Fall News From the State Fair!

Issue: 67 | Oct. 9, 2025

Beautiful weather made the perfect backdrop for the 2025 Minnesota State Fair! From indulging in old favorites to discovering new traditions, this year’s fair brought Minnesota together and was one to remember. Read on for fall news from the State Fair, and mark your calendars to join us next year, Aug. 27 through Labor Day, Sept. 7, 2026!

Congratulations to the 2025 Best Award Winners!

On Aug. 28, the Minnesota State Fair presented awards to 12 of the very best of the State Fair’s nearly 1,000 commercial exhibitors, concessions, attractions and food and beverage vendors at the 2025 Great Minnesota Get-Together.

Best Awards recipients were selected because they exemplify these characteristics: Provide exceptional, efficient customer service and an outstanding experience for fair guests; knowledgeable staff with positive attitudes who are courteous, thoughtful and professional; an amazing visual presentation and positive image; present a premium quality product/service; and offer great value.

Australian Battered Potatoes: Serves battered and deep-fried potatoes with several different toppings.
Giggles’ Campfire Grill: Celebrated its 25th anniversary at the fair. They are famous for walleye cakes, duck bacon wontons and their extensive selection of craft brews and specialty sips like Dill Pickle Kölsch and S’Mores Beer.
Just Beautiful by JB: Sells playful, vibrant accessories like headbands, bags, apparel and more that make kids feel special and confident.
Kiddie Bumper Boats: This ride, owned and operated by Fair Ride Entertainment, has provided joy and fun at the Minnesota State Fair for several years.
The Kracken: This ride, owned and operated by Iconic Midway Rides, is an 80-foot-tall pendulum swing ride with arms that stretch out 147 feet.
Lake Superior Drift Co.: Sells Lake Superior driftwood art, driftwood mobile kits, mobiles, ornaments and more.
Libby’s Ice Cream & Co.: Sells soft serve ice cream in 16 flavors, frozen bananas dipped in chocolate on-a-stick, shakes, sundaes and more.
Manny’s Tortas: Serves a variety of Mexican tortas, tacos al pastor, non-alcoholic piña colada served in a hollowed-out fresh pineapple and more.
Minnesota Native Landscapes: Sells native species of live plants and seed packets for habitat restoration and pollinator gardens.
NordicSol: Showcases frameless, retractable glass walls for outdoor spaces such as decks, porches, patios and balconies.
Roll-A-Ball Racer: This popular game on Mighty Midway is owned and operated by Boguey Concessions.
That’s Invintage: This western women’s boutique sells unique handmade items like women’s apparel and jewelry.

State Fair Operations Department Hard at Work

Did you know there are roughly 1,200 trash barrels placed around the fairgrounds, parking lots, neighborhoods and park & rides during the 12 days of the State Fair? Once the fair is completed, our operations department collects the barrels to scrub and prep them for use during non-fair events. At the same time, they're gathering benches to store, cleaning various buildings, maintaining the grounds and more to care for the iconic 322-acre fairgrounds year round!

Interested in joining our operations department? We're looking for a full-time fleet mechanic to join the team and perform skilled mechanical work to inspect, maintain, diagnose and repair Minnesota State Fair vehicles and equipment. Learn more and apply today.

Congratulations to Competition Participants!

More than 21,000 entries were judged this year in one of the best State Fair traditions – competing for blue ribbons, bragging rights and nearly $2 million in prize money. Here is more information on the thousands who put their best to the blue ribbon test:

Creative Activities

3,840 entries in handcrafts, needlecrafts, collections, garment making and senior citizens categories
3,156 baked goods entries
1,167 preserved foods (canned, pickled, dried, etc.)

K-12 Competition

The work of talented Minnesota students in kindergarten through grade 12 was showcased in the Education Building. The ribbon winners were selected from:

2,956 entries in drawing, painting, sewing, jewelry, reports, creative writing and more, completed at home or at school; and
695 technology education entries, including architectural drawings, photography, welding, woodworking, CO2 cars, solar boats and more, completed at school

Fine Arts

In the largest juried arts exhibition in Minnesota, 2,818 artists registered to submit one piece of work; 334 pieces were then selected to showcase during the 2025 State Fair. Of these, 119 were sold with 20 percent of sales proceeds going to support Minnesota State Fair Foundation projects and programs focused on art at the fair.

The People’s Choice winner (pictured) was “Minnesota MMRI Healing Dress” by Anita Lovelace of Minneapolis, Minn.

