Your complete guide to Day 2 at the Minnesota State Fair
Friday is Day 2 at the 2022 Minnesota State Fair!
Early bird specials are available until 1 p.m. at both the Mighty Midway and the Kidway.
It's Governor's Fire Prevention Day, so catch fire safety and life-saving activities throughout the fairgrounds.
Click here to see the entire daily guide from the State Fair for Friday, Aug. 26.
Music at the Fair
The second night at the Grandstand features Counting Crows with special guest The Wallflowers. Tickets range from $34 to $51.
WCCO crew slings shaved ice at the fair
Mike Max will hand you a shaved ice, and, with a straight face, ask if he can have a sample.
A family empire at the fair
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. -- The State Fair is full of family legacies, but not everyone can claim six generations working at the Fair at the same time. Three sisters have helped start an empire at the Great Minnesota Get-Together.
For more than 50 years, sisters Lu McArdell, Lori Ribar, and Lynn Meadows have been working at the Minnesota State Fair. It all began at Peters Hot Dogs, which their great grandfather essentially started.
"In 1939 we started selling hot dogs and lunch meat sandwiches for a nickel," McArdell said.
Now, she and Meadows work long days in the Food Building, surrounded by employees who also happen to be family.
"We have six generations behind the stand right now," Meadows said.
Ribar was part of that crew too, until the mid-1980s. That's when she fell in love ... at the State Fair, of all places.
"I met my husband out here at the Fair in '77, at the back room of the Peters hot dog stand talking about college classes," she said.
She and her husband, Brad, opened up another popular stand -- the Corn Roast -- in 1985.
The sisters now live in different cities. Meadows is in Mesa, Arizona. The State Fair is the one time they're all together, selling food, playing pranks, and doing what they've done since they were kids: enjoying the Great Minnesota Get-Together.
In addition to Peters Hot Dogs and the Corn Roast, Meadows' son Matt has Duke's Poutine stand, and McArdell's daughter runs another hot dog stand in the Kidway.
Tips on dealing with traffic around the fairgrounds
Minnesotans are flocking to the fairgrounds, and many drivers are having trouble finding a parking spot.
"I haven't seen it like this," said Scott Anderson, of Afton, who was stuck in traffic Friday outside the fairgrounds. "Normally, spots are created and you can get in, but it seems to be a little bit crazier this year."
These are the tallest horses you'll find at the State Fair
2022 opening day attendance doubles last year's
The Minnesota State Fair's first day saw 121,478 people go through the turnstiles, which is roughly double the number that showed up on Day 1 in 2021.
Last year, there were only 61,983 on the first Thursday. That's compared to the record 133,326 that attended the first day of the fair in the record-breaking year of 2019. The day one attendance that year also constituted a record.
In all, half of the 12 days of the fair in 2019 set new records, including the first Friday. That means that, despite a number of reports indicating heavy, heavy foot traffic today, 2022's Day 2 attendance is going to need to beat 157,224 to set a new record.
Stay tuned!
Here's what artist Adam Turman has available in the Grandstand
Youths compete in fire prevention categories
Thursday is the Governor's Fire Prevention Day at the State Fair, and youths representing Fire Explorer posts from around the state took to competing in a square-off.
The youths were timed on such categories as gear donning, ladder raising, spinal immobilization and more. An awards ceremony is scheduled for 5 p.m. for the winners.
The event is being presented by the Governor's Council on Fire Prevention and Control.
A.J. Hilton takes first-ever ride down Giant Slide
We know, we can't believe it either. Somehow, WCCO This Morning anchor A.J. Hilton -- a Minnesotan! -- had never gone down the State Fair's Giant Slide ... until this morning.
Watch the video above to see whether he loved it, really loved it, or absolutely flipped out over it!
All on-site fair parking lots filled before 10 a.m.
It's definitely shaping up to be a very busy day at the Minnesota State Fair Friday, with ideal weather conditions spurring tens of thousands to get in early.
The State Fair's Twitter account reported that all on-site parking lots were full as of 9:54 a.m.
#MSFParking all on-site parking lots are now filled. Lots will reopen as space becomes available.
— Minnesota State Fair (@mnstatefair) August 26, 2022
The fair said that lots would reopen later in the day as space becomes available.
Previewing the Clydesdales at the MN State Fair
John Lauritsen is at the horse barn will have more on the Clydesdales at the fair later today. But check out the preview below!
In case you missed it: State Fair good questions
In the run-up to the fair, we always get our fair share of Good Questions about the Great Minnesota Get-Together.
So, Heather Brown found answers to some of your questions, and a few of her own. Watch below!
Visiting the fair's International Bazaar
A.J. Hilton visited the International Bazaar to get the rundown on what the Midtown Global Market has to offer.
A.J. Hilton previews some Surly beer options
A.J. Hilton is at the fair Friday morning, and previewed Surly beer at the fair.
Friday schedule at the WCCO booth
Stop by, watch a show, play live games and pick up our free fans and bags!
- 9:00 a.m. WCCO-TV Booth opens Mid-Morning LIVE
- 10:00 a.m. Since We Last Met Showing
- 10:30 a.m. Bag Giveaway
- 11:00 a.m. Talent Meet and Greet
- 11:15 a.m. Since We Last Met Showing
- 12:30 p.m. Nickelodeon Universe Photo-Op (Aug. 31 ONLY)
- 3:00 p.m. Talent Meet and Greet
- 3:15 p.m. Since We Last Met Showing
- 3:30 p.m. Bag Giveaway
- 4:00 p.m. '4 at the Fair' LIVE
- 5:00 p.m. 5pm Newscast LIVE
- 6:00 p.m. 6pm Newscast LIVE
- 6:35p.m. Talent Meet and Greet
- 6:45 p.m. Since We Last Met Showing
- 7:00 p.m. Bag Giveaway
- 9:00 p.m. WCCO-TV Booth closes
- 10:00p.m. 10pm Newscast LIVE
More on the WCCO booth right here.