It is truly one of my favorite days going down to the fair.”

Commissioner Mike Slavik of District 1

In anxious quiet, white-clad youths parade cattle through the Henry and Katie Fox Show Arena before judges and audience alike. They hold the cows’ heads, pushing them in line and holding them in place. Some are dragged across the woodchips before regaining control. Then the announcer begins pulling cows from the line to discuss coloration, frame, feet, sweep and hardtop before awarding placements.
The Dakota County Fair has begun.
The Dakota County Fair ran from Aug. 5-11 at the Dakota County Fairgrounds in Farmington. The 175-year tradition dates back to 1849, predating the Civil War, women’s right to vote, and yes, sliced bread. Attractions at the fair included tractor parades, car shows, beer gardens, live music, and a demolition derby on Friday and Saturday night.
Dakota County has long boasted the largest 4-H group out of any county in the state, and at the Dakota County Fair, those numbers are on full display. From floral arrangements to animal judging to presentations on “why my cat meows,” the work of 4H members across all ages could be seen in the various showings and competitions throughout the weekend as well as in the displays scattered across the fairgrounds.
Other barns, whose roofs leaked during the Monday night storm, held independent clubs and displays like that of Minnesota G Scale Railway Station. Model trains circled in the space, blowing bubbles and disappearing through tunnels as children watched open-mouthed. The entire exhibit, complete with tiny buildings, fake trees and wiring hidden beneath a carpet of fake grass took two days to set up, according to member Sue Elliot.
Another key attraction of the fair, beyond the carnival rides and food trucks, is Dakota City, a model village composed of refurbished buildings ranging from a jail to train depot to barbershop to newspaper press. Dakota City is only available to the public during special occasions like the Dakota County Fair where reenactments of bank robberies, bounty hunters, and even a drunken cattle baron played out on the city’s unpaved streets.
On Tuesday, Aug. 6, the Dakota County Board of Commissioners held their weekly meeting at the fairgrounds. The meeting was chaired not by Chair Joe Atkins, but by Commissioner Mike Slavik of District 1 which contains both Farmington and Hastings.
“It is truly one of my favorite days going down to the fair,” said Slavik.
The board recognized 175th anniversary of the Dakota County Fair, as well as other agricultural achievements. The Lavendar Barnyard, a lavender farm located in Farmington, was awarded the 2024 Dakota County Farm Family of the year. The board also awarded centennial and sesquicentennial awards to the local farms.