2026 Minnesota State Fair Vendor 'Best Awards' Winners List

If the shorter days and cooler temperatures have you looking back longingly at summertime memories, how about a look back at the 2026 Minnesota State Fair?

In case you missed it at the end of this year's event, organizers of the Minnesota State Fair announced their annual "Best Award" winners, naming a dozen businesses among the best at this year's fair. In their fall newsletter, they recently reminded everyone about the end-of-fair announcement you might have missed.

While the long-running awards were once known as "People's Choice Awards" and "Outstanding Exhibit" awards, the rebranded "Best Awards" recognize outstanding vendors and exhibits as selected by the Minnesota State Fair's building superintendents and other fair organizing staff members.

The things this panel is looking for include:

Exceptional customer service and guest experience
Positive, knowledgeable, professional staff
Top-tier visual presence or presentation
Premium-quality product, service, or experience
Great value

Based on those factors, 12 different vendors, exhibits, and attractions were named to the list of best vendors at the end of the 2026 Minnesota State Fair.

The American Wheel, which replaced the ever-popular Great Big Wheel at this year's fair for America's 250th birthday, was the first of the vendors on this year's list.

Peachey's Baking Company was also a standout on the list, getting a lot of help on the 'exceptional customer service' element by adding a second trailer to speed up long lines this year.

Big Dog Corndogs became the first vendor that serves up corndogs (or the similar, but also different, Pronto Pups) to make the list in many years, while iPierogi, Strawberries 'N Creme and Loon Lake Iced Tea also joined the ranks of food & beverage vendors named to this year's list.

Activities Break a Plate by Thornberry Concessions, Lady Bugs by Prime Pacific Entertainment, and Starship at Mighty Midway earned honors this year.

Shopping vendors Cowboy Santa, Origami by Kannika, and The Straub Store, and the booth for building contractor Faithful Contracting rounded out this year's list of best vendors.

Ranking The Most Attended Minnesota State Fairs This Century

How does each year's Minnesota State Fair attendance rank among the most-attended since 2000? Here's how attendance numbers compare over the last two-plus decades at the Great Minnesota Get-Together.

NOTE: There are no 2020 Minnesota State Fair numbers because that year's event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper