Pine County Fair

The Pine County Fair is an annual event held at the Pine County Fairgrounds in Pine City, Minnesota, United States. The fair, like many in Minnesota, includes amusement rides, live entertainment and exhibits of farm animals, food, and flowers along with other types of specialty displays. Youth members of 4-H and Future Farmers of America participate by showing their animals and specialty collections.

Pine County Fair
GenreCounty fair
Date(s)First Weekend in August
Frequencyannual
Location(s)Pine City, Minnesota
Years active124
Inaugurated1892
Attendance40,000 (2017)[1]
Websitepinecountyfair.com

Demolition derby

Pine County Fair's biggest draw is the Demolition Derby. Considered the “hardest hitting demolition derby in the Midwest”,[2] the derby draws around 100 registrants each year and sells thousands of tickets, bringing in one-third of the total spending at the fair each year.[3] It is held during the first weekend of August.

Cars lined up prior to the Pine County Fair demolition derby.

History
  • From 1872 to 1888 Pine County and Chisago County held a joint fair.[4]
  • In 1911, Governor Adolph Olson Eberhart spoke at the fair.
  • No fair was held in 1917–18.
  • In 1939, Cedric Adams and Clellan Card were Master of Ceremonies at the grandstand.
  • No fair was held between 1942 and 1945.
  • In 1978, the first International Polkafest was held at the Pine County Fairgrounds and it was held there until it outgrew the space.[5]
  • In 1996, the grandstand was burned in a fire and later rebuilt with the help of the Pine City Lions.[6]
  • In 2014, the movie Derby Fever, by Dell Gross, about the Pine County Fair demotion derby, was released and shown at the Highway 61 Film Festival.[7]
  • In 2017, the economic impact of the fair on Pine City was studied.[8]
  • In 2018, a new beer garden and event center debuted at the Pine County Fairgrounds.[9]
  • In 2019, Governor Tim Walz visited the Pine County Fair[10] with Ag Commissioner Thom Petersen.
  • In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was to blame for cancellation of the fair.[11]
  • In 2021, fairgoers were paid $100 to get COVID-19 vaccinations.[12]

References
  1. "Pine County Fair: Attendee and participant assessment and economic value" (PDF). University of Minnesota.
  2. "Derby Fever: The Movie". Twin Cities PBS. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  3. Terry Salmela (11 May 2018). "Study: Pine County Fair brings in $927k". Pinecitymn.com. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  4. "Looking Back at The Pine County Fair" (PDF). Pine City Area History Association.
  5. Tyssen, Linda (9 April 2018). "Famed Polkafest enters 40th year". Mesabi Daily News. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  6. Mike Gainor (19 August 2016). "Pine City Lions celebrate half-century of service". Pinecitymn.com. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  7. Gainor, Mike (25 July 2014). "Pine County's 'Derby Fever' captured in new movie". Press Publications. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  8. "WCMP | East Central MN News, Sports, Music". www.wcmpradio.com. Archived from the original on 2018-12-20.
  9. Mike Gainor (August 2017). "New beer garden makes debut at 125th Pine County Fair". Pinecitymn.com. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  10. "Governor Walz takes a tour of the Pine County Fair". 9 August 2019.
  11. "At least 20 Minnesota counties have canceled their 2020 fair". 21 May 2020.
  12. "At Pine County Fair, $100 for COVID-19 shot is working". 6 August 2021.
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