EXHIBIT · MINNESOTA STATE FAIR
Meat & Fiber Goats
Meet the muscular meat goats and fuzzy fiber goats of the Great Minnesota Get-Together! The star of the meat-goat ring is the Boer goat, a stocky white-bodied, red-headed breed shown in fullblood, percentage, and commercial classes by 4-H, FFA, and open-class exhibitors. Alongside them you'll spot pint-sized Pygmy goats and the long, curly-coated Angoras whose silky fleece becomes the luxury fiber called mohair.
The 2026 Minnesota State Fair ended on Monday, September 7, 2026. Everything below describes the 2026 fair, which is the most recent one I hold — stands, buildings and rides carry over year to year, but dates, prices and schedules do not. I update it when the fair publishes for 2027. The 2027 fair runs August 26 – September 6, 2027 — 293 days away.
- Building
- Robert A. Christensen Pavilion
Which breeds are in the barn?
12 breeds are shown here: Boer (fullblood/purebred), Boer (percentage does), Boer (commercial does), Boer (fullblood/purebred bucks), Boer (market wether/meat goat), Kiko, Spanish (meat goat), Myotonic (Fainting goat), Pygmy, Nigerian Dwarf (pet/meat), Angora (mohair fiber), Pygora (fiber cross).
When is the judging?
- 4-H Meat Goat Showmanship — Thu 27 Aug
- 4-H Breeding Doe and Meat Goat Show — Fri 28 Aug
- Open Class Boer Goat Show — Tue 1 Sep
- FFA Meat Goat Show — Sat 5 Sep
When are the animals actually in the barn?
Meat and fibre goats are shown in the Robert A. Christensen Pavilion. The fair does not publish separate arrival and departure times for them; the pavilion keeps 8 a.m.–8 p.m. daily, closing at noon on Aug. 30, Sept. 3 and Sept. 7 for livestock departure.
Worth knowing
- Boer goats come from South Africa, and their name comes from the Dutch word 'boer,' meaning farmer. A grown Boer buck can weigh over 300 pounds!
- Angora goats grow a fluffy, curly coat called mohair, and a single goat can produce up to 10-16 pounds of it each year. It's sheared off twice a year, just like a sheep's wool.
- Myotonic goats are nicknamed 'fainting goats' because when they get startled, their muscles stiffen and they tip over for a few seconds. They don't actually faint, they're awake the whole time!
- Pygmy goats are small enough to be house-pet sized, often standing only about knee-high, but they are surprisingly strong and love to climb and jump.
- Goats have rectangular pupils, which give them a super-wide field of vision (almost all the way around their heads) to watch for danger while they munch.
Open this in MN Fair Guide
Find it on the map, get walking directions, and keep it all offline once you're inside the gates.
Last verified against the fair's own listing. Anything I cannot source I leave blank rather than estimate.
Compiled and checked by Keith Gulbro, who has been going to this fair for thirty-odd years and builds MN Fair Guide on his own — why he does it. Spotted something wrong? Tell him and it gets fixed.
MN Fair Guide is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the Minnesota State Fair. Browse the whole fair in the guide, read about the app, or send a correction.