Grandstand Concerts - Does the Weather Matter?

Short Answer: No.

Long Answer: No. 

Here is the run down on the info from the official website: 

All concerts go on, rain or shine. Concert bookings do not allow for refunds or exchanges in the event of rain. If weather appears threatening, please bring jackets or ponchos. Use of umbrellas is prohibited at the Grandstand. 

As the Fair says, come prepared for rain, because according to their rules, you're not getting a refund for bad weather (hey man, I get it, not the greatest of news to hear, but come on - don't shoot the messenger!).

We hope to see you at the fair! Also, if you’re interested in purchasing tickets to any of the great Grandstand concerts, you can here! 

2010 Minnesota State Fair Grandstand - Minnesota State Fair Concerts are the BEST!

The 2010 Minnesota State Fair Grandstand line-up is out! and once again there is something for everyone. Check out the 2010 Grandstand Lineup:

7 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 26
BODEANS and
BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS


7:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 27
RUSH


7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 28
To Be Announced????


7 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 29
BRANDI CARLILE
with special guest Amos Lee


7 p.m., Monday, Aug. 30
SEETHER
with special guests Hinder and Black Stone Cherry


7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 31
CARRIE UNDERWOOD
with special guest Sons of Sylvia


8 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 1
“Weird Al” Yankovic


7:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 2
MERCYME
with special guest Jeremy Camp


7:45 p.m., Friday, Sept. 3
A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION
with GARRISON KEILLOR


8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 4
KISS


7 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 5
State Fair Talent Show


7:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 6
DUKES OF SEPTEMBER RHYTHM REVUE
Featuring DONALD FAGEN, MICHAEL McDONALD
and BOZ SCAGGS

Toby Keith at the State Fair

I just received an e-mail from one of my loyal readers looking for Minnesota State Fair tickets for the Toby Keith show on Monday, September 1st. It is to my dissatisfaction to have to report that this is an extremely difficult ticket to get - especially great ones, which my reader is looking for. State Fair tickets for this show sold super fast, including the great ones in Plaza 1. It has been my past State Fair experience that 9 out of 10 seats at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstands is a bad one. Unless you are in Plaza 1 you really do not have a clear view of the stage or the band you’re trying to see.

Minnesota State Fair tickets went fast for all of the big shows this year – the Minnesota State Fair schedule is a great one this season. In addition to Toby Keith there were other country acts, rock acts like the Black Crows and top 40 acts like Paramore and Gnarls Barkley. If you are looking forward to Toby Keith at the Minnesota State Fair you may want to use all of your resources to do so! Good Luck.

Backstreet Boys at Minnesota State Fair

My 15 year old (one month from 16 year old) niece Katelyn is ecstatic that the Backstreet Boys are coming in concert to the Minnesota State Fair. She knows I have a Minnesota State Fair blog so she asked if she could write something for it about the Backstreet Boys. I, of course, am always open to help on the blog front so here is what she wrote. Thanks Katers!

From anything on a stick to the beautiful weather, the State Fair is one of Minnesota's greatest attractions. I remember being about 12 years old and in love with the Backstreet Boys. My lifelong dream was to go see them in concert. Well, my life long dream will be accomplished on August 23, 2008 because the Backstreet Boys are now larger than life with their new mature look. I can't wait to see them live. I'm sure they will completely rock the Minnesota State Fair Grand Stands.

Want your own Backstreet Boys tickets? check out local brokers like Ticket King for great seats right up until the show date!

Minnesota State Fair Grandstand Announcement

For the third week in a row, the Minnesota Fair has sent me a concert announcement for my Minnesota State Fair blog! The fair board has completed the grandstand schedule for 2008 with the addition of:

Gnarls Barkley will headline at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27.

Paramore (one of my daughters favorite bands) with special guests Jack's Mannequin, Phantom Planet and Paper Route are set to perform at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26.

Additionally, The Black Keys have been confirmed as the special guest for The Black Crowes show at the Grandstand on Aug. 30.

