Minnesota State Fair Opens Thursday; New Princess Kay Named

FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota State Fair is opening its gates for its annual 12-day run through Labor Day.

The 2015 edition of the Great Minnesota Get-Together starts Thursday. It features 40 new foods and 11 new frozen treats, from BBQ Pickle Ice Cream to Stuffed Italian Meatloaf On-a-Stick. Two new rides debut on the Mighty Midway: the New York New York Fun House and the Super Nova Roller Coaster. Free SPF 30 sunscreen is on tap at all information booths.

But officials canceled all poultry exhibitions because of the bird flu outbreak. However, the Poultry Barn will be busy anyway as the industry highlights the importance of turkey and chicken production to Minnesota.

A 19-year-old college student from Howard Lake has been crowned the 62nd Princess Kay of the Milky Way.

Kyla Mauk, who represented Wright County, won the title in a ceremony Wednesday night at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Her first official duty will be to sit for nearly six hours on Thursday, the opening day of the State Fair, to have her likeness sculpted from a 90-pound block of butter.

She will serve for the next year as the official goodwill ambassador for nearly 3,500 Minnesota dairy farm families.

Mauk attends South Dakota State University, where she is studying agriculture education. Eleven other county dairy princesses from across the state competed with her for the title.

Kylee Fernholz, representing Douglas County, and Ellen Sheehan, representing Olmsted County, were the runners-up.