MNHS Adds Local History to the Great Minnesota Get-Together

Minnesota Historical Society staff members are getting excited to head to the Minnesota State Fair next week and kick off a variety of offerings.

Visitors can enjoy performances of History-on-a-Schtick!, a wacky musical romp through Minnesota history, every day at 9:30 and 10:30 am at the Schell's Stage in the West End Market.

Plus, pick up a self-guided History Walking Tour brochure to discover a dozen of the fair's most historic spots. The 2019 tour has two new stops to explore: the Sheep & Poultry Barn and one exploring early state fair history-from the first territorial fair in 1855 to finding its current home in 1885. Visit eight or more walking tour stops to collect a special prize from the MNHS booth in the Education Building, the History & Heritage Center, or the J.V. Bailey House.

Staff will also be talking all things history every day at the MNHS booth in the Education Building. Grab some history swag, chat with staff and snap a picture of yourself at a Split Rock Lighthouse photo op.

For those who want a taste of the fair without the record-breaking crowds, visitors can enjoy Farm to Fair Weekend at Oliver Kelley Farm the weekend of August 24 & 25. Learn how farmers raise livestock for competition, try your hand serving as a fair judge and sample snacks-on-a-stick in the Learning Kitchen.