Now accepting applications
During the 12 days of the State Fair, at least 250,000 visitors come through the exhibit looking for ideas, asking for advice, and seeking information about environmental issues and technology.
Sustainability Stage application
We are seeking demonstrations and performances on a variety of topics, such as:
- Yard and garden: Ideas include taking care of plants and rainwater in your yard, composting, container gardening, native plant gardens, rain barrels, seed saving
- Energy: Ideas include energy efficiency, conservation, renewable energy, how to seal air leaks, wind energy jeopardy, stories of being a hyper-miler or living in a net-zero home
- Getting around: Ideas include transportation with less environmental impact, biking, impacts to air quality of transportation choices or fuels
- Water: Ideas include adventures on Minnesota waters, water conservation, water protection or drinking water.
- Food: Ideas include how to grow or prepare locally grown foods, cheese-making, bee keeping, backyard chickens, sprouting, canning, drying, urban farming and organic food
- Creative ventures: Ideas include creating new items from “trash,” upcycled clothes, recycled-content kids art ideas, recycled glass blowing demo, theatre or film
- Citizen science: Lake monitoring, loon counts
Applications due April 20, 2108
Use the Fun Finder
The State Fair's online schedule includes Eco Experience's daily presentations and demonstrations. Bonus: Use their My State Fair tool to create your personal planner of everything you want to see and do at the Minnesota State Fair this year!
Sustainability stage from 2017
Presenting a wide variety of environment and sustainability-related topics, interactive discussions, music, demonstrations and more. Something for every shade of green!
Renewing the Countryside cooking stage with daily demos at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. where local chefs and foodmakers will bedazzle with cooking using local, organic foods.
September 1
| 10:00 a.m. | Bike basics Introductory information about safe cycling skills and techniques, including rules of the road and ABC quick check. (CJ Lindor, Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota) |
| 11:00 a.m. | Renewing the Countryside cooking demonstration: Chocolate (Susan Brown, Mademoiselle Miel) |
| Noon | Green or not? Learn simple things you can do to green up your life, step by step. (Ramy Selim, Sunny Day Earth Solutions) |
| 1.00 p.m. | Renewing the Countryside cooking demonstration: Chocolate (Susan Brown, Mademoiselle Miel) |
| 2:00 p.m. | Bike basics Introductory information about safe cycling skills and techniques, including rules of the road and ABC quick check. (CJ Lindor, Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota) |
| 3:00 p.m. | Renewing the Countryside cooking demonstration: Chocolate (Susan Brown, Mademoiselle Miel) |
| 4:00 p.m. | Tying sustainability and art into a remodel project ECO builder/remodeler Ramy goes through a major remodel project step by step and gives simple sustainable solutions, as well as easy ways to tie creativity and art into them. (Ramy Selim, Sunny Day Earth Solutions) |
| 5:00 p.m. | T-shirt transformations: It’s time to update your collection of vintage Tees Learn how to repurpose t-shirts into a cool new tote or workout shirt. (Terralee Armbruster, Punchy Magnolia) |
September 2
| 10:00 a.m. | Living a zero waste life? Have you heard about folks who say they put a year's worth of waste in a 12-ounce Mason jar? Even if we were able to do that, would we want to?! How different would our lives be? Let's talk! (Kristin Grangaard) |
| 11:00 a.m. | Renewing the Countryside cooking demonstration: Wickelklosse - traditional German potato dumplings (Karl Gerstenberger, Waldmann Brewery and Wurstery) |
| Noon | Arc Value Village and MPCA thrift fashion show Michelle Raven, creator of the personal shopping service at Arc’s Value Village Thrift Stores helped create a multi-textured look for a wide variety of people. Come see how much fun thrifting can be! (MPCA staff and friends) |
| 1.00 p.m. | Renewing the Countryside cooking demonstration: Wickelklosse - traditional German potato dumplings (Karl Gerstenberger, Waldmann Brewery and Wurstery) |
| 2:00 p.m. | Arc Value Village and MPCA thrift fashion show Michelle Raven, creator of the personal shopping service at Arc’s Value Village Thrift Stores helped create a multi-textured look for a wide variety of people. Come see how much fun thrifting can be! (MPCA staff and friends) |
