The Oldest Fairs in Minnesota

The Minnesota State Fair is one of the largest state fairs in the United States, drawing over two million visitors during its 12-day run in late August and early September. Dating to 1859, it is one of Minnesota's oldest and most enduring agricultural fair traditions. Held at the permanent fairgrounds in Falcon Heights just north of St. Paul, it is known as the "Great Minnesota Get-Together" and is a beloved annual institution.

The Olmsted County Fair in Rochester celebrates the home of Mayo Clinic — Rochester is one of the most visited medical destinations in the world, and the county precision agriculture, IBM campus, and the agricultural heritage of the Zumbro River valley come together at a well-organized fair. Dating to 1860, it is one of Minnesota's oldest and most enduring agricultural fair traditions.

The Stearns County Fair in St. First held in 1903, it has been a Minnesota agricultural tradition for over a century. Cloud celebrates central Minnesota regional hub where St. Cloud State University, the Cold Spring Granite Company quarries, and the largest county in Minnesota by area define a community of educational and industrial significance on the Mississippi River.