Here's what to know before heading to the 2021 Minnesota State Fair

"What's new at the fair?' "

That's the question Jerry Hammer, the Minnesota State Fair's general manager, usually gets nonstop every summer.

But after the COVID-19 pandemic forced officials to cancel the fair for only the sixth time ever in 2020, Hammer's answer is a little different this year:

"I say, 'A fair,' " he said.

The Great Minnesota Get-Back-Together, as it's being called in 2021, is set to return on Aug. 26 after 724 days off — and just like Hammer, fairgoers won't be taking it for granted during those last 12 days of summer this year.

"We really get how important the fair is to the people of Minnesota," Hammer said. "This place is saturated with generations of memories. I hear it again and again: 'This is our happy place.' "

While the biggest novelty in 2021 may simply be the return of the fair itself, there will also be plenty of new attractions, booths and vendors, from a buffalo chicken doughnut and a 55-foot-tall roller coaster to a walk-in clinic offering COVID-19 vaccinations.

And if you bought tickets for the 2020 fair before it was canceled, those will be valid this year.

Still, the fair will look a little different in 2021 after weathering a major financial hit from last year's cancellation, preparing on an extremely tight schedule and facing pandemic-related supply shortages and hiring woes.

Some events have been canceled and others — like the CHS Miracle of Birth Center, which will have baby farm animals but no live births — have been modified. Security will also be tighter, with metal detectors at every entrance gate.

The fair was considering a mask requirement for indoor attractions as of early August, and organizers urged fairgoers to check online (mnstatefair.org/updates) for any changes before heading to the fairgrounds. That way, they will be in the loop, especially if COVID-19 developments cause any last-minute shifts.

Organizers did nix some events and make changes to the fairgrounds map to give fairgoers more room to spread out.

"This year especially, health and safety is always going to be our top priority," said State Fair spokesperson Danielle Dullinger.

"We're ready to work with any guidance that we receive to ensure that all of our guests stay healthy while coming to the fair. We completely understand also that people might not feel comfortable coming to the fair this year. To that we just say: We'll see you next year."

The biggest difference fairgoers will notice as they come in through the popular entry gate near the grandstand is that Adventure Park (with its thrill rides like the Skyscraper, which swings riders high into the air at 70 mph, and the Sling Shot, flinging a capsule skyward at a G-force of up to 5) is no longer there.

Fair organizers moved the rides to a new spot south of Judson Avenue, in between the Miracle of Birth Center and the Dairy Building. The move creates more room in what has become one of the fair's busiest areas (see fairgrounds map on page 10).

"We're really trying to make that area a nice green space, and give a lot more area for people to just kind of mill about and to have some space," said Dullinger.

The move also opened up a spot that the fair is calling "Joyful World Mural Park," where local mural artists including Kao Lee Thao and Thomasina Topbear will be on-site painting 10 large-scale pieces. They will be working between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily.

Fair organizers also decided to find a different home for the popular 4-H Llama & Alpaca Costume Competition, which has boasted adorable camelids dressed as everything from dalmatians to dragons, along with young handlers decked out in complementary outfits. It will be in the Warner Coliseum this year, where there is more seating (the contest starts at 6 p.m. on Sept. 1).

A new, 55-foot-tall roller coaster called the Riptide will preside over the Mighty Midway this year. Dullinger called the ride a "big, high-thrill, high-energy roller coaster."

Different kinds of thrills — ones that come from boosting public health and helping to quash COVID-19's spread — will be on offer at the North End Event Center. Each day, the fair will host a walk-in community vaccination clinic in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health, Ramsey County and Homeland Health. "You don't need any sort of identification, you don't need an appointment, no insurance — it's completely free," Dullinger said. The North End Event Center will also be home to an American Red Cross blood drive throughout the fair, with appointments encouraged.

Autism services nonprofit Fraser has taken over a former vendor building south of the Home Improvement building to create the Fraser Sensory Building. It's a spot where fairgoers can take a break with trained support staff and calming tools and techniques.

Besides the much-anticipated new foods (with 27 official new dishes and six new booths) other new attractions include: an RV that looks like a giant bass from fishing gear company Catch Co.; a mobile skin cancer screening program from the Skin Cancer Foundation; a draft horse competition that's part of the North American Six-Horse Hitch Classic Cart Series; and a new crop-art competition category for people who tried their hand at the craft using at-home kits the fair sold last year.

It wasn't until June 11 that officials learned that the fair was a go, giving organizers a very tight timeline.

The timing also meant that it was impossible to coordinate the farm-animal pregnancies that usually result in live births inside the CHS Miracle of Birth Center during the fair.

Baby animals will still be there, though, just not ones that are minutes old.

Organizers also decided to nix the Giant Sing Along, deeming that fairgoers crowding together and belting out songs, karaoke-style, around shared microphones presented too much COVID-19 risk.

Other attractions that will be missing include the River Raft Ride, Go Karts, Festival of Nations Demonstration Stage, 3rd Lair SkatePark, EquiMania!, the Great Big Sandbox and Laser Encore's Laser Hitz Show.

Hammer said that fairgoers may also notice that the grounds are a little less spiffy than usual. With a loss of $16 million after 2020's cancellation, the fair managed to keep its full-time staff of about 70 employed but did not have funds to spare for the usual improvements. And on closing day (Sept. 6), the fairgrounds and most exhibits will close an hour earlier than in years past.

Still, one major improvement did go ahead — the repair of the Cattle Barn's roof, which collapsed in 2019 under a huge snowfall.

It's fitting because the iconic building is celebrating 100 years this summer, and will have a new timeline on display showing its milestones, plus a spot for fairgoers to take photos.

Hammer said that while some things might look different, he's confident that the 2021 fair will provide the same sense of connection and celebration it provides year after year.

"Without all the paint touch-ups and those kinds of things, you might notice that it's not quite as perfect-looking as we strive for," he said. "But ultimately, that's really not what people are here for anyway. This year, especially after being away for a year, people are just getting back out and they really, really need to get back together.

"Here, we're all together to celebrate each other and celebrate our humanity. It sounds really deep — but it's true."