Wow, it is going to be a stellar year for Minnesota State Fair grandstand shows! There is at least four that I am dying to go see, good thing I have some of that tax stimulus money left over, I am going to need it for my Minnesota State fair concert tickets!

Minnesota State Fair Concert Announcement and Facebook

For the second week in a row, I had an email from my friends at the Minnesota State Fair announcing another concert for the Minnesota State Fair grandstand. Here is an excerpt from the email:

Dear Fair Fans,

Get Ready! Now hear this--two new shows have been added to
the Toyota Concert Series at the historic Minnesota State Fair Grandstand.

A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor is set for 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29.
The Black Crowes will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30….

Don't forget to mark your calendar—the 2008 Great Minnesota Get-Together runs Aug. 21 through Labor Day, Sept. 1.

Our best wishes for a fantastic summer,
Your Friends at the Fairgrounds

P.S. If you've got a Facebook profile, log in and join hundreds of other fair fans by becoming a member of "The Official Minnesota State Fair Group."

I love it, the fair has a Facebook profile! When most people think of the fair, they think of the old farmers with their pin striped overalls and John Deer ball caps, not the young and trendy Facebook hipsters. I guess it is just more evident that the fair wants to keep its image young and “cool.”

Minnesota State Fair Grandstand Additions

Another concert announcement from the Minnesota State fair. I woke up yesterday morning and found this in my inbox:

Greetings from the Great Minnesota Get-Together,
We've just confirmed two more evenings of entertainment for the 2008 Toyota Concert Series at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand.

3 Doors Down with special guests Staind and Hinder will perform at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21. Tickets are $57, $47 and $32. Sales begin at noon on Saturday, May 31.

Christian artist Mark Schultz with special guests Big Daddy Weave and Lincoln Brewster is scheduled to play at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 28. Tickets are $28 and go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 31.

I love 3 Doors Down! Wow, this might be one of the best Minnesota State Fair Grandstand lineup ever!

Dierks Bentley Tickets

I confess, this Minnesota State Fair Blog owner joined the Dierks Bentley fan club just so I could get pre-sale Dierks Bentley tickets. I knew I had to work last Saturday (5/3) and I knew I would not have the opportunity to either:

A. wait in line at the fairgrounds (everyone knows they keep the best seats there) or
B. log on to Ticketmaster at 10am and hope for the best

I choose the C. option, pay $20 extra bucks and join the fan club for the year. I got 11th row main floor, which is great by me. I absolutely adore Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert and I am looking forward to a nice Monday evening at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand.
Still need Dierks Bentley Tickets? I just checked Ticket King and they have 2nd row for $188 per ticket. Ticketmaster has row 27 as their best option or row 22 if you choose the parking package option. Interesting, huh? See ya at the show!

Minnesota State Fair Concert Toby Keith

Finally, another Minnesota State Fair Concert announcement that I can get excited about! Toby Keith stops at the Minnesota State fair Grandstand with his Biggest & Baddest Tour at 7:30 p.m. on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1. Toby Keith hasn’t been to the Twin Cities for awhile and I am starting to have buyers remorse over my Brad Paisley tickets. I love Toby Keith and would rather see him. I think I am going to use my tax money to buy Toby Keith tickets as well.

Minnesota State Fair Concert Backstreet Boys

The Minnesota State fair leaked out a second concert that is scheduled at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand in 2008. The infamous Backstreet Boys are set to play the Grandstand at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 23. I can already hear the screaming tween girls. The state fair should feel privileged to have BSB on the docket since they haven’t announced very many American tour dates. Currently, the Backstreet Boys are touring in Japan, Australia and Europe as part of the Unbreakable tour.

The Backstreet Boys most recent single is “Inconsolable” which you may heard a few times on KDWB, but it wasn’t a real chart topper. It will be interesting to see what kind of ticket demand the Backstreet Boys will bring.

The 2008 Minnesota State Fair runs from August 21st through Labor Day, September 1st.

