Any trip to the dark night skies of our Southern California deserts reveals a vista full of wonder and mystery — riddles that astrophysicists like myself spend our days unraveling.

I am fortunate to study how the first galaxies formed and evolved over the vast span of 13 billion years into the beautiful structures that fill those skies. NASA’s crown jewel, the James Webb Space Telescope, has delivered measurements of early galaxies so puzzling that, more than three years after its launch, we are still struggling to understand them.

My work on ancient galaxies may seem to have no relevance to the enormous challenges that confront our nation every day. But if we look back over the last 80 years, ever since World War II turned America into the epicenter of global science, curiosity-driven investigation — in astronomy, quantum materials, evolutionary biology and more — has been a pillar of American progress.

But science in America is now under dire threat. President Donald Trump’s administration is laying waste to both national laboratories and federal support for academic science.

Scientific staff is being sharply reduced from the National Park Service to the National Science Foundation and everywhere in between. Looking at the president’s science funding proposals across many agencies, the 2026 fiscal year budget calls for a 34% cut to basic research. The plan slashes NASA’s budget to the lowest amount since human space flight began more than 60 years ago, canceling or defunding dozens and dozens of NASA missions. Already, the NSF has halved support for the most promising American graduate students.

Scientists are speaking up against this destruction, of course. There are strong practical reasons to back science: It is a powerful engine for economic growth, and it is essential for understanding and mitigating the dangers of the natural world — whether they be the Los Angeles wildfires (which my family fled in January) or the tragic floods in Texas last month.

As important as these pragmatic arguments are, their focus on quantifiable, short-term benefits undervalues the true worth of the scientific enterprise. Occasionally, curiosity-driven inquiry — basic science — rapidly enables new technology, but more often its first impact is the wonder we experience at novel measurements, whether contemplating ripples in space-time generated by colliding black holes, underwater ecosystems that draw energy from geothermal vents rather than the sun, or the relic microwave radiation of the Big Bang.

The practical impacts that follow are unpredictable; if the goal is to explore the unknown, then the benefits are also unknown. (Let us not forget that even Columbus was sorely mistaken about what his journey would uncover.) Only through hard work to understand and unpack new discoveries do their full benefits become clear, and that can take decades, as with how Einstein’s theory of relativity (published from 1905 to 1915) eventually enabled GPS technology.

Government support is essential in this process. Although Hollywood often portrays scientific discovery as the work of lone geniuses, far more often it is an incremental process, inching ahead through insights from disparate research groups leveraging cutting-edge infrastructure (such as Arctic research facilities and orbiting telescopes), which can only be built through the focused resources of government investment. Every American taxpayer has helped enable innumerable scientific advancements because they are largely due to our nation’s investments in the public goods of people and facilities.

Of course, these advances have cost money, and we must always ask how best to balance the long-term benefits of science against our country’s other urgent needs. (The enormously popular James Webb Space Telescope, for example, was massively over budget, which led to budget-estimation reforms at NASA.) In 2024, the total science budget, outside of medical research (and its obvious practical benefits), was about $28 billion.

This is a large number, but it is still just over one-half of 1% of all spending outside of Social Security and Medicare: For every $1,000 in spending, about $6 — one tall Starbucks Caffè Mocha or Big Mac in California — supports fundamental scientific inquiry.

Yet the current administration has chosen to hack away at budgets rather than do the hard work of self-examination and improvement. American science, and especially the emerging generation of young scientists, will not survive these cuts. If implemented, the administration’s framework will choke off new technologies before they are only half an idea, leave fundamental questions about the universe unanswered and chase a generation of scientists to other countries.

By any measure, American science is the envy of the world, and we now face a choice: to remain at the vanguard of scientific inquiry through sound investment, or to cede our leadership and watch others answer the big questions that have confounded humanity for millennia — and reap the rewards and prestige. Only one of those options will make the future America great.

Steven R. Furlanetto is a professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA. He wrote this column for the Los Angeles Times.

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Before Poland’s illiberal Law and Justice party came to power in 2015, the country had been deep in a reckoning over its role in the Holocaust. In 2000, historian Jan Gross published an explosive book, “Neighbors,” about a 1941 massacre in the Nazi-occupied Polish town of Jedwabne, where Poles enthusiastically tortured and murdered up to 1,600 Jews. The book punctured a national myth in which Poles were only either heroes or victims in World War II.

