The Billion-Dollar Secret at the Minnesota State Fair

Everybody loves the Minnesota State Fair. But that love has become so universal, so unchallenged, that it feels less like an opinion and more like a requirement. The Fair brings in more than $70 million in just 11 days, yet it hasn’t faced a full state audit since 2011. Vendors hand over millions in commissions each year—sometimes literally in cash—through a plain, unmarked door on the fairgrounds. Local media, meanwhile, often stick to puff pieces and nostalgia, leaving serious questions unasked. This video explores why. • Why does the Fair get to choose its own auditor? • How does the financial relationship with local news shape coverage? • And should Minnesotans be demanding the same scrutiny we’d give any billion-dollar business? Do you think the Minnesota State Fair gets the scrutiny it deserves—or is joy reason enough to look away? Drop your thoughts below. #Minnesota #StateFair #InvestigativeJournalism #HiddenMiddle ----- Watch ‪@christheproducer‬'s other State Fair video here:    • The SECRET Economy of America’s Largest ST...   🎙️ Alix Kendall, longtime Fox 9 anchor, can be found on her podcast Life, Unscripted at https://www.alixkendall.com/ 📰 Chris Vondracek writes for the ‪@StarTribune‬ out of their Washington DC office. His reporting can be found here: https://www.startribune.com/author/ch... 📺 Ian Russell, of KARE 11, can be found regularly on the local NBC affiliate here https://www.kare11.com/article/about-...