Brad Paisley show at Minnesota State Fair

There is finally some Minnesota State fair news to report! The Brad Paisley concert has announced it’s opening acts. Opening for Brad Paisley are “Stealing Cinderella” artist Chuck Wicks, Julianne Hough who won the past two seasons of "Dancing with the Stars" and singer-songwriter Jewel.

The show is sure to be a lot of fun. I already have my Brad Paisley tickets, but now one of my friends wants to go. I just checked on ticketmaster and the best pair of tickets is in grandstand section L, row 31! Woah – that is far back. Brad Paisley and friends would look like the size of “Ticks.” Perhaps I am a concert snob, but I am willing to pay more money if I can sit closer and so will my friend. I see Ticket King has Minnesota State Fair Tickets and their Brad Paisley Tickets are running about $200, but you are soooo much closer. This is going to be a hot state fair show, I am not sure if I should tell my friend to wait to buy tickets or not. I bet it sells out and that will only drive the ticket king prices higher.

Brad Paisley Tickets

I got pretty good Brad Paisley Tickets – I am in the 15th row on the main plaza. It looks pretty good on the State Fair Seating Chart and when I was at the grandstand last year I remember thinking that most of the first 20 rows on the plaza looked like good seats.

I bought three tickets and I am looking forward to the summer night out at the fair. I am giving a pair of tickets to my daughter for Christmas so that means I will be screaming I love you Brad along with my daughter and one of her friends. Now the real question is will the fair get the Paisley tickets to me in time to put them under the tree?????

Brad Paisley Ticket Sale

Brad Paisley tickets go on sale this Saturday! I can’t wait! I know that August feels a long way off, especially with a looming snow storm on the radar, but State Fair Concert tickets are hitting the streets and it’s a sign of happy warm summer days to come. I have to admit I have asked Santa for a pair of really good Brad Paisley tickets. If there aren’t any good ones on ticketmaster then I will pay the broker fees and get them from Ticket King. See ya at the fair!

BRAD PAISLEY at the Minnesota State Fair GRANDSTAND

The Minnesota State fair is hoping to cash in on holiday spending by announcing their first grandstand concert. Brad Paisley will be at the State Fair Grandstand on Friday August 22nd. Tickets go on sale Saturday December 1st. I have to admit I am a huge Brad Paisley fan and I missed the show last year at the fair, but I won’t be missing it this year and neither should you! Buy Minnesota State Fair Tickets early and give the gift of music this year! The state fair is putting together a great marketing campaign around the show, complete with catchy tag lines like put a little Paisley in your stocking…Brad Paisley of course!

Minnesota State Fair Guide

This weekend, the Minnesota State Fair Guide comes out in the local paper. I love spending my Sunday morning pouring over the Fair Activities and Grandstand line-up. The guide is also the best place to read about State Fair deals and discounts. If you need Minnesota State Fair tickets, I would recommend getting them early. The best grandstand seats sell out fast. I know Ticket King, a local Minnesota ticket broker, had great seats to Brad Paisley on August 23rd last month, but now I see most of the good ones are gone (they had the first few rows from the stage) - I think the Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift and Kellie Pickler concert is going to be one of the hottest summer shows of the year. It's a great way to kick off the great Minnesota get together! Buy your Minnesota State Fair concert tickets now and enjoy reading the official state fair guide this weekend!

Fire Prevention Day at the Fair

Governors Fire Prevention day is one of my favorite days at the fair. The ninth annual "Governor's Fire Prevention Day" will take place on Friday, August 24, 2007, bringing the fire safety message to over 100,000 people in a single day. Fire departments from around the state of Minnesota get together to teach fair goers about fire safety. This is the world’s largest public safety event! There are plenty of games and prizes for the kids and the adults! I like to watch the fire explorers put on demonstrations like smoke house and the repel activities. Last year the fair even put on a special salute to armed forces and firefighters from 9-11. Governor Tim Pawlenty was on hand to give a speech and show his respect for those serving our country. Radio personality Amy James from K102 had the honor of introducing the Governor who then orchestrated a moment of silence for the fallen heroes. If you or your family likes to hear bagpipes, this is also the day to come out to the fair. Bring your whole family and spend the day at the fair! Don’t miss the Goo Goo Dolls Concert at the Grandstand Friday night. I can’t wait to see you all at the great Minnesota get –together!