After “Neighbors” came out, Poland’s president, Aleksander Kwasniewski, went to Jedwabne for a ceremony broadcast on Polish television. “For this crime, we should beg the souls of the dead and their families for forgiveness,” he said.

The notion of Polish historical guilt made many conservative Poles furious. The Law and Justice party capitalized on their anger, running against what its leader called the “pedagogy of shame.” After the party’s 2015 victory, one of its first targets was the Museum of the Second World War, then being built in Gdansk.

The museum was supposed to explore the war’s global context and to emphasize the toll it took on civilians. Among its collection were keys to the homes of Jews murdered in Jedwabne. Before it ever opened, Law and Justice wanted to shut it down for being insufficiently patriotic.

Today in America, this history has an eerie familiarity. Five years ago, many institutions in the United States tried, with varying degrees of seriousness and skill, to come to terms with our country’s legacy of racism. A backlash to this reckoning helped propel Donald Trump back into the White House, where he has taken a whole-of-government approach to wiping out the idea that America has anything to apologize for. As part of this campaign, the administration seeks to force our national museums to conform to its triumphalist version of history.

In March, Trump signed an executive order, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” criticizing versions of history that foster “a sense of national shame.” Museums and monuments, it said, should celebrate America’s “extraordinary heritage” and inculcate national pride. This past week, the administration announced that it was reviewing displays at eight national museums — including the Museum of American History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Smithsonian American Art Museum — and giving them 120 days to bring their content in line with Trump’s vision.

We’re already seeing glimpses of what that looks like. Last month, the National Museum of American History removed references to Trump’s impeachments from an exhibit on the American presidency. Those references were restored this month, but with changes: The exhibit no longer says that Trump made “false statements” about the 2020 election or that he encouraged the mob on Jan. 6.

Amy Sherald, the artist who painted Michelle Obama’s official portrait, canceled an upcoming solo show at the National Portrait Gallery after being told the museum was considering removing her painting of a transgender Statue of Liberty to avoid angering Trump.

The National Portrait Gallery denied this, but the Trump administration declared victory. “The Statue of Liberty is not an abstract canvas for political expression — it is a revered and solemn symbol of freedom, inspiration and national unity that defines the American spirit,” said Lindsey Halligan, a Trump lawyer who is now in charge of getting museums to reflect the administration’s ideology. What Trump and his allies seem to want from our museums is self-glorifying kitsch, the aesthetic lingua franca of all authoritarians.

For Pawel Machcewicz, founding director of the Museum of the Second World War, it’s been unsettling to see American museums subject to the sort of political intimidation he experienced in Poland. “I believed that American democracy had somehow stronger rules,” he told me by phone this past week. “It’s older than Polish democracy. I thought the autonomy of research, the autonomy of museums, would be something sacred in the U.S. It turns out that it can also be subverted. So this is a very pessimistic lesson for us.”

But Machcewicz’s story has a lesson for Americans that’s at least cautiously optimistic. Rather than submit to Law and Justice’s attempt to destroy his museum, he battled the administration in court and was able to hang on long enough to open it in 2017. After only two weeks, the government succeeded in ousting him, but the fight over the museum’s fate garnered major national and international attention, dramatizing the autocratic nature of the new Polish regime.

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Standing up to his government was costly. Machcewicz said he was subject to two separate criminal investigations, and for a time he left the country. “There is a high, high price to pay for such a resistance, and I am not going to condemn anyone who is not willing to pay such a price,” he said. But for him, it was worth it. After Law and Justice lost the 2023 election, Machcewicz became chair of the board of the museum, and it has been restored to its original design.

That doesn’t mean the contest is over; Law and Justice may well retake power in 2027. But for now, Machcewicz has the peace that comes from doing the right thing. “If I had capitulated, I would have been a completely frustrated man, because I would feel like someone who has betrayed himself,” he said. It’s a message that those who are tempted to try to appease this administration, at our museums or anywhere else, might remember.

Michelle Goldberg writes a column for the New York Times.

