The State Fairgrounds are huge, and sit vacant most of the year. Yes, there are events at particular spots such as car shows and exhibitions. These things would also be enhanced by a few improvements to the Fairgrounds.
The MN State Fair made $11.6M in profit last year (2022). That's over and above operating expenses. Total revenue was $67.3M in 2022.
Many of the buildings, such as the barns, were WPA structures built in the 1930's. Others are cinder-block structures with an eye towards functionality, rather than aesthetics. Efforts to retrofit these buildings with modern amenities have been sporadic. While some new bathrooms have been built, the facilities in these older buildings are reminiscent of the 1930s. While it may be "interesting" to see antique toilets and sinks, it's not as interesting to tolerate their quaint charms. And if anyone has seen the overnight facilities in the barns, it would take them back in time to 1930s military standards.
A decade ago, showers were added for the exhibitors who dwell there for several days. It's a modern facility, but a bit small for the need. Still, it could have been even more half-assed than it actually was, so I suppose one should be optimistic.
Things like plumbing, fixture, and electrical upgrades should be a "no-brainer" for a multi-million-dollar venue that plans to be around for decades longer. Things like portable, temporary sinks at the barn entrances to wash your hands should be made permanent. Spend the money to add new drains and water lines. There's 11 months out of the year in which those barns aren't being used. Plenty of time to dig up the floor and lay new drains, and hang new pipes. There's also time to wire new outlets and electrical drops.
But this is all simple stuff that any competent facility managers could see blindfolded.
So, here is my bold vision to take the Minnesota State Fairgrounds into the 21st century and leave the 1930s behind.
Wi-fi/Fiber
There is scattered wi-fi around the Fair, but it's for private use only. Having wi-fi available in common areas outdoors, such as around the Food Building, Ag/Hort, Machinery Hill, and the campground is relatively simple to accomplish. Fiber could, in fact, be laid around the entire Fairgrounds. Vendors wouldn't need copper phone lines to handle card transactions. While upgrades to routers would be an ongoing cost, the expense of laying fiber and adding ethernet would be a one-time cost. Once that was accomplished, adding a wi-fi access point inside buildings would be cheap. Adding an outdoor public access point would also be cheap.
Cellular data from carriers is overwhelmed at the Fairgrounds. It's a huge concentration of people, most of which have cell-phones. Blinding speed is not required; the ability to check emails, social media, and minimal web browsing is all that is needed. This could even be monetized by adding alerts for special deals. Those requiring higher speeds to upload pictures could rely on their cell networks -- which would now have less traffic.
For example, a wi-fi access point on top of the 4H building would cover Machinery Hill and the campground. Another on the Ag/Hort building would cover a lot of the common areas. A third access point on the Grandstand or Hippodrome would cover the rest. That's not a big expense to provide a basic amenity.
There's also a case to made for an intranet. Maybe you want to tell your aunt where you are, or a nifty product you just came across, or set up a meet. You don't need a global network for that; a Fairgrounds-wide intranet would do nicely.
Just as aside, I'll mention that the Gopher Radio Club operates a GMRS repeater just outside the Fairgrounds at the St. Paul campus. Anyone with a repeater-capable GMRS radio can use it to talk to their group. It runs on the 462.650/467.650 pair.
Charging stations
The Fair operates several info kiosks across the Fairgrounds. They all have electricity -- usually for fans and night-time lighting. Fair-goers could leave their phones to be charged at these spots, and be given a ticket to ensure that the charged phone is returned to the proper person. In other cases, outdoor wiring could be put in place in common areas to allow those who bring their own chargers to top off or use otherwise-exhausted phone batteries to make calls to check emails. These could be shaded kiosks (much like gazebos) that would even have USB-C chargers in place, with only the ends easily accessible to prevent theft. With most phones moving to USB-C (including iPhones), this could be relatively "future-proof". Only an adapter would be required for those using other phones, and that could be carried in a pocket (or sold nearby). It's only the particular connector that matters; everything is 5 VDC.
This would be a big step forward for those who spend all day at the Fair. It's not the 1930s (or 1980s) any more.
Solar power
There's huge potential to add solar power to the Fairgrounds. Few buildings are shaded by trees. The Grandstand, Hippodrome, and Ag/Hort buildings alone -- not to mention the barns and 4H building -- are ideal places to add solar panels. These would generate power year-round, assuming snow could be cleared in a timely manner. Either way, spring, summer, and fall the solar panels would be making money.
