Minnesota State Fair's opening delayed for first time ever after night of severe storms
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. — The Minnesota State Fair got off to a historic start on Tuesday morning.
For the first time anyone can remember, including fair officials, the opening of the gates was delayed by two hours after storms raged across the Twin Cities late Monday and through the overnight, snapping tree limbs, toppling vendor tents and knocking down signs.
Monday evening's Grandstand performance and all free stage entertainment were canceled, and rides and games at the Mighty Midway and Kidway closed early as the storm blew through the area.
Early Tuesday morning, officials announced the fair was "closed until further notice for damage assessment and debris cleanup" and asked the public not to come. Most fairgoers didn't seem to get the message, with anxious hoards lining up outside the gates. They were eventually let in at about 9 a.m.
A worker at the iconic Fresh French Fries stand on Carnes Avenue told WCCO strong winds leveled the booth's 200-pound sign.
Kailey Christensen had a front-row seat to all the damage
"I got here to just Porta Potties tipped over. The bus couldn't even pull up to where it's supposed to drop us off at," Christensen said. "And then I come in and see just stuffed animals everywhere. The stands are down, the garbage cans are tipped over. It was just cluttered everywhere."
A cooler day is expected to follow as the system exits the Upper Midwest. Before the storms wreaked havoc, an excessive heat warning was in effect for most of Monday, driving away many potential fairgoers.
Fair officials say only 80,546 people came through the gates on Monday — about 50,000 fewer visitors than the first Monday in 2023. The first Monday record was set in 2017 when 144,504 walked through the gates. On Tuesday, 124,777 people walked through the gates.
The first two days of this year's fair broke daily attendance records. So far this year, 709,862 people have been tallied at the gates.