For 10 years, Pat Anderson has been running a nonprofit from her home, spending upward of 40 hours a week knitting, packaging and sending products to her valued network of women, all by hand.

Anderson, 92, retired from work in 2015, but a passion kept her on her feet: one that supports breast cancer survivors who’ve undergone mastectomies, like she did after being diagnosed at 74.

“Just look at how enthusiastic I am after 10 years,” Anderson said. “You know, this is by far the best and most rewarding project I’ve ever done, and the one I’m most proud of.”

Her passion project began 43 years after moving from her home state of Minnesota to California. In 2015, Anderson was introduced to the concept of hand-knit prosthetics after her daughter sent her a photo of knitted bust forms she’d seen in a shop. The product lit a fire in her, Anderson said, as she researched the knitting pattern and thought, “I can do this better.”

In 2017, she began sending samples of her Busters Project knitted bust forms to hospitals in San Diego and received referrals from survivor after survivor. Since then, Anderson has gifted Busters to more than 4,000 survivors across the U.S.

“The whole purpose of the Busters Project is to help restore some feminine dignity and normality for those women who have undergone mastectomy,” Anderson said. “Simple as that.”

Instilling confidence in survivors

Busters Project hand-knit bust forms. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)

Having one’s breasts removed is an incredibly vulnerable and invasive experience, Anderson said.

It can leave women feeling as though they’ve lost a part of themselves – a physicality that is linked to their femininity, sense of self and sexuality, she said. The Busters Project recognizes this complexity and has created a bond between the thousands of members nationwide who have received a pair of Busters and support the mission.

So what are Busters exactly? Busters are bust forms made from soft knit and padding material that can be placed against the skin, inside a bra, as an option for those who’ve undergone mastectomies to keep the shape of breasts under clothing, as they desire.

Busters range from size double A to double D and rest comfortably against the chest. They are machine washable, seamless, lightweight and more comfortable and affordable than any silicone prosthetic Anderson has ever come across – a design obviously created by a man, she said. Busters come in pastel colors of pink, blue, yellow and more, but never beige or anything dark.

“This is about the most feminine project you can imagine,” Anderson said.

Any breast cancer survivor can request a pair of Busters from Anderson free of charge, though they are encouraged, but not required, to send in a donation after they’ve received the product, which helps pay for materials to create the next pair of Busters. It functions as a sort of pay-it-forward system, according to Anderson.

“These are presents,” Anderson said. “These are personal gifts from one survivor to another.”

Serious knitters

Busters Project founder Pat Anderson, left, and trainee Pat Schaniel look through Anderson’s favorite handspun projects, like her red cardigan, at her home in Chisago County on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)

Anderson is no “little old church lady,” she said, and running the Busters Project is not meant for the enthusiastic beginner knitting hobbyist. Knitting the way she does is something that requires years of experience, dedication and care for the craft.

“This is a serious operation because it solves a really serious problem,” Anderson said. “Those darn silicones are the number one source of misery and stress for every single woman who has undergone a mastectomy.”

At age 3, Anderson said she was constantly fiddling around with yarn, string and fabric. Then, during World War II, at the age of 8, Anderson learned to knit from her mother and grandmother, who belonged to a knitting auxiliary, creating sweaters, vests, bed socks and more.

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“I was sitting around watching them, and the next thing they did to shut me up was teach me how to do a long-tail cast-on and gave me a ball of yarn,” Anderson said. “I spent one whole summer casting on and ripping out. I wore out that ball of yarn.”

She established Spin Shuttle Studio in 1971, a textile and textile teaching studio, where she taught weaving to students in her home in Roseville. In 1982, she moved to California, where she and her daughter, Chris, worked together. Chris was a shepherd, Anderson said, and the two created wool yarn from the sheep, which Anderson spun.

Anderson also developed patterns for hand knitting and worked on woven and hand-knit projects, which the two sold, along with their yarn, “Ewe and Me,” at the Boardwalk Crafts Market in Poway, Calif., until Anderson retired.

“My students in Roseville, if any of them are still around, will remember me exclusively as a weaver,” Anderson said.

By 2019, Anderson was joined by two other stellar knitters who have been an integral part of the Busters Project, Pat Moller and Jane Rilly. The two are close friends of hers as well, she said, something that tends to happen when people are passionate about the work they do, something bigger than themselves.

