A new communication service will be used this year at the Minnesota State Fair in order to issue messages for emergency and urgent situations for fair vendors and staff.

Some of those situations this internal service will be used for include severe weather, police incidents and more.

During the 2022 fair, severe weather hit the fairgrounds on Saturday, Aug. 27, causing many to run for cover and for the grandstand shows to be canceled. During the final weekend of the fair that same year, a shooting was reported to have happened inside the fairgrounds at the intersection of Carnes Avenue and Liggett Street around 10 p.m.

As previously reported by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, a fair representative said at the time the gunshot was reported, the area was “heavily populated.”