Brexton Ehli is shown with his Grand Champion sheep. Photo by Ryan Ehli.

From humble beginnings, North Dakota’s state fair began as a pilgrim. Moving back and forth between Grand Forks and Mandan each year, a huge amount of effort was put forward by the Department of Agriculture. Ultimately, these fairs were abolished, as well as one in Fargo, when the State Fair Association was formed in 1965 and the fair found its home in Minot.

A fair in Minot began in 1922, though it began more as a racing meet for horses, according to a 1923 Minot Daily News article. Fair attendance numbers had 18,000 visitors showing up for the second year; the first year did not have a census. Attendance reached 100,000 visitors for the first time in 1962, and according to the fair administration, in 2023 the number of visitors reached a record attendance of 356,534, around half the population of the state.

According to “North Dakota State Fair: 50 Years of History & Fun,” a book by Cleo Cantlon, the first grandstand at the Minot fair was praised as “second-to-none in the state,” seating more than 2,000 people. This grandstand cost about $12,000 at the time ($220,000 in today’s dollars) and seated more than 1,500 people. A second grandstand was built in the mid-1950s, seating about 5,200 people. That one lasted until 2010, when the new grandstand was built for $15 million, seating 18,000 people, fair staff said.

The All-Seasons Arena, later expanded to become the State Fair Center, the other large building enjoyed by fairgoers, was built in 1975 at a cost of $2.2 million, according to state fair management. The money was raised through a combination of fundraisers, grants and donations. This building, which was most recently expanded in 1999, is the home of many events throughout the year, such as auctions, flea markets, conventions, 4-H Achievement Days and Norsk Hostfest.

The year after the current grandstand that towers over the grounds was built, disaster struck in the form of a flood that devastated Minot and the surrounding areas. The fair staff was able to save both the grandstand and the arena with massive dikes made with dirt from the racetrack within the grounds.

Most of the other structures were submerged, and hopes of a 2011 state fair were washed away. The spirit of the fair was not quelled, and the fair was a success again the following year after many people worked tirelessly to make it so. Each year since, the festival persisted, except for 2020, when the fair and the rest of the world were stopped by a virus. Again, the fair recovered quickly and has been successful since, despite the weather not always cooperating.

In the earlier days of the fair, usually only one or two acts were booked in the grandstands during the festival. As told by Cantlon, in 1923, a car raced an airplane. No one is sure who won, but clearly the scope of the events has evolved over the years. Currently, major music acts are booked nearly every night of the nine-day-long festivities, with other events in the grandstand to fill the rest of the schedule.

Many would consider the musicians performing at the grandstand to be the biggest draw to the fair, with acts that most in America would recognize played almost daily. Names such as Blake Shelton, Toby Keith, Lil Wayne, Taylor Swift and dozens of others. These performances bring in people from out of state and attract many from the Air Force base to the north. But if you ask many others, you would be told the 4-H and FFA shows are the big draw for the State Fair.

Brexton Ehli, a 4-H participant from Minot who has been to the State Fair competition each year since 2019, said 4-H is an excellent way for youth to learn how to be successful and balance their time to do well. Ehli has sheep that he enjoys showing and doing well with. He has won “Best Overall Market” animal with one of his sheep projects. He said it felt good to be able to compete and have his friends there to see him do well.

He also won Grand Champion with an American Flag project he made with toy army men, which was his favorite non-animal project. Ehli said anyone who has not been to the fair is missing out. He brought up the fun that can be had with the rides, food trucks, vendors and animals, and he said that he would go back every year if he could.

When youth exhibitors are asked about their experiences at the fair in the past, answers vary from “busy” to “it’s an incredibly exciting experience.” Most will bring up the food and the concerts at the grandstand, but all say they look back and cherish the memories made there.

Timeline of major events

1879: Territorial legislators authorized a fair, before North Dakota even became a state.

1922: Ward County Fair was held in Minot.

1923: Ward County Fair became one of four regional fairs from state aid and had a record attendance of 18,000 people.

1936: The North Dakota State Fair was adopted by legislators.

1965: The fair in Minot was officially sanctioned by the state government.

1966: The first official North Dakota State Fair took place in Minot.

1975: All-Seasons Arena was built and put to use all year.

2010: New grandstand was built.

2011: The fair was canceled due to the flood. Much of the fairgrounds was under water.

2023: The fair sets record attendance with 356,534 attendees.