“We were a really tight-knit group,” Anderson said. “It’s amazing, I was talking to Pat the other day and she said when she first started working with me, she thought it was just a knitting project. But once we got into it, and we started getting feedback from women in the mainstream and finding out what we were actually doing, she said, it became more of a calling.”

The next step

Busters Project founder Pat Anderson, left, shows trainee Pat Schaniel what a fully stuffed Busters looks like at her home in Chisago County on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)

At 92, Anderson is looking to pass the mantel to a new team of volunteers. She’s lived in Minnesota now for a little over a year and deemed it “serious knitters country,” something California was not, she said.

“I couldn’t take it any further in California, because I just couldn’t find good knitters, and this calls for really top-notch technique and knitting skills,” Anderson said.

Her dream would be to have a team of six volunteers with knitting experience from childhood, especially “women who were taught by their mothers or grandmothers and have been seriously knitting ever since.” They would be asked to produce two pairs of Busters a week and meet with the team monthly for business meetings and to purchase materials.

“With personal knitting, or recreational knitting, you have no rules, anything goes, you can do whatever pleases you, but studio knitting is different,” Anderson said. “There are strict, stringent rules that have to be met: legal, technical and ethical.”

Experienced knitters interested in volunteering will be trained by Anderson in her home in Chisago County for about a month to learn how to create Busters from start to finish. Once the team has been trained to meet artisan standards, Anderson said, they can work independently and find their own pacing. While two pairs a week are expected, the quota is not set in stone, she said, and no one will be shamed for not meeting it.

Anderson said she also needs someone who can take over her managerial role. Someone with small-business experience, preferably with a connection to the arts, who knows how to update a webpage, she said. She wants someone who understands her determination to keep the Busters Project on a reasonably sized scale, who will not commercialize it, as it would reduce the quality and detract from its origins, she said.

“And we always could use women who serve as advocates to help spread the word, because this is all word of mouth,” Anderson said. “I never run an ad and I never solicit donations, except when I send out Busters.”

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Leading the Busters Project has never tired Anderson, she said. She is just as passionate about it now as she’s ever been.

One thing that keeps her going, she said, is the thank-you letters she receives in return.

“Thank you for helping me feel like a woman,” they say.

Or, “This is an answer to a prayer.”

Other recent messages: “God bless you,” “I feel like a girl again,” “I feel normal,” and “the smallest things do actually make the biggest impact.”

“It’s not just an object,” Anderson said. “It’s something that becomes personal to their dignity. That’s the thing about the Busters Project, everybody wins.”

Busters Project

To learn more about the Busters Project, visit spinshuttlestudio.com.

Those interested in joining the team can reach out directly to Anderson at spinshuttlestudio@gmail.com.

Twelve days of the Minnesota State Fair means the Fairgrounds are open for 190 hours, which is 11,400 minutes, which means that out of the 3,829 activities on the Fair’s official schedule, we can do each one for 2 minutes and 58.6 seconds if we…

Whew. Deep breaths.

There’s so much happening all the time at the State Fair that it’s impossible to do everything — but that’s part of the joy of the Great Minnesota Get-Together! Alongside your favorite annual traditions, there’s always more to explore: activities you haven’t done yet, foods you haven’t tasted yet, animals you haven’t petted yet.

Here’s our day-by-day guide to some free Fair fun to put on your radar that you might not have known about, and that won’t cost an arm and a leg — because you’ll need those for walking and Pronto Pup-eating.

THURSDAY, Aug. 21

Daily deal: Brave the opening-day crowds with cheaper admission: Adults can get in for $18, and kids and senior tickets are $15. Plus, ticket deals all day on rides and games at the Mighty Midway, Kidway and Adventure Park.

Today’s theme is: STEM Day. Along with a variety of science, tech, engineering and math activities at Dan Patch Park, catch the University of Minnesota Physics Force troupe performing at 9:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m., the university’s Raptor Center at 10:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. and local musician Terrell X running a program called “Engineering a Human Beat Box” at 1:15 p.m.

