County Fair Grants help Minnesota county fairs preserve and promote Minnesota agriculture and provide access to the arts and the state’s agricultural, historical, and cultural heritage. Funds come from the Minnesota Legislature through the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation Program (AGRI) and the Legacy Amendment.
New for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027
- If you sign a contract with a vendor (performer, contractor, supplier, etc.) before you have your fully executed grant contract, it will not be eligible to be reimbursed.
- If you make any payments before you have your fully executed contract, they are not reimbursable.
- In the application, you must provide status updates on FY 2024, 2026, and 2026 AGRI grants and FY 2025 and 2026 Legacy grants.
- Though you’re not required to submit a budget for your Legacy project, you are responsible for verifying that your project meets the scope of work and project eligibility requirements for this grant. You will be required to report on your project details and we will review your expenses based on these criteria before issuing any reimbursement.
- Before a grant contract is awarded, we need a completed Pre-Award Certification Form. It must be signed by an individual that has authority to sign legal documents on behalf of your county agricultural society.
- If you have a website, you must clearly post the names and contact information for your organization’s leaders and any employee(s) or person(s) who directly manages and oversees the grant contract agreement.
Amounts Available
Two types of grants are available. Your fair can apply for one or both.
AGRI: Preserving and Promoting Minnesota Agriculture
- $1 million is available in equal shares to the state's county fairs. For 2027, each fair can apply for $10,700. You have up to three years to use your AGRI funds.
- AGRI funds must be used for projects that preserve and promote Minnesota agriculture. Project examples include sound equipment for judging in livestock barns, hand sanitizing stations in barns, fans for livestock barns, and agricultural education displays.
Legacy: Promoting Minnesota Arts and Agricultural History
- $500,000 is available in equal shares to the state's county fairs. For 2027, each fair can apply for $4,780. You have until June 30, 2028, to use your Legacy funds.
- Legacy funds must provide access to the arts or the state’s agricultural, historical, and cultural heritage. Examples of eligible projects include spinning demonstrations, pottery workshops, antique farm equipment displays, and chainsaw artists.
Applicant Eligibility
County agricultural societies (i.e., county fairs) are eligible to apply.
Applying
Applications are due by 4 p.m. Central Time on Thursday, November 19, 2026. Late applications will not be accepted.
- Carefully read the Request for Proposals - County Fair Grants 2027 (PDF) for guidelines on eligible and ineligible expenses.
- Apply for the FY27 County Fair Grant using our online application system. Contact us if you need this information in a different format.
- If you are a new user, you will need to create an account.
- Once you are logged in, select “County Fair Grants FY27.”
- After you’ve submitted your application, you should receive a confirmation email. If you don’t, contact us.
We review applications on a rolling basis. You should expect to receive your Legacy grant contract agreement approximately 30 days after submitting your application and your AGRI grant contract agreement in late February, 2027.
