Here's your complete guide to the 2026 Minnesota State Fair
The gates to the Minnesota State Fair will open on Aug. 27 for 12 days of activities, food and live music.
WCCO will be at our booth on the corner of Carnes and Nelson avenues. You can watch live shows and spin the NEXT Weather wheel for fun prizes.
Here's everything you need to know about ticket prices, getting to the fair, saving money at the fair and the new State Fair foods.
State Fair hours
Aug. 27 - Sept. 6: 7 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Sept. 7 (Labor Day): 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Ticket sales open online at 6 a.m. and end at 8 p.m. each day except on Labor Day, when it ends at 5 p.m.
Daily schedule and hours of operation
If you're looking for each day's special events, you can find them listed on the State Fair website. You can also check out the State Fair's official app.
How to get to the State Fair
Getting to the State Fair can be one of the more stressful parts of the fair experience, but there are several low-cost ways to get there.
Parking is by far the most expensive option. The lots are first come, first served and fill quickly every morning. They cost $25.
There are express bus service options from a dozen Twin Cities suburbs that cost $6 round trip. There are also 32 park and ride stations across the Twin Cities.
Biking to the fair is free, and there are lots at gates 2, 9 and 16 where you can store your bike or scooter.
Discounted admission deals at the State Fair
Regular admission pricing at the fair is $20 for adults (13-64) and $18 for seniors (65+) and kids (5-12). Children under 4 years of age are always free.
The first day of the fair starts out with an admission discount: adults pay $18, seniors pay $15 and a kid's ticket costs $15.
Aug. 31 and Sept. 3 are senior days, with discounted $15 tickets for visitors ages 65 and older.
Military appreciation day is on Sept. 1, when active duty military and their spouses and kids, veterans and spouses and retired military and spouses can purchase admission tickets for $15.
Kids days are on Sept. 2 and Sept. 7. Admission for kids ages 5-12 is $15 on these days.
How to save money at the fair
The Blue Ribbon Book is filled with coupons for several vendors and rides around the fairgrounds. It costs $5 at the ticket booth.
The fair is running promotions at the Midway, Kidway and Adventure Park all day on Aug. 27, Aug. 31, Sept. 1, Sept. 2 and Sept. 7.
What are the new State Fair foods?
Sampling all the new State Fair foods is a fun annual tradition. This year, there's plenty of pickle-themed and fried foods to try during your visit. Highlights include a Pickle Pie, Butter Brew Mustache Pretzel, Dubai Whoopie Pie, Hmong Corndog and more.
WCCO will be reviewing all the new State Fair foods, so you can see which food you'll have to add into your rotation each year, and which ones you can skip.
Who is performing at the Grandstand?
The lineup of Grandstand performers this year starts with Bonnie Raitt and includes "Weird Al" Yankovic, Brad Paisley and AJR. For the full performance schedule and ticket prices, click here.
What's new at the State Fair this year?
There are several new attractions at the State Fair this year, including a 230-foot Ferris wheel, a dinosaur exhibit and a Minnesota filmmaker series. There are also two new Midway rides and two Kidway rides.
New accessibility features at the State Fair
This year, the fair is adding several accessibility enhancements, including two new adult-size changing tables at the Coliseum, ASL interpretation at some evening live music shows and pre-recorded audio descriptions for guests who are blind or have low vision.
The fair is also opening a second prayer and meditation tent on the west side of the fairgrounds, north of the Skyride.
Check out WCCO at the fair!
You can stop by the WCCO booth at the corner of Carnes and Nelson to see live newscasts. There will also be a NEXT Weather prize wheel! You can play for a chance to win fun prizes, including water tumblers, hand sanitizers, UV wristbands, sunglasses and a WCCO bag.
See the full schedule of events and NEXT Weather wheel times here.
