Minnesota State Fair Vegan Food Guide
You may be surprised to learn that vegans can find a variety of things to eat at the Minnesota State Fair. Check out my list below and let me know if there’s anything I should add, or if you think something might not be vegan anymore.
Disclaimer: I have compiled this list from what I’ve eaten and from other lists I’ve seen online, so I haven’t necessarily tried everything and therefore cannot legitimately recommend everything. Please do your own due diligence and confirm with food vendors about their products as I’ve learned things can change unexpectedly. Examples: One year, a vendor who had confirmed a new vegan dish decided to add dairy butter within a few days of the fair starting.
I recommend adding the fair’s app to your phone so you can star your wish list foods for easy reference. Happy eating!
*My top picks
INTERNATIONAL BAZAAR
Arepa Bar (August 30-September 4) — Vegan option is also gluten-free
*Cinnamon Roasted Nuts
MomoDosa (August 24-29) — Veggie Pakora is marked vegan and gluten-free but the mint chutney has yogurt, so only the tamarind chutney is vegan
Panda Palace Asian Cuisine — Vegetable Spring Rolls, Veggie Fried Rice
St. Martin’s Olives on a Stick
Union Hmong Kitchen — Nqaij with Lemongrass Turmeric Tofu is vegan and gluten-free
FOOD BUILDING
Dairy Bar — oat milk soft serve
Falafel King – Falafels with tahini
Harry Singh’s — anything marked vegetarian should be vegan
The Herbivorous Butcher — all vegan!
Manny’s Tortas — Virgin piña colada and fresh pineapple
Mario’s — Grilled Portobello Veggie Pita or Vegetarian Pita without cheese
Nautical Bowls — dishes are vegan when you omit granola and honey
Oodles of Noodles — Spicy Thai Noodles, Spaghetti or penne with marinara
Sara’s Tipsy Pies — Irish Apple Pie is vegan (pro-tip: enjoy it with the Dairy Bar’s oat milk soft serve!)
ELSEWHERE IN THE FAIR
*Auntie M's funnel cakes — Original funnel cake is vegan, certified gluten-free
*Baba's — hummus, falafel, pita bread, confirm vegan options with staff
Ballpark Cafe — Onion rings, garlic fries
Corn Roast — hold the butter
*Daryl’s Dog House — Vegan corn dog
Farmers Union — offers soy and almond milk for coffee
French Meadow — several marked vegan options
Fresh French Fries — marked vegan, gluten-free, and kosher
Hamline Church Dining Hall — Dill Pickle Lemonade and Strawberry Paletas are vegan
Henry’s Kettle Korn
Island Noodles — Traditional noodles are marked vegan
JonnyPops — certified gluten-free, several options are vegan including an oat milk pop
Juanita’s Fajitas — Veggie Fajita, Bean Bowls without cheese
Minneapple Pie — Apple and blueberry pie, without ice cream
Minnesnowii Shave Ice
Minnesota Apples (Ag/Hort Building) — Apples, cider, frozen apple cider, applesauce
*The Perfect Pickle — Regular or Cajun fried pickles, bring your own dipping sauce
*Produce Exchange — Fresh fruit, grilled peaches, kombucha on tap
Que Viet — MinneVegetarian egg rolls marked vegan and gluten-free
Sonny’s Fair Food — Spiral cut chips
Spinning Wylde — cotton candy made with organic cane sugar and a variety of natural flavors
*Strawberries & Creme
Strawberry Patch — Strawberries with canned whip cream upon request
Tasti Whip
Tot Boss — Plain tots (shared fryers)
West End Creamery — soy-based ice cream with oat milk, ask for the dairy-free menu but note that it’s not all vegan
2023 NOTES
The MinneVegetarian Egg Rolls from Que Viet had very little flavor, and they’re too small to have much filling. If you’re in the mood for something egg roll-esque, get the Bing from The Herbivorous Butcher. I also had the Pakora from MomoDosa, and I recommend going to their partner business Gorkha Palace to get it fresh instead of getting it at the fair.
I am floored that the Dairy Bar in the Food Building is offering Oatly soft serve. You can get vanilla, chocolate, or twist!
Oatly soft serve at the Dairy Bar in the Food Building
2022 NOTES - Click here for a list of new foods for 2022!
I saw posts saying the Sweet Potato Poutine at Blue Barn could be made vegan, but per Facebook messages, Blue Barn said while the gravy is vegan, the Beyond chorizo and cheese curds are prepared together so you can’t just leave off the curds to make the dish vegan.
2021 NOTES - Click here for my 2021 fair post
Baba's Hummus: hummus options, pita is vegan
La Floretta: by Mancini's al Fresco, oven-roasted cauliflower florets seasoned with Iron Range herbs and spices and served with Calabrian sweet chili sauce (vegan and made without gluten)
NOTE: Per BRIM staff, the Sota Sandwich bread still has honey.
2019 NOTES:
BRIM’s Grilled Sota Sandwich is NOT vegan. The bread contains honey.
Hot Indian Foods will be at the Midtown Global Market Stall August 22-27 and the Bhel Puri is vegan.
Hot Indian’s Bhel Puri
2018 NOTES:
I was told that the batter at Vegie Fries contains eggs, and that the batter on the Fried Green Tomatoes contains dairy.
As you can probably guess, many places serve fries but some add beef tallow to their oil so be sure to ask, and there are a wide range of beverages to consume so I chose not to include those on the list.