Did You Know the Minnesota State Fair Was Once Held in Rochester?

The Minnesota State Fair kicks off next week! I'm so excited. The state fair has quite a history in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, including hosting the fair in many different locations before making a permanent home where it's located today.

👇 (At the bottom of this post, I've got all of the new foods that are coming to the 2025 state fair! Start making your plans.) 👇

The History of the Minnesota State Fair

The Minnesota State Fair held its first fair in Minneapolis in 1855. 1855! That's crazy! It was technically called a 'territorial fair' since Minnesota wasn't even a state at the time.

The following year the fair was hosted in St. Paul. Then there wasn't enough funding so they didn't do it for a year. Then it picked up again and was help in Minneapolis, then at Fort Snelling, then in Red Wing, and then... in Rochester!

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Yeah, did you know that the Minnesota State Fair was once held in Rochester? And not just once, either.

ALSO READ: This MN State Fair Food is so Popular it Needs TWO Booths Now

The Minnesota State Fair was Hosted in Rochester, MN

The first time Rochester hosted the Great Minnesota Get-Together was in 1866. We must have done a really good job, too, because it was held in Rochester again in 1867.

The fair moved back to Minneapolis in 1868, but then moved BACK to Rochester in 1869.

After that, we didn't see the state fair until Rochester hosted again in 1880, 1881, and 1882.

And then... that was the last time it was hosted here. The fair was held in Owatonna in 1883 and 1884, but then moved to its current location in 1885. Yeah, 140 years ago.

Do you want to know something even more crazy? The Hamline Church Dining Hall, which still operates every year at the fair, was at the state fair for the first time in 1897!

Something else insane that I learned is that the current Grandstand was built in 1909.

Are you ready for the fair? Well, not until you've decided which new foods you're going to try! Check them out and make your plans.