The Minnesota State Fair opens Thursday, Aug. 27, with 36 new foods and the America Wheel, a 230-foot observation ride that replaces the previous Great Big Wheel at the annual Great Minnesota Get-Together.
The America Wheel stands as the world’s largest traveling observation wheel, rising 230 feet above the North End of the fairgrounds. The ride features 45 gondolas and offers panoramic views extending up to 14 miles in every direction, according to the Minnesota State Fair’s official announcement.
The new wheel honors America250, the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration. It operates from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily (closing at 8 p.m. on Labor Day) and costs $7 per ride.
Food enthusiasts will find 36 official new dishes across the fairgrounds, ranging from savory to sweet. Among the standout offerings are Pickle Pie from LuLu’s Public House, described as “pie crust filled with a blend of chopped pickles, pickle juice and cream cheese. Topped with homemade savory whipped frosting made with ranch and Cholula Hot Sauce.” Urban Glow Mocktails debuts “Dill with it, Cookie!” — white chocolate chips, finely chopped dill pickles and fresh dill baked into a cookie and finished with sugar and Maldon sea salt, created by Holman’s Table.
Other new foods span global cuisines and creative combinations. Lumpia City offers Longanisa Cheese Curd Lumpia, featuring homemade Filipino longanisa pork sausage combined with Wisconsin cheese curds, stuffed in a lumpia wrapper and deep-fried. Cafe Caribe serves a Surf ‘N’ Turf Burger with lobster tossed in garlic-herb butter stacked on a seasoned grilled beef patty topped with pepper jack cheese. Afro Deli & Grill debuts a Peri-Peri Bowl with fried peri-peri hot chicken seasoned with African Bird’s Eye chili peppers, combined with mini beef sambusas and fried sweet plantains.
Nine new vendors are making their debut at the fair, joining hundreds of existing food stands and shops across the 322-acre fairgrounds. The fair runs for 12 days through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7, with admission priced at $20 for adults and $18 for seniors and children ages 5-12.
The Minnesota State Fair, first held in 1859, has grown into one of the largest and most-attended state fairs in the United States. The fair’s attendance record stands at 2,126,551 visitors in 2019, with the highest daily attendance of 270,426 set on a Saturday in 2018, according to the Minnesota State Fair’s official records.
Sources
- Minnesota State Fair official website — confirmed opening date of Aug. 27, the 36 new foods, nine new vendors, and the America Wheel’s specifications (230 feet tall, 45 gondolas, world’s largest traveling observation wheel, operating hours, and cost)
- MPR News — reported the 36 official new fair foods, the Pickle Pie and Dill with it, Cookie! descriptions, and nine new vendors
- CBS Minnesota — confirmed America Wheel details (230 feet tall, 45 gondolas, panoramic views up to 14 miles)
- Fox 9 News — confirmed the America Wheel replaces the previous Great Big Wheel and provided specifications
- St. Cloud Times — reported the America Wheel as 230 feet tall and the world’s largest traveling observation wheel
- Wikipedia — confirmed the fair runs 12 days, the 2019 attendance record of 2,126,551 visitors, and the 2018 daily record of 270,426