FOUR FOR FREE:

PERK UP: Comedy magician Chipper Lowell brings his funny and mesmerizing schtick to the State Fair for a high-energy all-ages show. 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. at Family Fair Stage at Baldwin Park (and same times on Aug. 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26)

GET COZY: Learn to spin or felt wool. (You can also learn to wash and dry it earlier in the day, should you so choose.) 2 to 4 p.m. at Sheep & Poultry Barn (and same times Aug. 22, 23, 25, 26 and 27)

SPEAK FOR THE TREES: It’s the classic “The Lorax,” as told through puppets by We All Need Food & Water. 4 p.m. at The DIRT demonstration stage at the Agriculture-Horticulture Building

FREE SHOW OF THE DAY: Singer-songwriter Rachel Platten makes more music than just her inescapable 2015 hit “Fight Song.” 8:30 p.m. at the Bandshell (and same time on Aug. 22)

Fairgoers plunge down the Giant Slide at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

FRIDAY, Aug. 22

Daily deal: Ticket promotions till 1 p.m. on rides and games at the Mighty Midway, Kidway and Adventure Park.

Today’s theme is: Governor’s Fire Prevention Day, with activities and safety demonstrations around the Fairgrounds. At Dan Patch Park, see mock car crashes at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m., participate in a quiz show at 12:30 and 4 p.m. (sorry, firefighters, you’re not eligible) and hear from officials including Gov. Tim Walz at 11:30 a.m.

FOUR FOR FREE:

BE THERE OR: Be square! The Square Dance Federation of Minnesota, a group of 22 clubs, is putting its best foot forward. 1 and 2:30 p.m. at Cosgrove Stage (and same times on Aug. 21)

PAIR: Deeann Lufkin, head cheesemaker and owner of Cannon Belles Cheese, will talk about pairing Minnesota wines with Minnesota cheeses, both of which are better than you might expect. 3:30 p.m. at Minnesota Wine Country (and same time on Aug. 29)

TWEET: The old-fashioned way by learning how to identify birds. Figure out how to tell birds apart and connect with community birding resources at Birding 101. 5 p.m. at The DIRT demonstration stage at the Agriculture-Horticulture Building

FREE SHOW OF THE DAY: Apart from hosting KFAI’s very-long-running folk music show “Womenfolk,” Ellen Stanley also performs her own tunes as Mother Banjo. 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. at the West End Market Stage at Schilling Amphitheater (and same times on Aug. 21)

3 P.M. — Two-year-old Carol Fischer and her brothers, Benjamin, 6, and Timothy, 3, right, enjoy a handful of cotton candy as they ride in a wagon at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

SATURDAY, Aug. 23

Today’s theme is: 4-H Day. Separately, over at Dan Patch Park for Hubbard Broadcasting Day, hear tapings of the Tom Barnard Podcast at 10:15 a.m., KS95’s Staci and Hutch’s “Say Too Much” Podcast at 1:30 p.m. and KS95’s After Hours Podcast with Crisco, Dez and Wes at 2:45 p.m.

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FOUR FOR FREE:

GRILL: 4-H youth show off their secret barbecue sauce recipes on chickens they’re grilling in the 4-H Chicken BBQ Contest. 8:30 a.m. at Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum

IT TAKES TWO: Tango Society of Minnesota dancers present classic Argentinian dance. 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. at Cosgrove Stage

MELT LIKE LEMON DROPS: Children’s Theatre Company performers will present a quick rendition of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz.” 12:45 p.m. at Dan Patch Park

FREE SHOW OF THE DAY: Kat Perkins, the Twin Cities musician and “The Voice” semifinalist, brings her Good Time Band to the Fair. 6:30 p.m. at Cafe Caribe

6 P.M.: Members of the Minnesota State Fair Mounted Patrol ride their horses along Liggett Street at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

SUNDAY, Aug. 24

FOUR FOR FREE:

BAAA-LOWEEN: Teams of four people in themed costumes race to dress up a sheep in a matching outfit, and the audience votes for their favorite group. 9 a.m. at Sheep & Poultry Barn

SLITHER: Come hang out with friends from the Minnesota Herpetological Society, both human and reptile. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at DNR Garden Stage (and same time Aug. 31)

GALLOP: Massive, muscular draft horses are not commonly ridden — they’re workhorses, literally — but Draft Horse Barrel Racing sees talented equestrians ride them at high speeds around obstacles. 3 p.m. at Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum

FREE SHOW OF THE DAY: Arrested Development, the Grammy-winning hip hop group that’s been performing and championing social causes for more than three decades, takes the stage. 8:30 p.m. at the Bandshell (and same time on Aug. 23).

