, and now there’s even a question of adequate supplies for food vendors. And many are having trouble finding people who are willing to work in crowds.

“This will have a big impact on thousands of businesses and the tens of thousands of people whose talent, dedication and love bring the fair to life. We understand exactly what they’re going through because we’re going through the same thing.

“We’ll face those challenges because the most important thing is your health. No one knows what things will be like at fair time, but we need to make decisions now based on what we know today, not how we hope things will be in August. And right now, all of the science says that if things go well, we’ll still be walking very carefully in three months. That’s far from ready to run a mass gathering marathon like the State Fair. Can you see social distancing on a Park & Ride bus, or at the Bandshell? One at a time on the Giant Slide? Can you imagine standing six feet apart in line for cookies? Me neither.