The first day of the Minnesota State Fair broke a record for attendance.
First-day attendance at Minnesota State Fair sets record
Thanks to the good weather, 122,695 people hit the fairgrounds on Thursday.
The fair announced Friday that attendance on Thursday was 122,695. Thursday's mostly pleasant weather probably factored into the rush to the fair, which also was reflected in a colossal traffic jam in the area on Thursday morning.
The previous record for first-day attendance was 119,145, from 2010.
Last year, 117,877 people went to the fair on opening day. In 2016, 111,902 went.
The all-time record for single daily attendance was 260,374, from the fair's final Saturday in 2016. A record for total fair attendance — 1,997,320 — was set last year.
Friday's attendance number will be released Saturday.
The fair runs through Labor Day, Sept. 3.
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The governor said it may be 2027 or 2028 by the time the market catches up to demand.