Arts & Entertainment

Attendance At 2021 MN State Fair Down from 2019

The fair was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The dates for the 2021 Minnesota State Fair are displayed at the entrance in Falcon Heights, Minn. Friday, May 22, 2020, shortly after the 2020 Fair, scheduled for Aug. 27 to Labor Day, was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The dates for the 2021 Minnesota State Fair are displayed at the entrance in Falcon Heights, Minn. Friday, May 22, 2020, shortly after the 2020 Fair, scheduled for Aug. 27 to Labor Day, was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

TWIN CITIES, MN — The 2021 Minnesota State Fair wrapped up Labor Day. It was the first state fair held in two years. The fair was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The overall attendance f0r 2021 was 1,301,584. This year's crowds were down significantly from 2019, when a record-breaking 2,126,551 people attended.

"Given the issues we faced, attendance was perfect this year," State Fair General Manager Jerry Hammer said in a news release. "The vast majority of State Fair activities are outdoors, and the fairgrounds are huge, giving people plenty of space to enjoy the fair."

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Organizers did not require fairgoers to wear a mask or be vaccinated. That decision caused some vendors or fairgoers to stay home this year.

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