12 P.M.: Penelope Kofoed, 4, enjoys some down time on the shoulder of her dad, Alex, as the Minnetonka family explores the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

MONDAY, Aug. 25

Daily deal: It’s Seniors Day, so bring your friends (or yourselves) aged 65+ for $15 admission tickets. Plus, early-bird specials till 1 p.m. on rides and games at the Mighty Midway, Kidway and Adventure Park.

Today’s theme is: Mental Health Awareness Day. Throughout the day, catch performances at Dan Patch Park from intertribal collective Imnizaska Drum Group, Hmong dragon dancing pioneer Alivia Lor, local folk duo Wren and Wilde, drag family Mystereo, musician Abraham Westlund, introspective songwriter Elska and renowned drum group Red Lake Singers.

FOUR FOR FREE:

ROCK ON: Geologically speaking. Kids can hunt for pieces of Lake Superior agate, the Minnesota state rock. (Did you know we had a state rock?) 12 and 2 p.m. at DNR Building

CHAIN REACTION: Bicycl-ologically speaking. Mr. Michael, from the eponymous and delightfully rhyming local bike shop Mr. Michael Recycles Bicycles, will share some bicycle maintenance tips. 12 p.m. at Eco Experience

MAKE A MOVE: Terpsichorially speaking. Take a break from eating to join a quick Zumba dance-fitness class. 3:30, 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. at Cosgrove Stage (also at 1 and 2:30 p.m. Aug. 28 and at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. Aug. 30)

FREE SHOW OF THE DAY: Another big-name free show, Mexican American cross-genre rockers Los Lobos have been in the game for more than 50 years, so they know what they’re doing. 8:30 p.m. at the Bandshell (and same time on Aug. 26).

TUESDAY, Aug. 26

Daily deal: In honor of Military Appreciation Day, $15 admission across the board for active military and spouses/kids, retired military and spouses and military veterans and spouses, with valid documentation of service. (Please note a slight change from previous years: This discount still extends to all spouses, but only children of active military are eligible for reduced-price admission.) Plus, get ticket deals all day on rides and games at the Mighty Midway, Kidway and Adventure Park.

Today’s theme is: Military Appreciation Day. The Red Bull Band, the 34th Infantry Division Band Ensemble, is performing at Dan Patch Park at 1:30, 2:25, 3:30 and 4:30.

FOUR FOR FREE:

SIT / STAY: Both things you can do while watching talented dogs show off their obedience training skills and run agility courses. 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Pet Pavilion outdoor demo area

MOO: Will potentially be said by humans, not cows, during the 23rd annual Celebrity Farm Animal Calling Contest. 12:20 p.m. at Moo Booth

PORTOBEL-LEO: Maybe you know your zodiac sign, but what’s your fungus sign? This mycology astrology is hosted by the University of Minnesota Department of Plant Pathology, so you know it’s legit. 3 to 6 p.m. at Agriculture-Horticulture Building (also from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 21)

FREE SHOW OF THE DAY: Local Americana-roots trio Wild Horses have opened for Willie Nelson, Wilco and Trampled by Turtles, but it’s all their show this time. 4, 5 and 6 p.m. at West End Market Stage at Schilling Amphitheater (and same times on Aug. 25).

Musicians with Chisago Lakes Area High School Marching Band perform during the daily parade at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Saturday, Aug., 24, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 27

Daily deal: It’s Kids Day, so bring the young’uns aged 5–12 for $15 admission, plus ticket deals all day (for both kids and older kids-at-heart, too!) on rides and games at the Mighty Midway, Kidway and Adventure Park.

Today’s theme is: Theater Day. Great for kids, ETC Productions is staging “The Little Mermaid Jr.” at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at Dan Patch Park.

