The secret passages in the Minnesota State Fair’s Food Building

There's no need to shimmey your way through the crowds in the Food Building.

Give Me The Mike August 9, 2026 2 min read

The Food Building at the Minnesota State Fair is a blessing and a curse. There’s delicious food but it can get so crowded. I’m here to help you know exactly where to go so you’re not stuck sifting through the masses of people.

You need to know exactly what you want from the Food Building before entering the Food Building. If you want a Wild Rice Cheeseburger (one of my favorite Fair foods) and are on the west side of the building (closer to the Midway), you really need to walk around the outside of the building before going inside.

They may not be glamorous, but once you’re inside the Food Building, there are multiple shortcuts you can take.

Say you just picked up your cheese curds and want that Wild Rice Cheeseburger. Instead of walking through the entire building, you can take the doors near the Seafood Shoppe and walk straight ahead to get right to that burger.

This video shows the opposite route. Say you have a Wild Rice Cheeseburger and want deep-fried cookie dough. You don’t need to push your way through crowds.

There’s also a shortcut that takes you out near the cheese curds. That can be helpful if you need an immediate exit from too many people.

The Minnesota State Fair’s Food Finder specifically tells you which wall a specific vendor is on. You can find that Finder on their app, which is a free download for smartphones.