Minnesota State Fair and government officials say the Great Minnesota Get-Together opening Thursday will be a safe gathering because of a strong security plan and enhanced patrols on the perimeter of the grounds.
Gov. Tim Walz and Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington joined the fair's General Manager Jerry Hammer and Police Chief Ron Knafla at a news conference Tuesday afternoon outside the fair's transit hub to discuss how they plan to protect the anticipated 1.7 million visitors.
Harrington said the millions who visit the fair can "come here knowing … it's a safe environment" with a threat level determined to be "extremely low."
Hammer expects this year's fair to be closer to normal than the past two. COVID-19 shut down the event in 2020 for only the sixth time in a history that predates Minnesota's statehood. COVID variants and wet weather held attendance to 1.3 million last year. The last normal year was 2019, when the fair set an attendance record of 2.1 million.
This year also brings a return of the State Fair's own police force. In 2021, the fair's police chief retired in May so the Ramsey County sheriff's department oversaw security.
In recent years, at the behest of the fair, Harrington's agency has conducted threat assessments for the 12-day event. "Our job is to think about worst-case scenarios," he said.
Harrington praised the advance preparations by Knafla as the most robust, versatile and flexible plans he's seen.
The event's security will draw law enforcement from 55 agencies throughout the state, including 200 officers dedicated to the fair's police force.