FOUR FOR FREE:

WUNDERBAR: The wurst wizards and spaetzle specialists from the Black Forest Inn, the iconic Minneapolis German restaurant, are doing demos throughout the day. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Cambria Kitchen, inside the Creative Activities building

PUPPETS: Catch Open Eye Theatre’s Two Wheel Tour, a mini puppet theater pulled by a tandem bike. The puppet show itself is a fun musical comedy for all ages, with a behind-the-scenes look into puppetry after the show. 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. at West End Market (and same times on Aug. 28)

STOP BUGGING ME: Just kidding — these entomologists are here to answer all your questions about insects and bugs and other crawly critters. 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at DNR Volunteer Outdoor Stage

FREE SHOW OF THE DAY: Yes, OK, we know it’s summer — but Winter Carnival favorites Klondike Kates can croon and swoon in any weather. 12 p.m. at The Frontier

Antoinette Weedor from Denver takes a photo of her very first Pronto Pup with her friend and Minnesota native Caroline Degnan while visiting the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. The friends who currently reside in Chicago a part of a larger group that Degnan introduced to the Minnesota State Fair. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

THURSDAY, Aug. 28

Daily deal: It’s Seniors Day again! If you’re 65+ and need more State Fair in your life, come on by today for $15. Plus, early-bird specials till 1 p.m. on rides and games at the Mighty Midway, Kidway and Adventure Park.

Today’s theme is: UCare Stretch & Stroll Day. At Dan Patch Park, along with wellness programming, catch performances from a variety of groups including Pearl Brothers, VocalEssence Singers Of This Age and Gotta Dance Line Dancers.

FOUR FOR FREE:

SAVE THE DRAMA: See a llama! Drop in to see exhibitors guide their llamas through various obstacle courses and performance classes. 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Compeer Arena

TRANSFORM THE FOOD SYSTEM: All day long, the Metro Food Justice Network is highlighting how food can be a pathway toward advancing racial equity. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at The Common Table at the Ag-Hort building (also on Aug. 25 and Aug. 30)

GROW A BEE-ARD: For 25 years now, Gary Reuter from the University of Minnesota Bee Lab has placed 10,000 real honeybees on the faces of audience volunteers to make a “living beard of bees.” He’s doing it again — maybe on your face this time around? Or not. Your call. 1 p.m. at Agriculture-Horticulture Building

FREE SHOW OF THE DAY: Chicago reggae band Gizzae, active since the early ’90s, brings musicians from around the world to have a good time. 3:15, 4:30 and 5:45 p.m. at Summit Stage at the Bazaar (and same times on Aug. 27).

Lino Lakes Blue Heron Day ambassadors, from left, Tabitha Johnson, Amelia Patterson and Emily Black laugh as they pet a cow in the Cattle Barn on the opening day of the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

FRIDAY, Aug. 29

Daily deal: Early-bird specials till 1 p.m. on rides and games at the Mighty Midway, Kidway and Adventure Park.

Today’s theme is: MPR Day. At Dan Patch Park, tune in live as Marketplace’s David Brancaccio talks with Tom Crann at 10 a.m., Danger Boat Productions stages Minnesota-inspired improv at 11:30 a.m., classical musicians take the stage at 1 p.m. and The Current presents local musicians Colin Bracewell at 2:30 p.m. and Mae Simpson at 4 p.m.

FOUR FOR FREE:

MAKE CROP ART: For kids. Sorry, adults. But younger fairgoers can do a make-and-take crop art activity. Between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. and 1 and 3 p.m. at Agriculture Horticulture Building (and same time frames on Aug. 22, 25, 27 and Sept. 1)

GET CULTURED: Do you think you have what it takes to win a yogurt-eating competition? Find out and win prizes, though isn’t having good gut health a reward in itself? 10:30 a.m. at Moo Booth

SEE DANCE: St. Paul-based CAAM Chinese Dance Theater, the longest-running Chinese dance company in the Midwest, brings their style to the Fair. 9:30 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 11:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at East Grandstand Plaza (and same times on Aug. 30)

FREE SHOW OF THE DAY: Say it ain’t sol! Tonic Sol-fa, the renowned a capella quartet who’ve been a staple of State Fairs and other stages for years, are on their farewell tour. See them for one of the last times. 1 and 2:30 p.m. at the Bandshell (and same times on Aug. 30).

