Every wondered how the Minnesota State Fair actually works? It’s so much more than corn dogs, Sweet Martha’s cookies, and rides.

It’s a $77 million operation that becomes Minnesota’s third-largest city for a magical 12 days every summer – with hundreds of vendors, thousands of workers, major concerts, livestock, overnight logistics that include hundreds of people spending the night, and millions of visitors.

On this episode of the Twin Cities Business Show, we sat down with Renee Alexander, CEO of the Minnesota State Fair, to go behind the scenes of The Great Minnesota Get Together.

Renee explains how the fair makes money, why Sweet Martha’s has become such a phenomenon, how the Grandstand lineup gets booked, what happens after the gates close at 11 p.m., how vendors are selected, and what it takes to run an organization that operates year-round for an event that lasts just 12 days.

She also shares the story of how she went from her first State Fair internship (a job that she originally lost out on) to becoming CEO.

In this episode:

• 00:00 Intro: The $77 million business behind the State Fair
• 00:51 Why Sweet Martha’s is so successful
• 06:09 How the State Fair makes money
• 06:38 The State Fair gets 15% of food sales and 18% of beer & wine sales
• 07:56 The State Fair is a $77 million operation
• 08:10 For 12 days, the fair becomes Minnesota’s third-largest city
• 08:28 How Renee measures a successful State Fair
• 09:45 State Fair ticket prices and affordability
• 11:00 How to experience the fair for less money
• 11:50 Renee’s guide to a great day at the State Fair
• 15:27 Who books the State Fair concerts?
• 16:40 How Rod Stewart, Salt-N-Pepa and other acts end up on the lineup
• 18:54 The story behind the TLC/Shaggy/Bone Thugs-N-Harmony lineup
• 19:54 Renee’s journey from State Fair intern to CEO
• 29:04 The business of the State Fair Midway
• 29:22 Why Minnesota has an independent Midway
• 30:46 The Great Big Wheel is getting even bigger
• 33:32 The business lessons of 4-H
• 35:18 Why Renee says 4-H looks good on a résumé
• 36:07 The “whole other fair” that happens overnight
• 38:46 What it takes to become a State Fair food vendor
• 40:46 How many people work year-round to make the fair happen
• 57:39 What makes a good CEO—and why leadership can feel lonely
• 58:14 How the Minnesota State Fair stays on top
• 59:34 The State Fair’s new recipe book