Minnesota State Fair new attractions for 2024

FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (FOX 9) - Along with new foods, the Minnesota State Fair will also feature new attractions, rides and more at the 2024 Great Minnesota Get-Together. 

The Minnesota State Fair announced what's new at the fair this year on Thursday. Here's what to expect. 

New Minnesota State Fair phone app

The Minnesota State Fair has launched a new app where fairgoers can search daily schedules, as well as find vendors and food. The app is searchable so people can search vendor names, menu items and the area of the fairgrounds (once you're on the fairground, you can see what's closest to you in real-time), the fair said. 

This app replaces the web-based version of the Minnesota State Fair app. You can download the new app in your phone's app store. 

New State Fair rides

Two new rides will be at the Midway this year. They are: 

• The Kraken: The fair says this ride towers 80 feet tall and stretches its limbs to 147 feet high. It's a pendulum-style ride that has a swinging arm. It's the "ultimate adrenaline-pumping thrill ride."
• The Defender: The fair says this "spectacular propeller ride amazes riders with its fast-action movements and dazzling lights."

New Minnesota State Fair vendors for 2024

There will be dozens of new vendors at the Minnesota State Fair this year. They include:

Seven new creator vendors

Seven new vendors this year will offer unique handmade goods from artisan makers. The new vendors are: 316 Stone, Dalin Enterprises, Elegancia Designs, Kelly's Candles, Lisa Souers Designs, Sontoya Station and Transform Treasure. 

These new vendors are located throughout the fairgrounds. 

Seven new food vendors

Fair and food go hand in hand, and these new vendors take foodies to the next level: B Friendly Cocktail Mixers, Double Take Salsa, Midwest Custom Gifts, OMG Olive Oils & Vinegar, Shiver 'N Sweat Woodworks, Trailblazer Food Co. and Unstick.

These vendors are located throughout the fairgrounds. 

Five new apparel vendors

There will be five new vendors selling apparel and accessories. They are: Iron Oak, Namaste Boutique, Pop Culture Remix, Rough and Rugged, and Wallet Buckle.

These new vendors are located throughout the fairgrounds. 

Eight new gifts, souvenirs vendors

There will be eight new vendors selling gifts and souvenirs this year. They are: Photo Booth, Paisley Park, Smart Tech U.S., The Chalk Bloc, Cooling Neck Fans, Designs & Imports by Peach, Good Graces and Sabukana.

The new vendors are located throughout the fairgrounds. 

Seven new outdoors and entertainment vendors

There will be seven new outdoors and entertainment vendors. They are: All Energy Solar, Best Hummingbird Feeder Ever, Espegard/Cedar Creek Rustic Furniture, FrostBuddy, Plow World, Sauna Supply and Weathervane Factory. 

The new vendors are located throughout the fairgrounds. 

Five new community information vendors

There will be five new vendors providing information about their work. They are: Iron Mining Association, Minnesota Manufactured, Minnesota Oncology, Regan MOVES: Fitness for People with Challenges and U.S. Coast Guard.

The new vendors are located throughout the fairgrounds. 

New Cats and Dogs The Exhibition at Minnesota State Fair

This sensory and interactive exhibit will give fairgoers the chance to better understand and decode the behavior of their dogs and cats. The exhibit is free with fair admission. 

You can find Cats and Dogs The Exhibition at the North End Event Center, north of Murphy Avenue between Cooper and Cosgrove streets. It's open daily. 

Minnesota State Fair Foundation's Welcome Wall

The Minnesota State Fair has a new opportunity to commemorate fans of the fair with a welcome wall. This comes after the foundation retired the popular State Fair recognition bench and table program.  

The welcome wall is located inside Gate 9. It's an art installation that's 40-feet long by 8-feet tall, and features engravable tiles that can be personalized. Fair fans can order their tiles by making a $600 contribution to the Minnesota State Fair Foundation. The program opens on Aug. 22. Tiles bought this year will be installed before the 2025 State Fair.

Updated spaces throughout the fairgrounds 

The Minnesota State Fair has made some enhancements to improve fairgoers' experiences. Here are the changes: 

• Crop Art Exhibit: "The Agriculture Horticulture Building will have newly refreshed Crop Art and Farm Crops exhibits. This newly re-imagined space will allow for optimized viewing of these popular attractions," the State Fair says.
• Fine Arts Center: "In 2023, a donation was made to the Minnesota State Fair Foundation to replace the windows and doors of the historic Fine Arts Center. In all, 38 8-foot-tall windows and 12 11-foot-tall doors were custom-made to replace the existing elements. Additional restoration projects on this 117-year-old building include exterior painting, new entryway concrete, gallery wall painting, landscaping and a new welcome desk," the State Fair says.
• The Garden: "This brightened space will feature new lighting including festive string lights, brand-new bench seating and high-top tables to add ambiance," the State Fair says.
• Dan Patch Park: "Hosting a rotating crew of daily programming, Dan Patch Park now features new permanent shade structures to keep attendees cool all fair long," the State Fair says.

