My view of the 2020 Minnesota State Fair Food Parade.

Like many large public events, the 2020 Minnesota State Fair was cancelled due to COVID-19. While we understand the decision, it was very disappointing, since I have attended every Minnesota State Fair since 1971, and most (or possibly all) of them from 1961-69. (I have slowly come to grips with the issues surrounding missing it in 1970. My family had just returned home from a month-long vacation, and even though we were home for the last day of the fair, they deiced not to go.)

The fair had been cancelled in 1945 due to wartime fuel shortages. Even though VJ Day came before the start date, by that point, I assume it was too late to plan it. It was cancelled in 1946 due to another public health emergency, namely, a polio epidemic. And this year, a solid run from 1947-2019 was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Since this year would be my 50th consecutive, it was disappointing when the news came down that it had been cancelled.

But even though it wasn’t the same, I still managed to attend twice this year, kind of.  I did my best to keep my streak alive.

The first announcement came a few months ago that the fair’s fine art exhibition would take place as scheduled. Tickets were about $10 per person to get into the art exhibit, but most importantly, it would allow admission to the fairgrounds. Even though we were supposed to “proceed directly” from the outer gate to the art exhibit, we were able to take our time, and at least walk through the fairgrounds one time. Below, I have four  videos that I shot during the visit my kids and I made.  There were people about, but knowing that it was the second day of the fair, the absence of large crowds was eerie.  In the videos, I do my best to narrate the sites visible along Cosgrove Avenue.  If you want the opportunity to get in yourself, there are still a few hundred tickets available, which you can purchase at this link.

At the food parade, stay in your vehicle unless, well, it’s urgent.

After the art show was announced, there was another announcement of an opportunity to visit the fairgrounds. They conducted a “food parade,” in which you could enter the fairgrounds by car, and were able to purchase a limited selection of state fair food items from your car, similar to a drive-up window of a restaurant. Tickets to this well publicized event sold out immediately, but we were able to nab one from a neighbor on Nextdoor.

Between the two, my personal preference was the art show. One attraction of the fair is greasy expensive food, and the food parade provided that. But for me, the chance to walk the fairgrounds, even just a portion, made it feel like I’m now allowed to say that I attended for my 50th consecutive year.

I hope you enjoy the videos, and if you decide to go, there are a few hundred tickets left for the art show.  You need to purchase tickets for a specific date and time.  While the food parade is continuing, all of the available tickets were snatched up in minutes.  While they might be available from scalpers at inflated prices, I don’t think they would be worth any premium over the face value.  The art show, on the other hand, gives you the chance to say that you went to the State Fair in 2020, at a reasonable price.  It will be a bittersweet visit, but better than nothing.

You can view some of my previous posts about the Minnesota State Fair at this link.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4: