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No Fair? Star Tribune Hosts Virtual State Fair— The Great “Not-Getting-Together” of 2020
Twelve Days of Coverage, Online Celebrations and Reimagined Events Will Help Minnesotans Continue Traditions During COVID-19 Pandemic
MINNEAPOLIS — Aug. 18, 2020 — Aiming to ease the disappointment felt across the state following the cancellation of the Minnesota State Fair, Star Tribune Media Co., Minnesota’s largest media company, today announced it will host a “virtual State Fair” beginning on Aug. 27, 2020. The 12 days of special content and events will unfold online, on social media channels and in print over the coming days.
Star Tribune’s reimagined State Fair content will feature top-tier musicians including Lucinda Williams, Lyle Lovett, Nur-D, Lady Midnight, the Jayhawks and Dan Wilson headlining 13 “mini-Grandstand” shows streamed online. It also includes an amateur talent showcase, interviews with Minnesota newsmakers, as well as features on butter carving, beer tastings, and—of course—food favorites.
The full Star Tribune Virtual State Fair calendar is at www.startribune.com/statefaircalendar.
Links to features and events are at www.startribune.com/statefair as they become available.
“While the State Fair might be a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic, we still wanted to create opportunities for Minnesotans to sustain their favorite traditions,” said Steve Yaeger, chief marketing officer and senior vice president of circulation. “The Virtual State Fair might not include a trip down the Giant Slide, but we can still help Minnesotans enjoy the sounds and tastes of what we’d have to call ‘The Great Not-Getting-Together’ event of 2020. Of course, we hope this is a one-time-only event and we can all return to the fairgrounds in full force in 2021.”
Featured Programming and Content:
Virtual Concerts – Star Tribune welcomes top talent from national acts like Andre Cymone to local favorites including Kat Perkins and Nicholas David to perform streamed concerts each day from a “virtual Grandstand.”
Food Favorites – Food writers Rick Nelson and Sharyn Jackson have been hunting down the trucks, shacks, restaurants, and even grocery aisles that can provide the best corn dogs, cheese curds, and other annual favorites.
Beer Tastings – Beer writer Michael Agnew will lead virtual beer tastings—one for summer, one for fall—on the fair’s two Thursday evenings.
Amateur Talent Competition – We’re keeping alive one of the great State Fair traditions with an online talent competition where Star Tribune readers will be the judges.
Fact Frenzy Trivia Contest – The Great Minnesota Quiz-Together! Reporters Eric Roper and Nicole Norfleet will host a trivia contest that features great prizes—and bragging rights.
DIY Crafts – Columnist Jennifer Brooks helps readers experience fair traditions from home with how-tos on felting, seed art, baking with Sweet Martha and carving small blocks of butter with guidance from Gerry Kulzer, this year’s official carver.
Conversations with Newsmakers – Conversations with Minnesota newsmakers will move from the Star Tribune Stage to the screen this year, as journalists visit with Gov. Tim Walz, Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker, the Mayo Clinic’s Dr. Gregory Poland, Minnesota Lynx head coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve, and others
Fair Minute – James Lileks walks the now-empty fairgrounds to remind us how its traditions live in the buildings and on the grounds themselves.
About Star Tribune Media Company
Star Tribune Media Company LLC is a locally owned, award-winning media company serving Minnesota and the upper Midwest. With the third-largest Sunday and sixth-largest daily circulation metro print newspaper in the U.S., the most-visited local website, a range of home-delivered advertising solutions, a popular arts/entertainment brand, and a growing portfolio of events, Star Tribune reaches more consumers than any other Minnesota media brand. For more information, visit www.startribunecompany.com
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Media contact:
Steve Yaeger
612-673-4256 (office)
651-357-3036 (mobile)
steve.yaeger@startribune.com