Accessibility upgrades through the Minnesota State Fairgrounds

The Minnesota State Fair says it has made additions to "accessibility and guest services." The additions include:

• Aira: The Aira app provides live human-to-human visual assistance service for fairgoers who are blind or have low vision. This is provided free throughout the fairgrounds. Download the app in your phone's app store.
• Audio descriptions: New this year are audio descriptions of select works from the popular crop art exhibit. You can scan QR codes at the exhibit to access descriptions of the popular art form.
• Joy Mobile: "A one-stop sensory-friendly experience designed to help guests reset and re-engage," the fair says. "Developed in partnership with designers and those with lived experience raising and teaching the neurodiverse community, the Joy Mobile is a quiet space with calming activities amid the fair's stimulating hustle and bustle."
• KaiBi Mobile Family Care Center: A space for families to care for their young children. It's a climate-controlled mobile facility that allows all caregivers privacy and comfort to feed their children, change diapers and pump.
• Adult-Size Changing Table located in Care and Assistance.

New 2024 Minnesota State Fair Featured Design

READ MORE: Minnesota State Fair transportation options: What you need to know for 2024

The Minnesota State Fair this year launched an "exclusive design paying homage to vibrant, iconic elements that make the fairgrounds a one-of-kind gathering place." It features a red canna lily (the official Minnesota State Fair flower) that's surrounded by blue scallops and eight sharp points (an homage to the Grandstand). The SkyGlider and Skyride are also featured, as well as the Cattle Barn and other prominent buildings on the fairgrounds. 

This design will be featured on a variety of State Fair merchandise.

History snapshots at the Minnesota State Fair

Minnesota State Fair Foundation volunteers will give free 15-minute presentations four times daily to highlight the history of some State Fair favorites, including food, youth programs and more. After the presentations, fairgoers can play BINGO to win State Fair tickets and other prizes. 

In addition, new historical highlights have been added throughout the fair. They include: 

• Grandstand Timeline
• Three New History Walking Tour Stops
• History & Heritage Center Updates

New Minnesota State Fair competitions, themes

There are new competition and theme categories this year. They are: 

• Fermented Products: Crafted canned goods will get some new additions. Entries for fermented cucumbers (pickles), kimchi, and fresh fermented vinegars will compete for coveted blue ribbons this year.
• Quilt On-A-Stick: Mini quilts on-a-stick will showcase favorite Minnesota mascots.
• Cake Decorating: Bibliophile bakers depict their appreciation for Minnesota authors and books using icing and more.
• Decorated Cookies: The sweetest hats of all types compete to be this year's crowning glory.
• Decorated Cupcakes: Sets of four cupcakes depicting Minnesota birds vie for ribbons.
• Minnesota State Fair Flower Show: Held Aug. 26 & 27, this contest features an array of floral entries with the theme Minnesota Loves Feasts, Fests and Fun.
• FFA Landscape Design and Construction: FFA chapters compete to design gardens to support local ecosystems with the theme, Climate Change and Landscape for Drought.

You can find entries in these categories on display in the Creative Activities Building, Agriculture Horticulture Building or outside the CHS Miracle of Birth Center. 

New touring promotional exhibits

There are four new touring promotional exhibits at the Minnesota State Fair this year. They are: 

• BUBBL'R: Enjoy a free 2-ounce sample of BUBBL'R from Aug. 22 to Sept. 2. (Northeast side of the Agriculture Horticulture Building)
• Idahoan Mash-A-Bowl Tour: Grab a free sample of Idahoan Food On-The-Go Cups from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1. (On the corner of Wright Ave. & Cooper St.)
• Red Bull Showrun - F1 Car: Free photo opportunity with the Red Bull Showrun F1 Car from Aug. 29-31. (On Wright Ave. between Underwood & Cooper streets)
• Saputo Black Creek Cabin: Free cheese samples and giveaways from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2. (On Wright Ave. between Underwood & Cooper streets)

The 2024 Minnesota State Fair runs from Aug. 22 through Labor Day, Sept. 2.