View this year’s Fine Arts Exhibition catalog .

Ag-Hort-Bee

Showcased in the Agriculture Horticulture Building, sponsored by Bremer Bank, a division of Old National Bank

187 Christmas tree entries
1,521 entries in bee and honey divisions
214 farm crop entries
554 crop art and scarecrow entries
1,222 flower entries
432 fruit and amateur wine entries
3,178 vegetable entries

Livestock & Horse

Congratulations to this year’s Open Class Livestock Supreme Champions!

Open Class Supreme Champion Dairy Female: Corey Feltmann, Feltmann Dairy LLC, Norwood, Minn.
Open Class Supreme Champion Dairy Junior Female: Brandon Grewe, Valley Gem Farm, Cumberland, Wis.
Open Class Supreme Champion Beef Female: Cora Stade, Stade Cattle Company, Prior Lake, Minn.
Open Class Supreme Champion Beef Bull: Cale Jensen, Jensen Angus Farm, Plainfield, Iowa
Open Class Supreme Champion Beef Cow/Calf: Scott Swanek, Swanek Show Cattle, Dexter, Minn.
Open Class Supreme Champion Boar: Mike Patterson, Country Girls Show Pigs, Kenyon, Minn.
Open Class Supreme Champion Gilt: Leia Patterson, Country Girls Show Pigs, Kenyon, Minn.
Open Class Supreme Champion Ram, Wool Breeds: Duane Bauck, Dew Drop Farms, New York Mills, Minn.
Open Class Supreme Champion Ewe, Wool Breeds: Dylan Nohner, Pines End Natural Coloreds, Erwin, Minn.
Open Class Supreme Champion Ram, Meat Breeds: Devon Wolkow, Wolkow Dorsets, De Smet, S.D.
Open Class Supreme Champion Ewe, Meat Breeds: Gary Klug, Highland Hampshires, Campbellsport, Wis.
Open Class Supreme Champion Dairy Goat Herd: Laura Kieser, Four Seasons Farm, Jordan, Minn.
Open Class Supreme Champion Boer Goat: Lynnzae Van Wyk, Double Time Farm, St. James, Minn.

FFA Supreme Champion honors were also awarded:

Breeding Beef: Avery Kohls, Hutchinson FFA
Dairy: Evelyn Scheffler, Kenyon-Wanamingo FFA
Breeding Sheep: Tatum Goetz, South West Metro FFA
Breeding Swine: Noah Schaefer, Zumbrota-Mazeppa FFA
Douglas K. Baldwin Award: Kaylee Steele of Lewiston-Altura FFA

And finally, a big congrats goes to the champions of the Minnesota State Fair Horse Show!

Supreme Champion Stallion Draft Horse: Mystery Hills Stable, Kiel, Wis.
Supreme Champion Mare Draft Horse: Stalheim Farms, Amery, Wis.
Supreme Champion Gelding Draft Horse: Strawberry Lane Percherons, Didsbury, Alberta, Canada
Draft Horse Supreme Six-Horse Hitch: Ames Percherons, Jordan, Minn.
Draft Horse Supreme Cart Classic Series: Zubrod’s Percherons LLC, Guthrie, Okla.
Youth Cart Classic Series: Jack Schreiber driving for Schreiber Percherons, Plainview, Minn.
Signature Tandem Bareback Champion Team: Victoria and Samara Musselman, Rogers, Minn.
Signature Mounted Costume: Annie Mickelson, Loretto, Minn.
Four-In-Line Barrels Champion Team: Pine Creek Saddle Club (Camella Whalen, Jack Whalen, Maverick Belanger and Major Belanger)

More Competition Results and Information

MSF Scholarships Awarded to 25 Outstanding Young Adults

The Minnesota State Fair established the Minnesota State Fair Scholarship program in 1994, annually awarding up to 22 scholarships of $1,000 each to recognize young adults from greater Minnesota or those enrolled in an agriculture program. Since its inception, more than $584,000 has been awarded. Three $2,000 scholarships were also given to students who are continuing training in a skilled trade career.

This year’s scholarships were funded by the Minnesota State Fair Foundation and presented by members of the Minnesota State Agricultural Society board during a program in the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum during the fair and during the FFA Award’s Ceremony.

Congratulations to these outstanding recipients.

Help Usher in the New Era of the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum!

