Minnesota State Fair food guide: new foods and where to start

The Minnesota State Fair, in St. Paul, is among the largest fair-food events in the country. The 2026 fair ran for 12 days, from Thursday, August 27 through Labor Day, September 7. Coverage said it had nearly 300 concession locations serving about 1,600 menu items, plus 36 official new foods and nine new vendors. The fair ends on Labor Day each year, so next year's dates follow the calendar.

What is the Minnesota State Fair?

A long-running state fair held on the fairgrounds in St. Paul, called the Great Minnesota Get-Together. It has livestock, exhibits, music, a midway and the food. Foods on a stick, cheese curds, mini doughnuts and many other items are sold. Every summer, the fair announces its new foods, which receive extensive local news coverage.

What were the new foods in 2026?

Fair officials announced 36 official new foods. Examples reported included Pickle Pie at a pub, Jamaican jerk chicken loaded fries from a vendor from Midtown Global Market, a strawberry ube sundae tart, cracklin' corn ribs, and plant-based Korean BBQ bao buns. Some items were sold only on selected dates within the 12 days. The fair's website has a printable map showing where to find each one.

How do you plan a day?

Decide what you want before you go. Check the official new-foods map, choose three or four, then add a classic or two. Go early, since lines grow through the afternoon. Walk the grounds once, then eat. Share everything.

Sample plan for a group of four

Split into two pairs, each wait in line at a different stand, and meet at a table. Buy one new food, one classic, one drink and one dessert per pair. Swap, and repeat once.

What are the classics?

Cheese curds, foods on a stick, mini doughnuts, corn dogs and milk are traditional. Ask a regular for a favorite. The fair has a dairy building and a Food Building, where some vendors have long histories at the fair.

How do you pay and get around?

Many stands take cards, but some use cash or tickets. The fair has parking lots and park-and-ride buses, and many people take buses from across the metro. The fair is very busy on the first weekend and Labor Day weekend, so go on a weekday if you can.

What if you have allergies or dietary needs?

Fair food is mostly designed for flavor and speed, and many stands share fryers. Ask directly. The fair's new foods list sometimes marks plant-based items, as in the bao buns above. Do not rely on a menu board alone for severe allergies.

What should you bring?

Sunscreen, a hat, a refillable water bottle, wet wipes and comfortable shoes. Bring a small bag. Leave valuables at home. If you have kids, bring a wagon only if permitted.

What else is worth eating in the Twin Cities?

Beyond the fair, Minneapolis and St. Paul have a large Hmong, Somali, Mexican and Scandinavian food scene. The Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis, where one of the 2026 new-food vendors is based, is a year-round market with international counters.

Eating for a whole day

Pace yourself. Share items, drink water and take breaks in the shade or an indoor building. A common approach is to eat a savory item, walk for an hour, then eat a sweet one. Keep a list on your phone of what you want to try, and tick it off. Some of the new foods sell out, so go for those first.

Finding the quieter hours

Weekday mornings are the quietest, and weekday evenings are busy after work. The weekends and Labor Day are the busiest. If you want to avoid lines, arrive when the gates open and eat early, then explore the exhibits when the crowd arrives.

Planning around the weather

Late August and early September can be hot, with sudden storms. Carry water and sunscreen, and note where the indoor buildings are so you can duck inside. If it rains, the food buildings and indoor exhibits are the place to be, and rain often thins the crowds.

What to skip

Some stands have very long lines for items that do not need them. If a line is more than twenty minutes, ask whether another stand sells something similar. Use the fair's map and look for a stand nearby with a shorter wait.

Check the fair's food page for the day-by-day notes on new foods, since some are limited to certain dates. A short plan made the night before saves a lot of wandering on the day.

How do you remember what you ate?

Mosey is a food-first app where diners find places by dish, mood and neighborhood and rate what they actually ate. A fair has hundreds of dishes and no menu to look at later. On Mosey, a festival page can list its stalls and what they serve once the organizer publishes it, and some festivals add a free tasting passport you stamp as you go. A rating of a dish stays with the stall that cooked it.

More guides to read next:

• Minnesota foods to try: hotdish, Juicy Lucy, walleye and wild rice
• Minnesota State Fair food guide: what to eat and how to plan a visit

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