Your complete guide to Day 2 at the Minnesota State Fair
Friday, Aug. 25 is Day 2 at the 2023 Minnesota State Fair!
It's Governor's Fire Prevention Day, so catch fire safety and life-saving activities throughout the fairgrounds. Learn life-saving measures and see the impressive work firefighters do for their communities.
Additionally, Gov. Tim Walz, the Commissioner of Public Safety and the State Fire Marshal, Chaplain will speak in Dan Patch Park.
Click here to see the entire daily guide from the State Fair for Friday, Aug. 25.
Music At The Fair
The 2023 series of Grandstand concerts continues Friday with the country legends The Chicks, with special guest Wild Rivers. Tickets are $77 and up for the 7 p.m. show.
Amelia, Shayla face their fears at state fair's haunted house
The state fair haunted mansion is known to bring out the "fight or flight" mode in some WCCO-ers (Frank Vascellaro), so it was time for Amelia Santaniello to show Shayla Reaves around.
Minnesotans soak up day 2 at state fair
For some, day two meant a second chance to try some of the favorite foods they discovered last year.
"One of the things I enjoyed this year was the lemon sorbet. I actually went and got one and ended up getting two and three," said Minneapolis resident Brooks Jowett.
State fair attendance on the first day was down about 15,000 people compared to last year.
"There are a lot of different factors going into it, including weather," said Minnesota State Fair spokesperson Maria Hayden. "So the afternoon of the first day was pretty warm. Might have factored into the attendance numbers."
Historically, attendance jumps in the fair's first weekend.
Minnesotans show off eclectic fashion sense at state fair
When you mention the Minnesota State Fair, chances are the first things that come to mind are the foods, or the exhibits, or the rides, or the livestock, or maybe the music.
But for many Minnesotans, the State Fair also provides them the opportunity to turn those crowded asphalt boulevards into their own personal catwalk.
Read the whole story here.
Minnesota icons forever remembered in crop art form
Crop art, seed art, or whatever you call it, is on display inside the agriculture building, and it finds its inspiration in many forms - from art classics with fair flare, to local, legendary inspirations.
To read the whole story, click here.
KFAN Power Trip's Cory Cove stops by to play "The Initials Game"
Cory Cove made up "The Initials Game" nearly a decade ago, and it's become wildly popular since then. Cove stopped by the WCCO booth on Friday to play with Amelia, Frank, Chris, and Derek -- take a guess at who won!
You could win this Adam Turman original
While the fair offers a slice of Minnesota, it also offers up a lot of art and culture, including from local artist Adam Turman.
And this year, he's got a contest where you could win a one-of-a-kind original!
Of course, the astronaut is going to board the Space Tower
NASA engineer Josh Cassada has spent time on the International Space Station, and has also performed spacewalks.
So when he visited our noon show with Sen. Amy Klobuchar and the two revealed they were heading to the State Fair's midcentury classic ride, the Space Tower, we were scarcely surprised.
First day's attendance shows slowish start amid heat
It wasn't a record-breaking first day at the fair, in terms of attendance. In fact, it didn't even outdo last year's Day 1 figures.
Fair officials reported that 106,327 admissions were counted on Aug. 24, down about 15,000 from the 2022 total of 121,478.
It's still a significant step up from the first fair after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which only saw just shy of 62,000 admissions.
The Day 1 record, which was set in 2019, was 133,326.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered at the fair today to celebrate this thing called love"
While preparing for our next live show at the fair, we happened to spy a pop-up wedding going on just behind our WCCO booth! You just never know what you'll see at the Minnesota State Fair!
Congratulations to the happy couple!
Hear from the newlyweds themselves on WCCO Live at the State Fair at 4 p.m.
Gift ideas for the uber-Minnesotan in your life
There's plenty to do in the Minnesota State Fair's West End ... and that includes shopping opportunities galore.
Especially if you, like so many of us, lean hard into the whole Minnesota thing.
Joseph eats!
OK, we know it's not breaking news that WCCO's team members are eating on camera at the Minnesota State Fair. But because this is morning meteorologist Joseph Dames' first time ever at the Great Minnesota Get-Together, we're especially excited to see how his Chicagoland taste buds react to the fair fare.
He does not disappoint.
Time for a little relitigation, TBH!
So, we think it's time to reopen the case of A.J. Hilton's claims of being "champion of the world" when it comes to the State Fair's Giant Slide. After challenging fair freshman Joseph Dames, and making much ado about being fair ... well, let's just say the tale of the tape tells a very different story!
Look at the size of that mâché moose!
Through hands-on activities, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is teaching fair-goers ways they can improve the environment. WCCO's Erin Hassanzadeh was on hand all Friday morning to see the sights ... which included an absolutely massive moose.
Your complete 2023 guide to getting in, getting around, and getting deals
The 2023 Minnesota State Fair will mark its opening day on Aug. 24 and end on Labor Day, Sept. 4.
WCCO will be there at our booth at Nelson and Carnes avenues. Click here to learn more information about our booth and the fun new game "Plincco."
Click here for everything else you need to know about getting to the fair, how to get around, and how to make sure you get the most bang for your buck.