See U of M Extension at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu

Find out where and when to see Extension at the fair. Please check Extension's calendar for updates, as activities are subject to change. 

U of M Crossroads Building

1673 Dan Patch Avenue

• Aug. 28, 10 a.m.: Gary Wyatt, Extension natural resources educator, will discuss Fruits and Nuts from the Woods or Back Yard. Learn how to gather foods and decoratives from Minnesota woodlands (know the laws). Fruit and nut producing plants can also be planted in your own yard. Wyatt covers hazelnuts, aronia berry – black chokeberry, juneberry, elderberry, honeyberry/haskap, dogwoods, willows and more.  

U of M Driven to Discover Research Facility

1367 Cosgrove Street 

• Aug. 27, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Aug. 28, 2 p.m.-9 p.m.; Sept. 1, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. : Mary Jo Katras, Jodi Dworkin, Hyunjun Kim, and Aubree Derksen, of Extension's Department of Family, Health and Wellbeing, along with the Department of Family Social Science, want to "learn how you want to learn." Your voice matters! Stop by and tell us how you prefer to learn about important topics like parenting, financial wellness, nutrition and mental health

4-H Building and barns

4-H Building: 1412 Cosgrove St. Barns are in the northwest corner of the fairgrounds.

Keep up with 4-H at the State Fair, or use the free 4-H at the Minnesota State Fair app for event schedules, State Arts-In performance times, results, announcements and maps. The first weekend of the fair is livestock encampment. Highlights below are just a sampling of the many 4-H activities.

• Ongoing: Thousands of youth participate, showing exhibits, performing in shows and showing livestock. These activities feature the knowledge and skills 4-H'ers have acquired throughout the year. More than 2,500 youth exhibit livestock in the animal barns.
• Ongoing: Exciting scientific activities to try in the 4-H building include virtual reality and engineering challenges.
• Ongoing: 4-H Chef for a Day cookoff, 4-H Building.
• Ongoing: State Arts-In performances. Dates and times in the calendar at the link.
• Aug. 21, 8 a.m.: Rabbit judging contest, Compeer Judging Arena.
• Aug. 22, 1 p.m.: Poultry judging contest, Poultry Barn judging ring.
• Aug. 22, 2 p.m.: Rabbit quiz bowl, 4-H Building.

• Aug. 22, 2 p.m.: 4-H beef championship, Warner Coliseum.
• Aug. 23, 8:30 a.m.: Chicken BBQ contest, outside northeast corner of Warner Coliseum.
• Aug. 23, 10 a.m.: 4-H Robotics demonstrations, 4-H Building, first floor
• Aug. 23, 6 p.m.: Purple Ribbon livestock auction, Compeer Arena.
• Aug. 23, 6:30 p.m.: Share the Fun performing arts showcase, 4-H Building second floor. See Share the Fun for several additional dates.
• Aug. 24, 10:30 a.m.: Dairy showcase, Compeer Arena.
• Aug. 25, 4 p.m.: Fashion revue, 4-H Building
• Aug. 26, 9 a.m.: 2025 Engineering Design Challenge: Putt It Together - 4‑H Mini Golf Challenge. This exciting statewide event invites youth in grades 3 and up to work in a team of three or more to design and build a Rube Goldberg™ type machine that completes a two-part task: hit a golf ball and sink a hole in one! 4-H Building
• Aug. 27, 6 p.m.: Llama and alpaca costume contest, Warner Coliseum.

Watch the 4-H live cam

Watch 4-H events, like livestock judging, on the fair's live-streaming camera (the link will become active when the fair begins). Choose "4-H Building Harkness Stage" to watch performing arts shows.

DNR building

Corner of Carnes and Nelson

Daily, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.: Minnesota Master Naturalists, as well as Extension volunteers in forestry and wildlife, and Pollinator Ambassadors, will be outside the DNR building on the southwest side, near the fish pond. Fairgoers can play a trivia game to receive a collectible card for playing and polished Lake Superior agate if they answer correctly. 

Daily, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Come talk guts with Extension's The Offal Wildlife Watching project! They are researching deer-hunter-provided gut piles and the scavengers that eat them. Learn how discarded gut piles (offal) left behind during the hunting season feed Minnesota scavengers and how they fit into wildlife food webs. Volunteer hunters set up trail cameras to help Extension collect data and there are neat discoveries to share! Learn how you can be involved.

Eco Experience building

1615 Randall Ave

• Daily, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Gabi Bolwerk and Bailey Tangen, Extension educators, will be a part of the Dig It! soil health exhibit. They and others will have an interactive station, a rainfall simulator display and more.
• Daily, noon-6 p.m.: Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) staff and partners will be at the Energy Information Center to display energy-efficient home appliances including heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, heat pump clothes dryers, energy-efficient windows and electric panels. Staff can discuss how they function, as well as ways to pay for them, including eligible rebates and tax credits.
• Daily, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.: Tree Care Advisors take questions.
• Aug. 21, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.: Want to take action on climate and be a leader in your community? Come learn how! The University of MInnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership will showcase the new Community Climate Leaders program. Learn about easy steps you can take to start making an impact on climate today.
• Aug. 26, 2-9 p.m. Come talk guts with Extension's The Offal Wildlife Watching project.
• Aug. 28-29, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.: Minnesota Master Naturalists will provide wildlife information focused on beavers. Science table in Water Exhibit.
• Aug. 28, noon: Gary Wyatt, Extension natural resources educator, will discuss Fruits and Nuts from the Woods or Back Yard. Learn how to gather foods and decoratives from Minnesota woodlands (know the laws). Fruit and nut producing plants can also be planted in your own yard. Wyatt covers hazelnuts, aronia berry – black chokeberry, juneberry, elderberry, honeyberry/haskap, dogwoods, willows and more.

Agriculture-Horticulture building

1271 Underwood St

• Daily, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.: Let’s Talk Plants! Get answers to your gardening questions from Master Gardeners volunteers. CFANS wing.
• Daily: 9 a.m.-9 p.m.: Turfgrass science and sustainable lawn care that works for you and the environment. CFANS wing.
• Aug. 21, 3 p.m.: How to grow giant pumpkins. Dirt Stage.
• Aug. 27, 1 p.m.: A Honey Bees program team member will wear a 10,000-bee "bee beard." Bees and Honey exhibit.
• Aug. 28, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Come talk guts with Extension's The Offal Wildlife Watching project! CFANS pop-up table.
• Aug. 28, 4 p.m.: Gary Wyatt, Extension natural resources educator, will discuss Fruits and Nuts from the Woods or Back Yard. Learn how to gather foods and decoratives from Minnesota woodlands (know the laws). Fruit and nut producing plants can also be planted in your own yard. Wyatt covers hazelnuts, aronia berry – black chokeberry, juneberry, elderberry, honeyberry/haskap, dogwoods, willows and more. Dirt Stage.

WCCO booth

Corner of Carnes and Nelson

• Date and time TBD: Mary Hockenberry Meyer, professor emeritus; Julie Weisenhorn, Extension horticulture educator; and Jon Trappe, Extension turfgrass educator, will broadcast Smart Gardens live.

MPR stage and tpt

Near the corner of Judson and Nelson

• Aug. 22, time TBD.: Mark Seeley, Extension climatologist emeritus, will appear on tpt Almanac live from the Fair.
• Aug. 25, noon: Seeley will host the 29th Annual MPR State Fair Weather Quiz with Cathy Wurzer in front of a live audience, with prizes from the Bell Museum and Freshwater Society.