Beyond ‘On a Stick’

There’s always something new to see and do at the Minnesota State Fair.

From riding the Giant Slide to sharing a bucket of Sweet Martha’s Cookies (and this year, Sweet Martha’s is adding a third location) we all have a favorite fair tradition. This year, the fair offers some new twists on old classics, including the addition of a hen house at the Miracle of Birth Center, where visitors can compare traditional, enriched and cage-free chicken-rearing environments.

Also debuting is Recipe Card Roundup, offering recipes from some of the fair’s most prolific canners and bakers, who will be signing autographs and offering live demonstrations of their blue ribbon-winning abilities.

August 25–September 5. $11–$13, free for children under 5. Fairgrounds are open 6 a.m.–midnight, 10 p.m. on Labor Day. Minnesota State Fair Grounds.