Minnesota State Fair breaks attendance record on Friday

MN State Fair: Larger crowds expected for Day 2

Larger crowds are expected for the second day of the Great Minnesota Get-Together. FOX 9's Se Kwon has the details.

FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (FOX 9) - After a tepid opening, the Minnesota State Fair smashed an attendance record on Friday.

The fair reports a crowd of 164,741 showed up for the first Friday this year. That number surpassed the previous record set in 2019 by more than 7,500 (157,224).

The record-setting day followed a slightly slower Thursday when 106,327 passed through the gates. Excluding 2021, where COVID-19 kept people home, the average opening day since 2010 has been over 113,000 people.

The heat and humidity may have been contributing factors to the slower start. With more comfortable temperatures on Saturday and Sunday, we could be on pace for more records this weekend.