Registration open for State Fair Amateur Talent Contest
Published 1:14 pm Wednesday, June 18, 2025
- A crowd packs onto the street on the opening day of the Minnesota State Fair in 2019. - Christine T. Nguyen/MPR News
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Amateur singers, dancers, musicians, jugglers, acrobats and talented people of all ages and abilities are invited to register to audition for the 52nd annual Minnesota State Fair Amateur Talent Contest sponsored by Chase.
Auditions run July 21 through July 27 at the bandshell on the fairgrounds, according to a press release. Registration is available online at https://www.mnstatefair.org/
The deadline to register for auditions is 4 p.m. July 23. Everyone who auditions receives a commemorative MSF Amateur Talent Contest T-shirt.
From the summer auditions, semifinalists are selected to perform during the first 10 days of this year’s Minnesota State Fair on the bandshell stage. Winners from the semifinals then compete in the finals on Aug. 31 on the Grandstand stage. In total, more than $20,000 in prize money is awarded to the first- through third-place winners in three divisions: Open Division (any age), Teen Division (ages 13-18) and Preteen Division (ages 12 and under).
Over the past five decades, more than 17,500 acts have auditioned for the MSF Amateur Talent Contest, with more than 5,800 qualifying for semifinal competition. More than $275,000 in prize money has been awarded to top finishers. Past winners include Nashville-based country music singer-songwriter Caitlyn Smith, local theater actor Max Wojtanowicz, beatbox artist DJ Snuggles, piano prodigies Emma and Jacob Taggart, and Minneapolis’ first family of soul The Steeles, according to the release.
Showcasing Minnesota’s finest agriculture, art and industry, the Great Minnesota Get-Together is 12 days of fun ending Labor Day.
The 2025 Minnesota State Fair is Aug. 21 through Labor Day, Sept. 1. Visit mnstatefair.org for more information.