The fair starts this week! What better way to get excited for opening day on Thursday than to put together my Minnesota State Fair Guide? I love everything about the two weeks, and while I may not be there every day, I try to spend plenty of time enjoying the food, seeing the sights, and recording live Jason Show TV episodes and a Weekly Dish radio show.
I put together this State Fair guide so you can find the new food and drinks in one place, plus some of my favorite things to do and see at the fair by day. This year I will have book signings for 5 days with copies of the True North Cabin Cookbook and The Moon Tavern.
Join me for a book signing on Thursday and Friday and the following Monday, noon to 12:30 p.m., at Fox 9, and Saturday, 11-11:30, after a live broadcast of Weekly Dish at the MyTalk 107 booth, 9-11. Plus… I will be on WDGY with Sue Falls debuting a new segment on their air each week called, “The Weekly Flavor” Saturday at 2pm in the Grandtsand.
Each week on WDGY I’ll bring my unique perspective and style to listeners every week through “The Weekly Flavor” – a conversation focused on local restaurants, culinary trends, Minnesota destinations, entertaining ideas, and the experiences that bring people together.
Minnesota State Fair Schedule
If you’re a fair veteran, you probably know this by now, but let’s start with the fair basics:
Dates: August 27 – September 7, 2026
Hours: 7 a.m. to 11p.m. 9pm the final day)
Ticket Prices: $20 for adults (13–64), $18 for (65+) and kids (5–12), ages 4 and under free. (or check out some of the discount deals)
Pro Tip: Mornings are a great time to visit. You can try some different breakfast-style foods, and the crowds are usually smaller and the weather much better. Make sure to start your morning at the Peg Diner, the State Fair’s only full-service restaurant, for a breakfast sandwich and hash browns.
Don’t Skip the Blue Ribbon Bargain Book
The Blue Ribbon Bargain Book is only $5 and packed with coupons and discounts from vendors across the fairgrounds. It’s one of the best tools for saving money on food, shopping and attractions during your visit. Buy it where pre-fair discount tickets are sold or during the State Fair at Minnesota State Fair Foundation Blue Ribbon Bargain Book Carts.
Fair Entertainment
The Minnesota State Fair website does a great job of breaking down all the entertainment options with easy menus. You probably already have your tickets to your personal must-see grandstand shows, your list of favorite rides, and a plan to see all the animals, but you can always get a refresher by looking through the options and planning your daily route to the must-see attractions.
Pro Tip: The free music and entertainment stage is a great place to stop and rest. There are some really good acts throughout the fair, and you can get the live music without paying the grandstand prices. This year I am excited about Margo Price playing the Luther Auto Bandshell August 29-30 and NurD at the Pryes Stage August 27 and 28.
Minnesota State Fair Food and Drink
This is what we’re all here for, right? The food and drink are the big draw at the fair. The events and attractions are fun, as is the spectacle of the fair itself, but the whole experience is elevated by wandering around with your cheese curds and pronto pups. There are some classics I eat every year, but my favorite thing is to make a list of new food and drink to try and get to as many as I can.
New Foods
The new fair foods post is one of my favorites to write yearly. It’s so exciting to get that list of new options and whittle it down to the ones I have to have. You can find all the new Minnesota State Fair foods here. These are some of the highlights:
Cracklin Corn Ribs Blue Barn West End
Corn cob quarters dipped in tempura batter, then fried. Brushed with seasoned butter and topped with bacon ranch, green onion and candied jalapeños. Served on a bed of pork rinds.
Dill With It: Uban Glow Mocktails North End
White chocolate chips, finely chopped dill pickles and fresh dill baked into a cookie. Finished with a sprinkle of sugar and Maldon sea salt. Created by Holman’s Table.
Apple Fries – NEW VENDOR-
Minnesota’s Original Apple Fries serves Apple Fries (fresh-cut apples, fried, tossed in cinnamon sugar and served with a side of caramel)
Elote Tots: Tot Boss
Deep-fried tater tots tossed in Tajín and topped with an elote-style sauce made with roasted corn, diced peppers, cheddar cheese, crema and cream cheese. Finished with cotija cheese
Brandy Old Fashioned Cookie Dough: Kora and Milas Cookie Dough
Edible cookie dough infused with nonalcoholic brandy flavor and combined with orange zest, cinnamon, dark chocolate chips and tart dried cherries. Served on-a-stick, hand dipped in brandy-flavored bittersweet chocolate, and rolled in Biscoff® cookie crumbs.
New Drinks
The list of new drinks has become as exciting as the new foods. Local breweries, distilleries, and makers of all kinds have upped their State Fair game and brought some fun and innovative drinks to the fair. There are all kinds of options on my list of new fair drinks, and these are some highlights:
Here is the list:
- Andys Grill – Southside Watermelon Mule:A blend of ripe watermelon notes with zesty lime and a spicy ginger finish. Inspired by the classic zest of a Moscow Mule with a juicy watermelon twist. This Brewtail served on ice with a sugar rim is the ultimate fair companion. 6.5% ABV. Brewed in Vadnais Heights, Minn., by Big Wood Brewery.
