2016 Minnesota State Fair Sets 1.9 Million Attendance Record

ST. PAUL (AP) -- The 2016 Minnesota State Fair was the best attended in state history.

More than 1.9 million people attended the recently concluded State Fair during its 12-day run that ended Monday on Labor Day. That breaks the previous record of 1.8 million set in 2014.

This year's Great Minnesota Get-Together also had three record attendance days - including the best-attended day in State Fair history. That was Saturday, Sept. 3, when 260,374 people attended.

The fair's agricultural and creative competitions drew more than 30,000 entries this year. The 4-H Purple Ribbon Auction on Aug. 27 set 12 record prices and raised more than $605,000 to benefit 4-H programs.

The 2017 Minnesota State Fair will run Aug. 24 through Labor Day, Sept. 4.