Aaron Grimm, 12, from Kettle River, sits with his 3-year old Holstein Friesian cow ‘Happy Day’ in the cattle barn at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Thursday, Aug.,22, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

SATURDAY, Aug. 30

Today’s theme is: Pan-Latino Day. Hosted by La Raza 95.7 FM and 1400/1470 AM, swing by Dan Patch Park all day for Latin American dancers, musicians, artists and other cultural programming.

FOUR FOR FREE:

BAKE: With the banh mi and croissant experts from Mi-Sant, the delightful Vietnamese spot in Roseville. They’ll do demos and tastings throughout the day. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Cambria Kitchen, inside the Creative Activities Building

SCREAM: For ice cream! Compete in this ice cream-eating competition — with prizes in three age categories — and then find the nearest restroom. Sign-up begins at 2 p.m., contest at 2:30 at Moo Booth

GROW: Experts will share their secrets to growing giant pumpkins (or even, we imagine, regular-sized ones if you’re tight on space). 10 a.m. at The DIRT demonstration stage at the Agriculture-Horticulture Building (and same time on Aug. 23; also at 5 p.m. Aug. 21 and at 4 p.m. Aug. 22 and 29)

FREE SHOW OF THE DAY: Early in her career, local singer-songwriter Sarah Morris moved to Nashville, but soon realized she wanted to bring her rootsy sound back home. 10:30 and 11:45 a.m. at the Bandshell (and same times on Aug. 29).

Kimm Schneider, from Minneapolis, hands a customer a caramel roll at the Hamline Dining Hall at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

SUNDAY, Aug. 31

FOUR FOR FREE:

MOO-TIVATE: The 27th annual Great Minnesota Moo-Off once again challenges human fairgoers to do their best cow impressions. Sign up at 2 p.m., contest at 2:30 at Moo Booth

MALBEC MINUTIAE: Think you know a lot about Minnesota wine? Jump onstage for the Minnesota Wine Quiz Show — and try samples in the process — with Nikki Erpelding and Karin Rockstad, owners of Vine Lab Wine & Spirits Academy. 3:30 p.m. at Minnesota Wine Country

MESMERIZE: In this all-ages show, performer Lizzy will “explore the hilarious side of hypnosis and discover the amazing power and creativity of the human mind.” 7 p.m. at Family Fair Stage at Baldwin Park (and same time on Sept. 1)

FREE SHOW OF THE DAY: Raised up north and now based in Minneapolis, indie-pop singer Ber is quickly becoming a standout of the local music scene. (You may have seen her make a brief cameo appearance filling in for sick Motion City Soundtrack frontman Justin Pierre at the Minnesota Yacht Club festival earlier this summer.) 7:30 p.m. at the Bandshell (and same time on Sept. 1).

Brynn Justen, 5, from Bloomington, rides atop the shoullders of her dad, Rob, as they wait in line for food on the opening day of the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

MONDAY, Sept. 1

Daily deal: It’s Labor Day, the last day of summer break — so it’s Kids Day again, with $15 tickets for ages 5–12. Plus, ticket deals all day on rides and games at the Mighty Midway, Kidway and Adventure Park.

Today’s theme is: Hmong Minnesota Day. It’s the 10th annual celebration of local Hmong culture, with programming all day at Dan Patch Park from singers, dancers, martial artists, community leaders and more.

FOUR FOR FREE:

TAME THE BEAST: The talented artists from In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre are leading art-making activities, telling puppet stories and displaying their creations. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at DNR Garden Stage

THE MICHELANGELO OF MOZZARELLA: Or maybe you’re the Botero of brie? Or the Calder of cheddar? I could go all day. Point is, the annual cheese-carving competition is open to the public. Sign up at noon, contest at 12:30 p.m. at Moo Booth

JUMP THE BARK: Perennial State Fair favorite All-Star Stunt Dogs Splash is back once again as dogs dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge, among other tricks. If you haven’t seen them yet, get to it! 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. at North Woods Stage (and same times every day of the Fair)

FREE SHOW OF THE DAY: The six-piece Dylan Salfer Band, which includes not only the namesake bluesman Dylan Salfer but a variety of other talented musicians, too, blends jazz, soul, rock and blues. 10:30 and 11:45 a.m. at the Bandshell (and same times on Aug. 31).

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