Watch CBS News

Minnesota State Fair's Board Approves Nearly $10 Million In Upgrades, Installation Of Metal Detectors

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minnesota State Fairgrounds will get nearly $10 million in upgrades prior to the 2020 Great Minnesota Get-Together, the fair's board announced Sunday.

The State Fair's board of managers held its annual meeting over the weekend in Bloomington.

The board approved a record $5.1 million in maintenance projects and another $4.5 million in capital work.

Fairgoers can expect improvements to every building in the State Fair's livestock complex, utilities and communications systems, among others. All projects will be funded through State Fair operating revenue and grants from the Minnesota State Fair Foundation.

The fair's board also approved the installation of fair-time metal detectors at entrance gates.

"We've looked at adding metal detectors to our public safety program for a while now," said State Fair General Manager Jerry Hammer. "We added bag checks in 2016, and this is the next step in maintaining a safe and secure environment."

Admission prices for the 2020 fair, which will remain unchanged from 2019, were also approved over the weekend.

The 2020 Minnesota State Fair runs Aug. 27 - Sept. 7.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.