Halfway Through, Just Shy Of 600K Admissions At 2021 State Fair So Far

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Nearly 600,000 admissions have been tallied at the 2021 Minnesota State Fair, as a combination of rainy weather and ongoing concerns over the COVID-19 Delta variant have put a seeming damper on enthusiasm despite a year off from the Great Minnesota Get-Together.

Through Tuesday, only two days tallied up attendance figures in the six figures, compared to five days in 2019 and all six days in 2018.

As of now, the busiest day at the 2021 State Fair was Sunday, with close to 150,000 admissions, followed by Saturday, which saw about 130,000 despite another round of severe storms.

At this time in 2019, there had been about 925,000 admissions at the State Fair -- three of those days actually set new single-day records. In 2018, that figure was at 882,000.

Neither masks nor vaccines are required to go to the Minnesota State Fair, and officials did not institute an attendance limit. However, they do encourage Minnesotans to visit at less busy times, avoid weekends, and practice social distancing. Masks are especially encouraged indoors and in crowded areas, regardless of vaccination status.

In response to the COVID-19 protocol or lack thereof, roughly 150 to 200 vendors and exhibitors told the fair they would not be returning this year. The fair has not been finding replacements to give more room for attendees.