Fans of the Minnesota State Fair are getting a sneak-preview of this year's Great Minnesota Get-Together with the Kickoff to Summer at the Fair over Memorial Day Weekend.
More than 40 vendors are offering fair food and drinks at the Kickoff to Summer featuring free parking, music and entertainment, and limited attendance.
"It's one of the better events we do in the summer, so we're looking forward to it again," said Matt Rebar who runs the poutine stand across the street from the Miracle of Birth Center. "It's like a nice trial run. You get to get everything out from storage and operating again so you know what problems you have to fix for the rest of the events this summer."
Nearly 50 specialty merchants are also featured, with a few new offerings for this year's kickoff including a Second Glance Crop Art Exhibit giving guests a special second glance of crop art originally showcased at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair.
As Rebar said, it's a warm-up for the Minnesota State Fair which runs August 27 through Labor Day.
"As people were walking through the gate and we were going to sell our first order of poutine, we didn't have any forks," Rebar said. "We had to run to the restaurant depot across the street and buy some forks. It's those little oversights all summer, but the first event's always the one where you forget some things."
Tickets for each day are limited, with some days expected to sell out.
Friday's Kickoff to Summer at the Fair runs from 4 to 9 p.m. with hours on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
