The Minnesota State Fair is cranking its food game up again for 2026, rolling out 36 new dishes and nine new vendors, from a pickle-filled dessert to plant-based Korean barbecue bao buns. The official new lineup blends deep-fried stunt food with globally inspired plates and a fresh wave of small local operators making their debut. The Great Minnesota Get-Together runs Aug. 27 through Labor Day on Sept. 7, giving fairgoers 12 days to hunt down their new favorites.
Official list and standout items
The Minnesota State Fair’s official new-foods page breaks down all 36 dishes and nine new vendors, including Lulu’s Public House’s Pickle Pie and Rooted & Wild’s Korean BBQ Bao Buns, and it includes a printable map that shows where to find each one. According to the Minnesota State Fair, other headline-worthy additions include Cracklin’ Corn Ribs, Longanisa Cheese Curd Lumpia and a French Chouxnut Sundae. Some items will be offered only on certain days or in limited runs, and visitors with allergies are urged to confirm ingredients directly with each vendor.
New vendors to watch
The nine newcomers span everything from neighborhood market concepts to seasoned festival pros. Among them is Jive Turkey BBQ, serving a Crack-n-Cheese bowl centered on hickory-smoked turkey, and Iemochi Japanese Confections, which will offer candied Tanghulu fruit skewers. As reported by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, several of the new vendors trace their roots to local food halls and markets that are increasingly feeding talent into the fair’s roster. For visitors, that translates to everything from shareable snack bowls to full-on entrees scattered across the grounds.
What the lineup shows about fair-food trends
This year’s slate keeps nudging the fair toward more globally influenced and plant-forward options while still delivering the over-the-top fried creations regulars expect. Local coverage has followed how partnerships with places like Midtown Global Market and a growing pool of small vendors have steadily reshaped the food scene at the fair, and those trends are clearly visible in the 2026 picks. The Star Tribune has documented similar shifts and rollouts in past years, charting the fair’s evolution from classic-on-a-stick to something closer to a roaming food hall.
Plan your visit
For anyone plotting a full-on food crawl, the State Fair provides a printable new-foods list and vendor map online, and some of the dishes will be available only on select dates within the 12-day run. According to the Minnesota State Fair, details on gates, hours and ticketing are available on the fair’s website and through its app. Fairgoers with allergies should double-check ingredients with each stand, and those hoping to avoid serious crowds may want to plan around the typically packed weekends.
