Photo by Caitlin Abrams
Big crowd at the State Fair
The Minnesota State Fair is officially back this week, a staple Minnesotan tradition over 150 years strong. From pails overflowing with cookies to you-name-it on a stick, the wide variety of food vendors dotted across the fairgrounds has become synonymous with the Fair itself, acting as one of the main reasons many fairgoers attend in the first place.
However, the growing food popularity hasn’t come without its own fair share of problems. In 2020, the Fair was forced to shut its gates for the first time in 75 years due to the growing COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the Fair announced what they called a “food parade,” allowing hungry fairgoers the opportunity to get their Fair food fixes, drive-thru style. Sixteen food vendors participated, including Sweet Martha’s Cookies, Tom Thumb Donuts, and Turkey To Go. But then the Fair reopened gates to a reported 1.2 million guests in 2021, and 1.8 million a year later, according to the State Fair attendance records. Many vendors reported that they were struggling to find enough employees to man the booths and keep up with the Fair’s heavy foot traffic.
Despite the sense of thrill and adventure that working a State Fair job could bring, many people were looking for a job with more stability, more pay, and more benefits. As a result, hundreds of job openings laid dormant on the Fair’s website, waiting to be filled, just weeks before the Fair started. Vendor jobs weren’t the only jobs affected. People working for the State Fair itself, like in sanitation or the ticket booths, were also lacking in numbers.
For 2023, however, things seem to be looking up on all fronts. Many major-league food vendors have reported that the amount of applicants isn’t just meeting expectations—it’s exceeding them.
“We have been overloaded with applications this year,” says Dan Wozniak, owner of the Fresh French Fries booth. “We hire about 150, and have had at least 275 applications to date. I have never needed to do any kind of recruiting, it’s all word of mouth.”
Other vendors, like cookie connoisseur Sweet Martha’s Cookie Jar, are on track for success when it comes to employment.
“We're 95% of the way to our goal of having 730 team members, and we're confident that we'll reach it in time for the fair,” says Sweet Martha's spokesperson Erica Dao. “[It] has been a successful process for us to fill the roles we need for our three locations.”
State Fair jobs also saw a steady stream of applicants too, but are always open and accepting new applicants. The wide variety of jobs to do leaves many preferences to job seekers, according to State Fair spokesperson Maria Hayden.
“I don’t know that there’s one top coveted position, because it really varies per interest. A lot of people who love meeting different people really enjoy that role of ticket scanners. Or if you like to do your own thing, a sanitation [position] where you work at your own time is a better fit for you,” Hayden said.
Volunteer work is also a viable option for filling up spots in concession booths, according to Hayden. Sports teams, community organizations, or any organized group can come and volunteer, from just two hours to the entire span of the Fair. All the money earned will go towards the fundraiser of their choice.
“No matter what your availability or interest level is, we’ve got a lot of different things people can try out to get involved and be a part of the game,” Hayden said.
