Ready or not, the Minnesota State Fair officially opens its gates at 6 a.m. Thursday. If you're one of the hundreds of thousands of people headed to the Great Minnesota Get-Together, you'll probably notice some extra security this year.
"There will be additional police officers, we are increasing security at every gate, and we're adjusting traffic and parking procedures," Jerry Hammer, the fair's General Manager, said.
Additional security includes more cameras and staff training. Hammer says it compliments an already comprehensive security plan.
"People are used to increased security at public events," he said. "For the most part, they appreciate it. That's what we're doing. We're just doing everything we can to deliver the usual awesome and safe experience at this year's Minnesota State Fair."
The fair's coming off a record-year in attendance. A total 2,046,533 people visited the Minnesota State Fair in 2018, with five days breaking single-day attendance records.
The fair comes just a couple of weeks following shootings in El Paso, Dayton, and at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California. These incidents, causing concerns about security nationwide, haven't necessarily influenced the fair's security increase, however.
"There's nothing additional or new because of one specific incident," Hammer said. "When anything happens anywhere in the world, we look at it as an opportunity to reevaluate and stay ahead of the curb."
Fair officials did review and revamp its security plan following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
"We've continued to change our security plan and it evolves, as it should," he said.
Bag searches were added at all 11 entrances in 2016.
Metal detectors, seen at numerous event spaces across the Twin Cities, won't be added to the state fairgrounds.
"We have discussed that," Hammer said. "At this point we're confident that with the security we provide, we don't need to go to that level. We do everything we can and we're confident that metal detectors won't be needed at this time."
Anyone planning a trip to the 2019 Minnesota State Fair is encouraged to read about bag checks and allowed or prohibited items.