Discounts at the Fair

Every Minnesotan loves a good bargain and the state fair is no exception. This years SPECIAL DISCOUNT DAYS are:

Thrifty Thursday: August 23; adults (13 and over) $8; kids (5-12) $5; and children under 5 are always FREE! Enjoy all day discounts on Mighty Midway and Kidway rides, games and concessions. GRADNSTAND CONCERT: Brad Paisley

Seniors Day: Monday, August 27; seniors (65 and over) $5. GRANDSTAND CONCERT: Weird Al

Kids Day: Monday, August 27 (5-12) $5; and children under 5 are always FREE! Enjoy all day discounts on Mighty Midway and Kidway rides, games and concessions. GRANDSTAND CONCERT: Weird Al

$8 at the Gate Day: Tuesday, August 28; Everyone (5 and over) $8. GRANDSTAND CONCERT: The Allman Brothers Band

Hop On Transit and Save Day: Wednesday, August 29; State Fair Express Bus fare is just $3 round-trip. Express or regular route bus-riders may request a coupon for $2 off a regular-priced State Fair admission ticket purchased at the gate. Enjoy all day discounts on Mighty Midway and Kidway rides, games and concessions. GRANDSTAND CONCERT: Vince Gill

Seniors Day: Thursday, August 30; seniors (65 and over) $5. GRANDSTAND CONCERT: B.B. King

Kids Day: Monday, September 3; kids (5-12) $5; and children under 5 are always FREE! Enjoy all day discounts on Mighty Midway and Kidway rides, games and concessions. GRANDSTAND CONCERT: Def Leppard


For this state fair lover, more than one trip to the great Minnesota get together is needed. I will be at that fair for sure on opening day there are always great deals and I can’t wait to see Brad Paisley with special guests Jack Ingram, Kellie Pickler and Taylor Swift at the Grandstand. I will also be going on Labor Day to get all of those great fair close-out merchant deals and to see Def Leppard with special guests STYX & Foreigner – what a great way to end the 2007 Minnesota State Fair! I can hardly wait! Get your Minnesota State Fair Concert Tickets now!

Minnesota State Fair Grandstand

The Minnesota State Fair Grandstand is going to be rockin' in 2007!!! Look at the great line-up!!!
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Brad Paisley with special guests Jack Ingram, Kellie Pickler and Taylor Swift
Thursday, Aug. 23, 7:30 p.m.
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The Goo Goo Dolls with special guests Lifehouse and Colbie Caillat
Friday, Aug. 24, 7:30 p.m.
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Fergie
Saturday, Aug. 25, 7:30 p.m.
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Joan Jett and the Blackhearts with special guest TBA
Sunday, Aug. 26, 7:30 p.m.
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"Weird Al" Yankovic with special guest Tonic Sol-fa
Monday, Aug. 27, 7:30 p.m.
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The Allman Brothers Band with special guest Robert Randolph & the Family Band
Tuesday, Aug. 28, 7 p.m.
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Vince Gill Friends and Family Tour featuring Amy Grant and The Del McCoury Band
Wednesday, Aug. 29, 7:30 p.m.
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2007 B.B. King Blues Festival featuring Al Green and Etta James and her Roots Band
Thursday, Aug. 30, 7 p.m.
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A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor
Friday, Aug. 31, 8 p.m.
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MercyMe with special guest Aaron Shust
Saturday, Sept. 1, 7:30 p.m.
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Minnesota State Fair Amateur Talent Contest Finals
Sunday, Sept. 2, 8 p.m.
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Def Leppard with special guests STYX & Foreigner
Monday, Sept. 3, 6:30 p.m.
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