How much have prices changed at the Minnesota State Fair? A UST study is tracking the impacts on your wallet.

How much have prices changed at the Minnesota State Fair?

That’s the question at the center of a study done by the University of St. Thomas called the On a Stick Index.

The study, which began in 2025, tracks how prices of everyday items and services at the fair have been impacted by inflation.

It started as a collaboration between Associate Professor of Economics Tyler Schipper and St. Thomas students, but this year, a University of Minnesota and a local high school student were added as well.

“What we do is go out and track prices at the state fair to see how they’re changing across time. What types of prices are changing? Is it mostly food? Is it mostly drinks? Is it admissions? Is it parking? [We want] to try and give people an overall feeling about how prices are evolving,” Schipper said.

He added that prices were up a little under 3.1% and highlighted a few of the notable price changes this year.

The Turkey to Go turkey leg went from $18 to $20, a 16-oz bucket of fresh French fries went from $9 to $9.75, and Pronto Pups went from $7 to $7.50 if you’re paying with a card, according to the study.

On the other hand, the index showed that a few items stayed the same: Sweet Martha’s Cookies pail at $20, all-you-can-drink milk for $3, Mouth Trap Cheese Curds at $9 for a regular basket and an ear of roasted corn for $5.

The study found that parking and admissions, along with the price for attractions like the Space Tower and Ferris Wheel, remain unchanged from last year.

A couple of St. Thomas students commented on why they think the study matters and what it could mean for everyday people.

“What drew me into this project was the opportunity to connect classroom learning to real life, and especially a Minnesotan tradition like the state fair,” Hidanshi, a University of St. Thomas student, said.

Another St. Thomas student, Vuyo, added: “It was so fun to have concepts from school and applying them to actual real life situations, like calculating inflation at the state fair and being able to publish some of that data and helping everyday individuals understand economics, understand what’s happening in their country, in their state and just able to be conscious about their spending at the state fair and how that changes every year.”

Schipper added that going forward, they are looking for a sponsor from an outside company or vendor to make the opportunity bigger and get more students involved.

To see more data from the On a Stick Index, click here.
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