Minnesota State Fair Tops U.S. Rankings With Nearly 200,000 Daily Visitors

Q: What is the secret process for selecting the fair's 36 official new foods from hundreds of applicants?

It is not publicly known. Based on the news story and the additional reporting provided, the Minnesota State Fair has announced the 36 official new foods and nine new vendors for 2026, but it has not disclosed the “secret process” used to narrow hundreds of applicants to that final list. What is clear is the likely framework behind the choices. Fair leadership has long described the event’s broader formula as an “80/20 rule” — preserving familiar traditions while introducing enough novelty to keep the fair fresh. The 2026 food lineup reflects that approach, mixing highly indulgent, trend-driven items such as pickle-, Biscoff-, ube-, and Dubai-inspired dishes with foods tied to Minnesota’s diverse communities and established fair tastes. The fair’s public materials also suggest that selection favors variety and crowd appeal. The winning foods span sweet and savory items, multiple cultural influences, portable fair-friendly formats, and offerings from both returning operators and nine new vendors. That points to a balancing act between innovation, broad audience interest, operational feasibility, and the fair’s identity as a showcase for food, agriculture, and family entertainment. But the exact mechanics — who judges the applications, what scoring criteria are used, whether there are tastings, and how many submissions are rejected — are not detailed in the available reporting. In short, the fair has revealed the results, not the recipe for how those 36 foods were chosen.

3 articles · Updated · KWLM (Willmar Radio) · Jul 9

Only In Your State ranked the Minnesota State Fair the best in the country, putting the Great Minnesota Get-Together ahead of all other state fairs.
Nearly 200,000 average daily visitors helped drive the No. 1 ranking, along with the fair's mix of food, live entertainment, agriculture and family attractions.
Iowa's State Fair placed second in the travel website's rankings, underscoring Minnesota's lead in a closely watched Midwestern fair rivalry.
The 2026 Minnesota State Fair opens Aug. 27 in Falcon Heights and runs through Sept. 7, giving organizers a fresh accolade ahead of this year's event.