University of Minnesota experiences at 2022 State Fair celebrate statewide outreach, impact

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (08/23/2022) — Just like fairgoers around the state, excitement is growing as the University of Minnesota prepares for the 2022 Great Minnesota Get-Together. This year’s State Fair will feature 12 days of U of M events, exhibits, experts and experiences showcasing the extraordinary things the University of Minnesota does for each and every Minnesotan and people around the world. Highlights of the U of M presence at the State Fair are included below, but visitors are encouraged to view the entire schedule of activities and events at state-fair.umn.edu. 

Driven to Discover research building
The Driven to Discover (D2D) research building, located at 1367 Cosgrove Street, welcomes fairgoers to participate in active University research while at the Fair. In the building, researchers engage in community-focused discovery by conducting experiments and surveys to solve grand challenges, with more than 61,600 fairgoers visiting the building in 2019. With more than 40 projects, there’s something for every fairgoer to participate in, contribute to or learn more about. Project topics this year range from career transitions to 3D hand scans, earwax, oak trees, comedy, vaccination, joint mobility and more. A complete list of research projects is available at d2d.umn.edu.

U of M Central building
The U of M Central building and stage, located at 1673 Dan Patch Avenue in the Crossroads Building, will feature an array of programming throughout the 12 days of the Fair. Events and exhibits include music and dance performances by student artists; U of M Marching Band Alumni and MinnesoTap; opportunities to interact with Gopher student-athletes and teams; and demonstrations by many university colleges and departments. Guests can also shop for systemwide merchandise and Gopher game tickets. A full schedule is available on state-fair.umn.edu. The U of M Central Building is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Extension and 4-H activities
All across the State Fair, visitors will see the U of M’s statewide impact through 4-H, a U of M Extension youth development program that engages K-12 participants from all 87 Minnesota counties. Activities include Arts-In performances, a llama and alpaca costume competition and more than 1,000 "blue ribbon" youth showing livestock in the animal barns. Extension experts and attractions are also in the U of M Central building and other locations, including Master Gardeners in the Agriculture Horticulture building with tips and answers to yard and garden questions. View the full schedule at z.umn.edu/Extension-2022-state-fair. 

CFANS displays and activities
The U of M College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) will have a variety of hands-on opportunities at the Agriculture Horticulture Building from working with seeds, to handling live bugs and solving food mysteries. Hop atop a drone (using virtual reality glasses) and “fly” through the Bell Museum’s exhibits to celebrate its 150 years of scientific discovery. CFANS experts, scheduled throughout the length of the Fair, will present innovative science-for-life on several topics including farm animals, crop development and renewable agriculture resources, sustainable turf management, and more. View the full schedule at z.umn.edu/CFANS-fair-2022.

Goldy vs. Cancer Day
The Masonic Cancer Center is taking over the U of M Central building on Friday, Aug. 26 to engage Minnesotans in all aspects of cancer research and care happening at the U of M. Become a scientist for a day by trying out lab tools, find out how to stay healthy before, during and after a cancer diagnosis and participate in interactive presentations on the University of Minnesota stage. Follow along on social media by searching #GOpherACure. For more information visit z.umn.edu/Goldy-vs-cancer-2022-state-fair.

Transportation
Free shuttles run daily from parking locations on the East Bank of the Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis (with the exception of Sep. 1 due to Gopher Football). These shuttles are open to the general public as well as members of the U of M campus community, with parking options available for free in some of the campus’ surface lots. For detailed transportation information, visit mnstatefair.org/transportation.

Social media
Follow the U of M at the State Fair through #UMNonaStick on these social media channels.
Twitter: @UMNews
Facebook: facebook.com/UofMN
Instagram: @UMNtwincities