EXHIBIT · MINNESOTA STATE FAIR
Sheep
The Sheep Barn fills with the soft bleats of hundreds of woolly competitors as 4-H, FFA and open-class shepherds show off their flocks. You'll see both meat breeds, prized for their muscular builds, and wool breeds, judged on the quality and quantity of their fleece. Watch live sheep-shearing demonstrations where a single sheep is shorn of its entire winter coat in just minutes, then catch the crowd-favorite Dress-A-Sheep contest where kids costume their woolly partners in creative outfits.
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
- Sheep & Poultry Barn
Which breeds are in the barn?
12 breeds are shown here: Suffolk, Hampshire, Dorset, Columbia, Corriedale, Montadale, Rambouillet, Southdown, Border Cheviot, Lincoln, Shropshire, Babydoll Southdown.
When is the judging?
- Open Class Lamb Lead Show — Thu 27 Aug
- 4-H Lamb Lead Show — Thu 27 Aug
- Open Class Sheep Show (breed classes) — Fri 28 Aug, Sat 29 Aug, Tue 1 Sep, Wed 2 Sep
- 4-H Breeding Ewe Show — Fri 28 Aug
- 4-H Market Lamb Show — Fri 28 Aug
- 4-H Sheep Showmanship — Sat 29 Aug
- FFA Market Sheep Show — Sat 5 Sep
- FFA Breeding Sheep Show — Sun 6 Sep
When are the animals actually in the barn?
Sheep are at the fair all 12 days. Open class arrival: Wool Breeds – Wednesday, Aug. 26, 8 a.m. to Thursday, Aug. 27, 8 a.m.; Meat Breeds – Monday, Aug. 31, 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. Departure: Wool Breeds – Sunday, Aug. 30, noon to 4 p.m.; Meat Breeds – Thursday, Sept. 3, noon to 4 p.m. FFA sheep arrival Friday, Sept. 4, 4 a.m. to 1 p.m.; departure Monday, Sept. 7, noon to 4 p.m. 2026 Sheep Barn hours: 8 a.m.–8 p.m. daily except Aug. 30, Sept. 3 and Sept. 7, closing at noon for livestock departure.
Worth knowing
- A single sheep can grow 7 to 10 pounds of wool in a year, enough to knit several sweaters from just one animal's fleece.
- Sheep have a nearly 360-degree field of vision thanks to their rectangular pupils, so they can watch for danger without turning their heads.
- Meat breeds like Suffolk and Hampshire have black faces and legs, while wool breeds like Columbia and Rambouillet are prized for big, fluffy fleeces instead.
- Newborn lambs can stand and walk within minutes of being born, and they recognize their mother by the sound of her bleat.
- In the Dress-A-Sheep contest, young shepherds design costumes for their sheep, and the calmest, best-dressed pairs take home ribbons.
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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.