State Fair's Main Gate Temporarily Closed Over Protest--'Boycott Target' [View all]

Source: Newsweek

Published Aug 31, 2025 at 10:15 AM EDT


A protest briefly derailed the Minnesota State Fair on Saturday, forcing organizers to close a main entrance as demonstrators disrupted traffic.

According to a notice on the fair's website, Gate 5 was temporarily closed at around 1 p.m. local time, with buses paused and pedestrians directed to another entrance. Traffic resumed when the gate was reopened following the demonstration at 2:32 p.m., the notice stated.

Why It Matters

The Minnesota State Fair is an annual event which this year runs from August 21 through September 1. Also known as the "Great Minnesota Get-Together," the fair is one of the largest of its kind in the U.S. by attendance, attracting nearly 2 million visitors last year, and around 1.4 million as of Friday, per its own official estimates.

What To Know

The website did not list the motivation for the protest, though CBS News reported that the dozens of participants were holding signs, including one which read, "Boycott Target." The company, which is headquartered in Minneapolis, has been battling protests and boycott calls this year, in response to the company's decision to roll many of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) commitments in early 2025.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/minnesota-state-fair-main-gate-temporarily-closed-target-boycott-2122305