'One Of The Safest Places On The Planet': Only 9 Arrests After Nearly 2 Million Came To Minnesota State Fair

FALCON HEIGHTS, MN — The 2026 Minnesota State Fair closed out its 12 day run as one of the safest in years, with police reporting just nine citations and arrests, down from 16 last year.

"The fair very may well be one of the safest places on the planet for everything but your wallet and intestines," noted X user Union.

The Great Minnesota Get-Together drew 1,923,325 people between Aug. 27 and Sept. 7, according to final numbers released by fair officials.

That total was 17,344 behind last year's turnout and lands the 2026 fair seventh all-time in total attendance.

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher called it the safest fair in the last three years, the Pioneer Press reported.

No violations of civil gang injunctions were reported at or around the fairgrounds, officials said, a result they credited to increased law enforcement presence and outreach from the nonprofit Youth Legacy.

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The quiet year followed a proactive push by law enforcement and prosecutors ahead of the fair.

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed civil gang nuisance actions against members of two rival gangs after years of tension at the fairgrounds, including brawls in 2024 and 2025.

Fletcher's office also sent 233 warning letters to young people between the ages of 16 and 22 who had been identified in gang investigations, urging them to stay away.

Authorities did log 676 assists on medical calls during this year's fair, up from 355 last year.