The Minnesota State Fair is one of the most beloved traditions in the Twin Cities, and now it's getting the cinematic treatment. A new feature documentary called THE FAIR is in production, and it promises a fresh look at the Great Minnesota Get-Together that both lifelong Minnesotans and first-time visitors will appreciate.
A LOCAL FILMMAKER TURNS THE FAIR INTO ART
THE FAIR comes from Minneapolis filmmaker Alec Fischer, who has a personal connection to the fairgrounds. In high school, he spent two summers working at Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar, one of the fair's most iconic vendors. That behind-the-scenes view gave him a firsthand appreciation for the logistics, passion, and community that make the event run.
Fischer is an award-winning documentarian, so this is not his first ambitious project. For THE FAIR, he brought the Minnesota State Fair on board early, and the fair itself has publicly voiced its support for the film.
TWO MILLION PEOPLE, TWELVE DAYS, ONE SINGLE DAY ON SCREEN
Every August, close to 2 million people gather at the fairgrounds over 12 days, making it the most popular fair in North America. Rather than a traditional narrated documentary, Fischer shot THE FAIR in a quiet, observational style. He then edited the footage so the film unfolds across a single day, from dawn until dark.
The result is a movie with no narrator telling you what to think. Instead, the vendors, competitions, and traditions speak for themselves. It's a format designed to make a familiar place feel new, and to present Midwestern culture as high art.
For Twin Cities residents, that's a rare treat. We spend the tail end of every summer at the fair, and seeing it framed as cinema is a chance to appreciate the small details we might otherwise rush past. [INTERNAL LINK: relevant blog post or listings page]
HOW TO FOLLOW THE PROJECT (AND WHY IT MATTERS)
The team behind THE FAIR is currently raising $30,000 to complete the rough draft of the film by next fall. From there, the plan is to enter the 2027 film festival circuit, with a theatrical premiere to follow.
Beyond the film itself, projects like this matter for our region. When Minnesota stories reach national and global audiences, they put a spotlight on what makes the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota special. A documentary that treats our State Fair with this much care could introduce people around the world to a tradition we sometimes take for granted, and remind the rest of us why we love it.
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