| 3:00 p.m. | Renewing the Countryside cooking demonstration: Wickelklosse - traditional German potato dumplings (Karl Gerstenberger, Waldmann Brewery and Wurstery) |
| 4:00 p.m. | How to lower your carbon food print Find out about how your food choices impact the planet and what easy steps you can take to reduce that impact, like eating seasonally, buying in bulk, and paying attention to food packaging. (Kristine Kvamme, Do It Green!) |
| 5:00 p.m. | Bringing communities together Come learn how the community garden and fruit tree orchard play an important role in providing healthy food and helping people feel as though they are a true part of the community. (August Hoffman, Metro State University) |
September 3
| 10:00 a.m. | Growing a food forest at home Tired of mowing the grass? Learn how to replace your lawn with a Food Forest! Learn about all the latest growing trends: Native plants, pollinators, healthy soil, seed saving, wise water use, observing natural cycles, pollinator habitat, and harvesting food at home! (Russ Henry, Giving Tree Gardens) |
| 11:00 a.m. | Renewing the Countryside cooking demonstration: Recipes from Appetite for Change and Community Cooks (Lachelle Cunningham, Breaking Bread Foods) |
| Noon | Agricultural plastics recycling Why recycling agricultural plastics is important and how Revolution Plastics is collecting and recycling ag plastics for Minnesota farmers. (Price Murphy, Revolution Plastics) |
| 1.00 p.m. | Renewing the Countryside cooking demonstration: Recipes from Appetite for Change and Community Cooks (Lachelle Cunningham, Breaking Bread Foods) |
| 2:00 p.m. | Growing a food forest at home Tired of mowing the grass? Replace your lawn with a Food Forest! Learn about all the latest growing trends: Native plants, pollinators, healthy soil, seed saving, wise water use, observing natural cycles, pollinator habitat, and harvesting food at home! (Russ Henry, Giving Tree Gardens) |
| 3:00 p.m. | Renewing the Countryside cooking demonstration: Recipes from Appetite for Change and Community Cooks (Lachelle Cunningham, Breaking Bread Foods) |
| 4:00 p.m. | The Solar Power Hour! Join the solar energy revolution! Learn about solar energy options available to Minnesota residents, system types, financial considerations, and how to go about selecting the right installer. We’ll cover what you need to know to get started. (Devon Cupery, Midwest Renewable Energy Association) |
September 4
| 10:00 a.m. | How Minnesota became a biodiesel leader Next year, Minnesota will reduce its diesel consumption statewide, replacing traditional fuel with biodiesel made from excess vegetable oils and waste grease. Learn how biodiesel is better for human health, our climate and our vehicles. (Bob Moffitt, American Lung Association) |
| 11:00 a.m. | Renewing the Countryside cooking demonstration: Cooking with Tammy Wong (Tammy Wong, Rainbow Chinese Restaurant and Bar) |
| Noon | Make your own nontoxic paint This is a hands-on kids demonstration where the kids make their own nontoxic paint and paint with it. Tons of fun for kids of all ages! (Ramy Selim, Sunny Day Earth Solutions) |
| 1.00 p.m. | Renewing the Countryside cooking demonstration: Cooking with Tammy Wong (Tammy Wong, Rainbow Chinese Restaurant and Bar) |
| 2:00 p.m. | Make your own nontoxic paints and finishes Ramy goes through the history of paint, how to choose store-bought nontoxic paints, as well as how to make your own paints and finishes! (Ramy Selim, Sunny Day Earth Solutions) |
| 3:00 p.m. | Renewing the Countryside cooking demonstration: Cooking with Tammy Wong (Tammy Wong, Rainbow Chinese Restaurant and Bar) |
| 4:00 p.m. | |
| 5:00 p.m. |
Reduce reuse recycle
In the Repair to Reuse area, get a hands-on reuse experience that will appeal to the seasoned repair person and the new DIYer. Daily demos by fixit experts.
Air Quality Index forecasting
Meteorologists will be available for questions and demonstrations on Thursday, August 24, and Thursday, August 31, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. They will explain the various pieces of the puzzle that go into air quality forecasting including air quality and weather monitor measurements, satellite and radar imagery, forecast models, and how pollution such as particulate matter and ground-level ozone is impacted by weather.