Looking for a way to leave your mark on the updated Warner Coliseum and to support the fair? Now’s your chance! Engraved, personalized metal plates can be placed on a seat in the arena with a contribution of $800 to the Minnesota State Fair Foundation. Donations go directly to supporting the renovations and ensuring that the Warner Coliseum continues to be the home of memories for generations to come. To ensure plate placement by the 2026 State Fair, information must be received by April 30, 2026. Orders received by Dec. 31, 2025, will have an opportunity to choose the seat location where your plate will be placed.

Two young girls dig in the dirt at the Little Farm Hands exhibit

Annual Amateur Talent Contest Showcases Minnesota’s Best

In an evening of top talent and piano, vocal, dance, juggling and yo-yo performances, winners of the 52^ndAnnual Amateur Talent Contest, sponsored by Chase, were crowned on the Grandstand stage Aug. 31.

Ashley Wongbi of St. Paul, Minn., won the open division with a vocal performance, “Heart of Stone,” taking home the $10,000 top prize. Matissa Conrad of Shoreview, Minn., won the teen division with her dance solo, “Swan Song.” With a piano performance of “Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum,” Gerald Fang of Maple Grove, Minn., won the preteen division.

Held the last Sunday of the fair, the Amateur Talent Contest Finals is a free event in the Grandstand. Auditions for the 53^rdMSF Amateur Talent Contest will be held next July.

Complete List of 2025 Amateur Talent Contest Winners

Congratulations to the 72^nd Princess Kay of the Milky Way!

Surrounded by 90-pound blocks of butter on Day 1 of the 2025 Minnesota State Fair, butter sculptor Gerry Kulzer began carving the likeness of Malorie Thorson of Waverly, Minn., representing Wright County, who was crowned the 72nd Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Thorson will serve as the official goodwill ambassador for nearly 2,500 Minnesota dairy farm families this year. Throughout the fair, all Princess Kay finalists had their likenesses sculpted in butter in the rotating cooler in the Dairy Building, which is sponsored by Paddle North, and made appearances at the Moo Booth at the Cattle Barn and at other fair programs. Princess Kay candidates are judged on their knowledge of the dairy industry, communication skills and enthusiasm for dairy. The program is sponsored by Midwest Dairy.

Thank You Employees, Volunteers and Fundraising Groups!

Thank you to our dedicated team of State Fair employees - barn attendants; greenhouse assistants; IATSE employees; parking and park & ride attendants; police; ticket sellers and takers; workers in educational programs, entertainment, guest and information services, operations, public safety, sales, sanitation and transportation; and interns in competition, employment services, finance, the ticket office, marketing and more.

In a long-standing tradition, summer and fair-time employees, nominated as State Fair MVPs by full-time staff and department superintendents for their exceptional work and commitment, were recognized at the Grandstand on Aug. 31. Congratulations to this awesome group (pictured) representing these State Fair departments: 4-H, bee & honey, CHS Miracle of Birth Center, fruit & wine, grandstand admissions, greenhouse, guest relations, K-12 competition, marketing, operations, reserve officers, sales and sanitation.

Our many education experiences would not be possible without the help of thousands of volunteers. Many thanks to everyone who helped fair guests experience the activities or were presenters at Alphabet Forest, Christensen Farms Stage, CHS Miracle of Birth Center, The Common Table, The DIRT stage, EquiMania!^TM, Kemps Little Farm Hands, Math On-A-Stick and more.

And, of course, thank you to the fundraising groups who pitched in year-round and during the State Fair! Sports teams, community organizations, clubs, schools, churches and other groups provided much-needed help with barn clean-up, sanitation, parking lots and other tasks.

Thank you for making the 2025 Great Minnesota Get-Together the best!

Recognizing 50 Years of State Fair Participation

In a ceremony held Aug. 30 at the Bandshell, the Minnesota State Fair recognized individuals who have actively participated in the fair for at least 50 years. Recipients’ names were added to a permanent plaque located in the Administration Building. Congratulations to the 2025 recipients of the 50 Year Award for their commitment and continued involvement at the fair.

