Minnesota State Fair provides damage update after overnight storms

After severe overnight weather caused a rare two-hour delay to the opening of the Minnesota State Fair, officials have provided an update on the damage and debris caused to the state fairgrounds in St. Paul.

Wind gusts of between 50-65 mph sliced through the Twin Cities on Monday evening and again on Tuesday morning, causing damage to some stalls, while torrential rain caused flooding in parts of the fairgrounds.

The evening storm forced the closure of all live music at the fair, while cleanup had to be carried out Tuesday morning before the fair could open, leading to a later-than-planned opening time of 9 a.m.

Speaking Tuesday lunchtime, State Fair CEO Renee Alexander said a "handful" of booths received damage, while tree branch fell on an employee early this morning, causing a minor injury.

"The reason we delayed the fairgrounds was that the opening was to make sure everything was safe before we opened the fairgrounds to our guests," says Alexander.

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Alexander confirmed that this is the first time in "recent history" that the fair has opened behind schedule.

The fairgrounds had to be cleaned before reopening, and debris and other damage, including fallen port-a-potties, fallen trees, damaged booths, and more, had to be removed.

Almost everything has been reopened, according to Alexander. Rides are being inspected before the fairgrounds open.

One booth not operational on Tuesday belongs to the Minnesota Historical Society’s booth, which shared images of damage that's forced its closure for the day.

The Fair recently posted updates on its website at 10 a.m., confirming that the Mighty Midway will open at 10:30 a.m. and that Kidway and Adventure Park are already open.

Live entertainment has also been scheduled to continue today without any changes, with the only exception being the Veterans Garden Ceremony, which was moved from 9:15 a.m. to 10 a.m.