- Blue Barn – West End Espresso Tini Frozen SeltzerEspresso Tini Frozen Seltzer: An espresso martini-inspired frozen seltzer with bold flavors of coffee and vanilla. Topped with creamy cold foam. 5% ABV. Made in Minneapolis, Minn., by Pryes Brewing Company.
- LuLu’s Public House – West End Rhubarb Mead: Sweet clover honey and tart rhubarb notes come together in this lightly sparkling mead. Fermented to a clean, dry finish, it delivers a tangy, balanced sip with just the right touch of sweetness. 6% ABV. Brewed in Minneapolis, Minn., by Sociable Cider Werks.
- LuLu’s Public House – Sangria SundaeSoft serve made with Rustic Roots wine, topped with mandarin oranges, grilled peaches and a berry medley steeped in citrus coulis. It’s a fruity sangria in soft-serve form! 10% ABV. Wine made in Scandia, Minn., by Rustic Roots Winery.
- Pryes – West End Royal Peach Beer Cone & Raspberry Beer Twist Cone Soft Serve Royal Peach Beer. It is accompanying the returning Soft Serve Royal Raspberry Beer, also offered as a twist cone!
- RC BBQ North End Cherry Cola Hard Soda: Cherry and smooth cola flavors come together in this easy-drinking hard soda. Delivering classic cherry cola taste with a grown-up twist for a perfect balance of sweet, fruity and fizzy. (Gluten-removed) 5% ABV. Brewed in Stillwater, Minn., by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.
Pro Tip: Make lists! And if you are serious about trying a bunch of new foods, as well as getting in classics, you have to do more than one day. Make a list of your must-have food and drinks, then plan your days accordingly.
State Fair Classics
I finally compiled a list of my favorite State Fair classic foods. It’s pretty tough to whittle down to the must-haves, but doing it makes you think about which foods are truly worth the wait for the yearly event! My highlights include:
- The Gizmo at the West Side of Cooper Street between Murphy Ave. and Lee Ave.
- Onion Rings and Garlic Fries at Ball Park Cafe
- Minneapple Pie at Judson and Underwood (just outside the Dairy Building)
- Pronto Pop of course (not a corn dogger sorry)
- Midway Mens Club is the annual tradition Stephanie March and I have for sharing a beer and a burger after our radio show. The Midway Mens Club has the best prices at the fair and the booth is staffed by volunteers with the money raised going back into the community at the Midway Mens Club.
Minnesota State Fair Hidden Gems
One of the things I love about the Great Minnesota Get Together is combining the old with the new. The yearly rhythm of the fair is a joy and comfort, and it’s mixed with all the new foods and attractions for a combination of new and old. One of the challenges can be finding things that feel new and exciting outside the food, so I always encourage people to try something new at the fair when they can. These are some of my tips for finding new and exciting ways to enjoy the fair that you may have overlooked in the past!
📸 @minnesotanicerart
- Llamas and alpacas are some of the coolest creatures to walk the fairgrounds, and you can interact with them starting September 2 . DON’T MISS! Stop by the popular 4-H Llama-Alpaca Costume Contest beginning at 6 p.m. that night in Warner Coliseum.
- What are the Top 5 Questions asked at the Minnesota State Fair Information booth? Mike Marcotte from Give Me the Mike has the answer that may surprise you.
- Stump your friends and learn some fun facts about the fair with Minnesota State Fair Trivia. Want to make a fun game out of it? Put together a list of facts and quiz each other when you stop at different locations around the fairgrounds.
- New competitions happen every year but this year I am excited about cookies and Cake Decorating – “Roadside Attractions” and Decorated Cookies – “Shoes” are the themes.
- The Ag Hort building is one of my favorites and in addition to the seed art poster original you will find original scarecrows, bees and honey with all the flowers
- It’s the question we all have but never want to ask: Where are the best bathrooms? We actually talked about this on the Dishing With Stephanies Dish podcast
Meet Me at the Fair — True North Cabin Cookbook Signings
| Date | Location | Time |
| 27-Aug | Fox 9 booth next to the Giant Slide at the Minnesota State Fair | 12-12:30 |
| 28-Aug | Fox 9 booth next to the Giant Slide at the Minnesota State Fair | 12-12:30 |
| 29-Aug | My Talk booth near machinery hill following a live Weekly Dish episode | 11-11:30 |
| 29 Aug | WDGY Colesium | 2-2:30 |
| 31-Aug | Fox 9 booth next to the Giant Slide at the Minnesota State Fair 12-12:30 | 12-12:30 |