Bill Oz of San Antonio, Texas
Doris Mold of Cumberland, Wis.
DuWayne Hohrman of Northfield, Minn.
Fay J. Peterson of Eagan, Minn.
Jerry Petschl of Rush City, Minn.
Joe Casarez of Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
John Henry Ranweiler of Mahtomedi, Minn.
Karen and Dan Koester of Dennison, Minn.
Kim Ustruck of Vadnais Heights, Minn.
Klein Foods, Inc. of Marshall, Minn.
Mark Hohenwald of Venice, Fla.
Mark Marrone of Saint Paul, Minn.
Mary R. Casebolt of Saint Paul, Minn.
Matthew Voxland of Kenyon, Minn.
Melzer Spots of Mesa, Ariz.
Mike Hohenwald of Woodbury, Minn.
Nancy Hansen of Fergus Falls, Minn.
University of Minnesota of Minneapolis, Minn.
Vicki Meier of Eagan, Minn.
Watkins1868 of Mound, Minn.
WCCO Television of Minneapolis, Minn.

Thank You, Sponsors!

Your support makes the Great Minnesota Get-Together truly GREAT!

AAA, sponsor of the Information Booths
Allina Health | Aetna, sponsor of the Cosgrove Stage
AmazeWorks, sponsor of Alphabet Forest
APR Network, day sponsor of Aug. 31
AT&T, sponsor of the Pet Pavilions
Bremer Bank, a division of Old National Bank, sponsor of the Agriculture Horticulture Building and FFA Awards Ceremony
Bush’s^® Beans, sponsor of the Food Building
Cal Spas, sponsor of Ramberg Center
Cargill, sponsor of the Little Farm Hands Tractor Shed & Tractor Repair Station
Chase, sponsor of the Amateur Talent Contest
Cub, official grocer and sponsor of the Little Farm Hands Grocery Store
DragNFly Wireless, sponsor of the Wi-Fi Hotspots west of the Grandstand and in the Veranda
Good Health Saunas, sponsor of The North Woods and North Woods Stage
Green Mill Restaurant, sponsor of the Family Fair Stage at Baldwin Park
Human Touch, sponsor of the Deals, Drawings & Giveaways Guide
Instagram Teen Accounts, sponsor of the SkyGlider
KaiBi Mobile Family Care Center
Kemps, title sponsor of Kemps Little Farm Hands and sponsor of the Kemps Little Farm Hands Dairy Barn
LeafFilter, sponsor of the Home Improvement Building
Mall of America, day sponsor of Aug. 21
Mattress Firm, sponsor of the Official New Foods Announcement
Mazda, sponsor of the Nightly Fireworks Spectacular
Minnesota Corn Growers Association, sponsor of the Little Farm Hands Grain Bin
Minnesota Lottery, sponsor of the Blue Ribbon Bargain Book
Minnesota Manufactured, day sponsor of Aug. 30
Minnesota Oncology, day sponsor of Aug. 23
Minnesota Rusco, sponsor of Online Gate Ticket Admission Sales
Minnesota Senior Linkage Line, day sponsor of Senior Day, Aug. 25
The Minnesota Star Tribune, sponsor of the official State Fair maps
Mintahoe Catering & Events, sponsor of the Sponsor VIP Tent
Momentum Refresh, sponsor of the Accessibility Guide
Paddle North, sponsor of the Dairy Building
Pryes Brewing Company, sponsor of the West End Stage at Schilling Amphitheater
Rivian, sponsor of the Daily Parade
Sleep Number, sponsor of the Grandstand Exhibit Building & Concert Series
SPACE Trailers, sponsor of The DIRT Demo Stage
State Farm, sponsor of the Selfie Spots
Summit Brewing Co., sponsor of the Summit Stage at the Bazaar
T-Mobile, sponsor of the Christensen Farms Stage
TGK Automotive, sponsor of the Great Big Wheel
Thrivent, day sponsor of Aug. 22 & 24
Treasure Island Resort & Casino, sponsor of The Garden and The Garden Stage
United Rentals, sponsor of the Sponsor VIP Tent
Xcel Energy, sponsor of Eco Experience
Xfinity, sponsor of FAN Central

More Information About Sponsorships

Coming to the Fairgrounds

Ice Castles, an award-winning frozen attraction built using hundreds of thousands of icicles hand-placed by professional ice artists, returns to the fairgrounds this winter! The castles include breathtaking LED-lit sculptures, frozen thrones, ice-carved tunnels, slides, fountains and more.

October

9-11: Thymes Warehouse Sale at the Education Building

11: Woodworkers Expo at the Progress Center

11-12: FallCon at the Grandstand

November

9: Girls on the Run Minnesota Fall 5K at the Fairgrounds

15-16: Brick Cities Lego Convention at the North End Event Center

21-22: Horse Crazy Holiday Market at the North End Event Center

December

22-March, 1, 2026: Ice Castles

For more information, see our State Fairgrounds Events Calendar.