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Minnesota State Fair shatters another attendance record, the 4th one this year

By FOX 9 Staff
Published  August 31, 2024 3:07pm CDT
Minnesota State Fair
FOX 9
article

Crowds at the Minnesota State Fair Friday, Aug. 31.  (FOX 9)

The Brief

    • The Minnesota State Fair broke another attendance record Friday, with 225,521 coming out for the Great Minnesota Get-Together.
    • This year's state fair has seen days on both extreme ends of the spectrum, with three other days breaking attendance records and other days having some of the lowest turnout in decades.
    • The largest total attendance record was set in 2019, when 2,126,551 people attended the fair during its 12-day run.

FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota State Fair reached another attendance record Friday, with 225,521 people passing through the gates.

What we know

After Thursday's severe weather put a damper on fair attendance, fairgoers bounced back on Friday with a crowd more than triple the size.

This makes Aug. 30 the most well-attended day of the Minnesota State Fair so far in 2024.

READ MORE: Minnesota State Fair sees drop in attendance Thursday after severe storms

The previous record for the second Friday of the fair, 209,789, was set in 2019. 

READ MORE: Minnesota State Fair sets 3rd attendance record for 2024

So far, a total of 1,286,922 people have attended the fair in 2024.

Dig deeper

The fair set back-to-back records to start in 2024, with high attendance on both the opening day with 138,875 people and the first Friday with 171,233 people. 

Another record was set on Wednesday, Aug. 28, with 145,531 people in attendance, breaking the 2018 record of 144,940. 

On Aug. 26, the state fair had its lowest attended Monday and first Sunday since the 1980s, likely due to a mixture of extreme heat and impending storms. Tuesday rebounded slightly, but attendance was still lower than in 2023. 

Thursday, Aug. 30, also had significantly low turnout, with severe storms sending many for cover. 

The Source

  • The Minnesota State Fair official website.