Minnesota State Fair Winds Down Monday

Today is the last day of the Minnesota State Fair, and it’s kids’ Last Chance Day.

Kids ages 5-12 can walk through the gates for $7, and there are all-day discounts at the Mighty Midway and Kidway. There are other discounts throughout the day, as well, so attendees can pick up a “last chance” flyer at an information booth.

Tonight is also the last chance to see a concert at the Grandstand this year. Wiz Khalifa will play tonight with Mac Miller as part of the Under the Influence of Music Tour. The show begins at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are still available starting at $29.

This weekend at the fair, Goldy Gopher and University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler took a turn on the Giant Slide. Kaler and his wife, Karen, were joined by a group of U of M students and local K-12 students. They toured the university’s main building and checked out the latest solar car. Kaler says students are planning to build an even bigger car next year to race across Australia.

Saturday was the busiest day at the state fair by far. More than 226,000 people passed through the gates yesterday, which is 11,000 more than last year. So far the fair has seen more than 1.4 million visitors, which is 40,000 more than last year.

The state fair has been around for more than a century, and you can see its history nearly everywhere you look. Yesterday was History Day at the fair. The territorial fair began in 1854, which was four years before Minnesota became a state. Pronto Pups were first introduced in 1947, and the Space Tower was built in 1965 after being shipped from Germany to Duluth.