Minnesota State Fair Officially Moving Forward For 2021

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Get ready to grab a pronto pup (or a corn dog)! The Minnesota State Fair is back on for 2021.

State Fair officials on Friday morning decided to proceed with the Great Minnesota Get-Together this year, though they are carefully monitoring vaccination and infection rates and will adjust their plan if needed.

The official dates have been set for Aug. 26 through Sep. 6.

There will be no COVID-19 limits on attendance this year, as Minnesota has lifted its restrictions. Proof of vaccination will not be required for attendees, and neither will masks. While indoor exhibits will also happen this year without restrictions, the board is working on ways to ensure people are safe indoors.

"We've talked about a number of things. It might include traffic flow, certain doors would be entrances, others would be exits, that kind of thing," said General Manager Jerry Hammer. He noted that ventilation would also be a big factor which the board will take into account as they finalize details.

To help with revenue loss, ticket prices will increase by $1. Children under the age of five will still be able to attend for free. Tickets purchased for 2020 are still valid for 2021; guests can scan their 2020 ticket at the state fair entrance.

The majority of the Grandstand concert commitments from 2020 are returning, and those tickets are already on sale. The remainder of the lineup will be announced in a few weeks. Grandstand tickets purchased for 2020 will also be valid for the 2021 date.

In 2019, the last time there was a state fair, attendance numbers shattered a record. But officials are expecting at least a 20% drop for 2021 with their current plans.

Last year the fair was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though officials were still able to plan a State Fair "Food Parade" in August and "Kickoff To Summer" walk-around event for Memorial Day.

Tickets are already on sale. You can find them here.