Minnesota State Fair Opens with On-Site Wedding and New Tributes

The Minnesota State Fair opened its 2025 run in Falcon Heights on Thursday, drawing early crowds with discounted $18 adult admission and unseasonably pleasant weather. Fair organisers said vendors had been preparing since June and expect strong turnout thanks to the sunshine and a forecast that calls for cooler conditions later in the weekend. Opening day featured several milestones beyond the traditional new-food lineup. A Minnesota couple, Kelly and Elizabeth, exchanged vows on the fairgrounds in what officials described as the event’s first on-site wedding. Fair officials also crowned the 72nd Princess Kay of the Milky Way, continuing a dairy-industry tradition that dates back to 1954. Visitors are being greeted by a crop-art portrait honouring the late state representative Melissa Hortman, created by Rep. Athena Hollins and displayed in the Agriculture and Horticulture Building. The tribute joins a host of other new exhibits marking the fair’s 12-day run, which last year attracted about 1.8 million people.