North Dakota State Fair


The North Dakota State Fair is an annual state fair held each July in Minot, North Dakota, USA. The fair has carnival rides, agricultural expositions, government and commercial exhibitions, and a variety of musical and performance entertainment.
The fairgrounds are located along Burdick Expressway in east Minot. The facilities on the site are used for a variety of other events; the grandstand is regularly used for Nodak Speedway stock car races, and the All Seasons Arena is frequently used for conventions, sporting events and festivals, including Norsk Høstfest.
The fair was first held in Minot in 1922 but was not officially sanctioned by the state government until 1966. The North Dakota State Fair is the largest event in the state, drawing around 250,000 people. Attendance increased every year from 2000 to 2005.
In 2009, the fair has set a record with the attendance of 296,919. The 2010 fair increased its record to over 308,000. The 2012 Fair increased its record to 310,839 and it increased even further for the 2013 fair to 320,486.
On July 10, 2011, it was announced that the 2011 fair would be cancelled because of the 2011 Souris River flood a month before which left much of the grounds underwater. This announcement came after originally planning to hold the fair without competitive events. On May 11, 2020, it was announced that the 2020 fair would be cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.