EXHIBIT · MINNESOTA STATE FAIR
Pets
The Pet Pavilions are the most playful corner of the fair, where dozens of dog breeds visit on a rotating daily schedule so you can meet a different lineup every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The grassy outdoor demonstration area buzzes with high-flying canine agility runs, obedience routines, and crowd-favorite police K-9 demos, while the interactive "Cats & Dogs The Exhibition" lets you test your own senses against a cat's whiskers and a dog's nose. Therapy dogs, an on-site Pet Surgery Suite, and companion critters round out a stop that is more about meeting and learning than ribbons and trophies.
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
- Pet Pavilions
Which breeds are in the barn?
16 breeds are shown here: German Shepherd Dog, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Greyhound, Keeshond, Doberman Pinscher, Border Collie, Australian Shepherd, Poodle, Bernese Mountain Dog, Siberian Husky, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Great Dane, Dachshund, Shetland Sheepdog, Newfoundland.
When is the judging?
- Pet Pavilions — daily Meet the Dog Breeds & pet demonstrations — Thu 27 Aug, Fri 28 Aug, Sat 29 Aug, Sun 30 Aug, Mon 31 Aug, Tue 1 Sep, Wed 2 Sep, Thu 3 Sep, Fri 4 Sep, Sat 5 Sep, Sun 6 Sep, Mon 7 Sep
Worth knowing
- The featured dog breeds change every single day of the fair, so a Greyhound or Keeshond you meet today may be replaced by a Great Dane or a fluffy Newfoundland tomorrow.
- In the agility demos, dogs zoom through tunnels, weave between poles, and leap over jumps faster than most people can run, all guided just by their handler's voice and hand signals.
- Police K-9 dogs show off the sniffing and searching skills they use on the job, and a dog's nose can be tens of thousands of times more sensitive than a human's.
- At the Cats & Dogs The Exhibition you can crawl, sniff, and pounce to compare your own senses to a cat's whiskers and a dog's super-powered nose.
- Friendly therapy dogs from local volunteer teams visit to offer calm cuddles and remind everyone that some of the best fair animals are there just to make you smile.
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.