Minnesota State Fair

Despite Delta, Minnesota State Fair Goers Can Roam Without a Mask On | Eater Twin Cities

"Returning Aug. 26–Sept. 6 after a pandemic pause in 2020, the 12-day sendoff to summer is being held as the largest U.S. state fair by average daily attendance, drawing upwards of 200,000-plus people a day to Falcon Heights. Spread across 322 acres, the event features over 300 vendors serving everything from cheese curds to footlongs to deep-fried candy bars. Officials will not require masks or proof of vaccination or a recent negative test for entry, though they strongly urge patrons age 2 and up to wear masks in specified indoor settings and note that top-down enforcement would be unmanageable for an event of this size. Masks are required only in certain buildings (Care & Assistance and First Aid) and on-site measures include free masks for those who forget, a recommendation to attend during weekdays to avoid peak crowds, fewer livestock and commercial exhibits to encourage social distancing indoors, and a new “Gopher Gauge” on the website to monitor crowd volume throughout the day. The fair has been held since 1859 with six exceptions (including the Civil War, the polio epidemic, and the 2020 COVID-19 pause), and historically has seen extreme variation in daily attendance (e.g., 245,243 on a final Sunday vs. 96,716 on an early Monday)." - Tierney Plumb