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The 2026 Minnesota State Fair sets new attendance records during its first four days

The 2026 Minnesota State Fair has established new attendance records during its opening days. The event drew 729,146 visitors in the first four days, with the first two days specifically setting consecutive daily records. On the first Friday, attendance reached 204,065 people. If current trends continue, the fair is on pace to exceed the 2019 record of 2,126,551 total visitors. However, analysts note that attendance typically decreases after the initial weekend. To break the previous record, the fair must average 174,676 attendees per day for the remaining eight days. The fairgrounds are open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday is designated as Military Appreciation Day, featuring discounted tickets for active military and veterans. The event features a variety of new food and drink offerings from 71 vendors, including Hmong corn dogs and ube cheesecake. Weather conditions for Tuesday are expected to be hot with temperatures potentially exceeding 90 degrees, followed by thunderstorms in the southern portion of the state by Tuesday night.

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