ST. PAUL — The Minnesota State Fair is pleased to announce “Kickoff to Summer at the Fair” sponsored by Paddle North happening May 27-31. This walk-around event is five days of food, brews, live music, shopping and family fun at the iconic Minnesota State Fairgrounds. A lottery process will be used to randomly select people for an opportunity to purchase tickets. Lottery registration is open now through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, May 6. Kickoff to Summer at the Fair will follow current health and safety guidelines. All information about the event can be found at mnstatefair.org/kickoff-to-summer/
“Last year’s Food Parades were a big hit, but they were also very limited,” said State Fair General Manager Jerry Hammer. “This year, we’re very happy to bring people back in a walk-around environment to enjoy a slice of the fair.”
As for this year’s State Fair, Hammer added, “We don’t know exactly what it will look like, but we’re staying very flexible with our planning and looking forward to the 2021 Great Minnesota Get-Back-Together in August.”
Kickoff to Summer at the Fair will feature food and beverage offerings for purchase, an eclectic entertainment lineup, patios and socially distanced seating, the Giant Slide*, the Minnesota State Fair Community Gives Together collection of items for local nonprofits supporting veterans and youth, board games, kids activities, State Fair mascot appearances, photo ops, specialty shopping*, a Memorial Day commemoration, and more. (*Additional cost)
Participating food vendors include: Al’s Subs & Malt Shop, Andy’s Grille, Ball Park Cafe, Bayou Bob’s,
Big Fat Bacon, Blue Moon Dine-In Theater, Café Caribe, Coasters, Dino’s Gyros, El Sol Mexican Foods,
Fresh French Fries, Hansen’s Foot Long Hot Dogs & Corn Dogs, Hildebrand Concessions, Mancini’s al Fresco, Minnesnowii Shave Ice, Mouth Trap Cheese Curds, The Perfect Pickle, Produce Exchange, Pronto Pups, Que Viet Concessions, Sweets & Treats, Sweet Martha’s Cookie Jar, Tiny Tim Donuts, and West Indies Soul Food. A menu can be found at mnstatefair.org/kickoff-to-
Participating artisans and merchants include: Angry Minnow Vintage and Crowned Crow, Crystal Visions, Gentleman Forager, GoodThings, Hagen and Oats, Minnesota Rusco, Paddle North, Paul’s Porch Pots, Sota Clothing, Star Tribune, State FairWear and Gold Country, and Whatnot Boutique.
Live music will be available throughout the event at various food vendor locations, the Family Fun Stage at DNR Park, Visitors Plaza Stage and a DJ at Dan Patch Park. A list of entertainment can be found at mnstatefair.org/kickoff-to-
Tickets are $12.50 each (fees and tax included); children 4 and under are free with a child ticket. Each ticket is valid for a specific date and timeslot. The capacity for each timeslot is 10,000 people, which is within the State of Minnesota’s current guidelines. Tickets will be sold through a lottery process, so all guests who register have an opportunity to be randomly selected to purchase tickets (limit of 6 tickets per customer, including children). The event runs for five days with a total of seven timeslots:
Thursday, May 27, 4-9 p.m.
Friday, May 28, 4-9 p.m.
Saturday, May 29, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday, May 29, 4-9 p.m.
Sunday, May 30, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sunday, May 30, 4-9 p.m.
Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day), 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Please note: Guests will be required to follow all safety guidelines and procedures in place at the time of the event. Face masks are required. All must be seated to eat or drink.
Kickoff to Summer at the Fair is sponsored by Paddle North. Additional sponsor support is provided by Adagio DJay Entertainment (DJ entertainment), Minnesota Rusco (door prize), Explore Minnesota (photo op), Humana (event program) and Device Pitstop (phone charging stations). Food, beverages, merchandise and Giant Slide rides are an additional cost. Guests can join in the Minnesota State Fair Community Gives Together by bringing items to the event to support Every Third Saturday serving veterans, Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans and Youthlink. Learn more about the Community Gives Together at mnstatefair.org/community-
Kickoff to Summer at the Fair sponsor Paddle North designs, makes and sells paddle boards, kayaks, utility docks, lake floats, gear and apparel that is fun to use on water. Using timeless designs that keep the focus on blending in, with and being a part of nature, Paddle North has built a brand and a sustainable company, that outlives all by taking care of customers at an unprecedented level and by building products that work better than advertised. Learn more about the products, team and the lake lifestyle at paddlenorth.com.
The Minnesota State Fair is one of the largest and best-attended expositions in the world, attracting more than 2 million visitors annually. Showcasing Minnesota’s finest agriculture, art and industry, the Great Minnesota Get-Together is 12 Days of Fun Ending Labor Day. The fair is a quasi-state agency that is self-supporting and has not received state government funding of any kind since 1949. Visit mnstatefair.org for more information. The 2021 Minnesota State Fair runs Aug. 26 – Labor Day, Sept. 6.
— Minnesota State Fair
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