FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. — This spring, a little taste of the Minnesota State Fair will be served to satiate hardcore fans.
The "Kickoff to Summer at the Fair" returns for its fourth year from May 23 to May 26 at the State Fairgrounds.
It's sort of a preview of the 2024 Great Minnesota Get-Together, which is Aug. 22 to Sept. 2.
The four-day event features 33 food vendors. They'll be serving up pickle pizza from Rick's Pizza, Sweet Martha's chocolate chip cookies and State Fair specialty beers such as Mini Donut Beer, Chocolate Chip Cookie Beer and Key Lime Pie Beer.
Some of the entertainment that fair officials will fire up on the fairgrounds will be its famed arcade with dozens of coin-operated games, mini golf by Can Can Wonderland and the iconic Giant Slide.
The "kickoff" will also feature live music on three stages for each day of the fair festival. Some of the acts will be Skitzo Fonik, Barley Jacks and The Working Stiffs.
Advance discount tickets go on sale Friday, April 5, at 10 a.m.
The tix are $13 each online and will be $16 at the gates in May. Children 4 and under are free... as is parking.
Fair officials say to choose the day when purchasing tickets because attendance will be limited per day. Also, this event will be "rain or shine" and tickets are non-refundable.
Here's the full list of vendors serving fair favorites:
- Al's Subs & Malt Shop
- Andy's Grille
- Auntie M's Gluten Free
- Baba's, Ball Park Cafe
- Big Fat Bacon
- Blue Moon Dine-In Theater
- Cafe Caribe
- Cheese-on-a-Stick and Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
- Chimborazo, Coasters
- Dino's Gyros
- Duke's Poutine
- El Sol Mexican Foods
- Fresh French Fries
- Giggles' Campfire Grill (two locations)
- Hansen's Foot Long Hot Dogs & Corn Dogs
- Minnesnowii Shave Ice
- Mouth Trap Cheese Curds
- Nelson's Foot Long Hot Dogs & Corn Dogs
- Peachey's Baking Company (new this year)
- The Perfect Pickle
- Produce Exchange, Pronto Pups (two locations)
- Que Viet Concessions
- RC's BBQ
- Richie's Cheese Curd Tacos
- Rick's Pizza
- Sambusa Express
- Summer Lakes Beverage
- Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar
- Sweets & Treats
- Tiny Tim Donuts
- Tot Boss
- Trickster Tacos (new this year)
- West Indies Soul Food
Days and hours:
Thursday, May 23, 4-9 p.m.
Friday, May 24, 4-9 p.m.
Saturday, May 25, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 26, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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