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FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota State Fair has opened its 2016 run with plenty of food, music and animals on the program through Labor Day.
Live poultry shows have returned after a one-year hiatus due to last year's bird flu outbreak. To celebrate, the seventh annual Poultry Prince and Princess Contest, sponsored by Gold'n Plump and Minnesota 4-H, will crown two new winners Sunday. The program awards two 4-H'ers $1,000 academic scholarships and ambassador opportunities.
The 2015 Poultry Princess — 17-year-old Katie Benson, of Staples — says last year's ban was needed to protect the poultry industry. But she says she's "really excited" that she'll get to show her bantam chickens again. While Katie couldn't show her birds last year, she says 4-H's alternative activities actually made it her busiest state fair ever.
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