Minnesota State Fair's Notes

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1. More than 1.6 million guests visit the fair each year.

2. The first airplane flight in Minnesota history took place on the fairgrounds in 1910.

3. Fair mascots Fairchild and Fairborne are uncle and nephew, respectively.

4. The State Fair receives no government or tax-payer aid and is completely
self-supporting.

5. The Minnesota State Fair is the largest 12-day event in North America.

6. Last year, the Minnesota State Fair attracted media from Italy, New Zealand, Japan, the United Kingdom and India.

7. The fair is older than the state of Minnesota, as territorial fairs were held before
Minnesota became a state.

8. The current fairgrounds used to be the Ramsey County Poor Farm.

9. Apple is the most popular flavor entered in the Creative Activities pie competitions.

10. About 25,000 gallons of milk are served each year at the All-You-Can-Drink Milk Booth.

11. More than 22,000 rolls of toilet paper are used during the State Fair.

12. The fair recycles cardboard, paper, plastic shrink-wrap, metal, concrete, oil, grease, food waste, tires, batteries, fluorescent bulbs and more.

13. The Ye Old Mill is the oldest ride on the fairgrounds and is owned by the same family who first operated it in 1913.

14. Grasshoppers were credited with reducing attendance at the 1875 State Fair.

15. Deep-fried candy bars contain the most calories of any fair food.

16. Christina Aguilera holds the record for highest attended Grandstand show in history.

17. Over 75 tons of food waste from the 2008 State Fair became compost.

18. Until 1975, the State Fair ran only 10 days. Since then, it’s run 12.

19. Princess Kay and her court are each sculpted into a 90 lb. block of butter.

20. The Grandstand celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2009.

21. Nearly 200 calves, lambs and piglets are born every year at the CHS Miracle of Birth Center.

22. Ninety percent of people who visited the Eco Experience exhibit say they would apply something they learned to their daily lives.

23. More than 2,500 employees are needed to produce and run the annual 12-day event.

24. On average, over 500,000 corndogs are typically consumed each fair.

25. In its history, the fair has been cancelled five times: 1861—Civil War; 1862—Civil War, Dakota Indian Conflict; 1893—World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago; 1945—World War II fuel rationing; and 1946—Polio epidemic