MUSIC AT THE FAIR | DAY 11 – DYLAN SALFER – ST. PAUL, MN – AUGUST 31, 2025

On the final Sunday night of the Minnesota State Fair, the Grandstand stage is a special place for aspiring new talent across the State of Minnesota to get a chance at winning ten thousand dollars. Auditions for this event kick-off every year in July and the competition gets narrowed down each night of the fair as semi-final performances take place on the Bandshell stage. It all leads up to the big Grandstand Finale where this years lucky winner was Ashley Wongbi for her vocal performance titled “Heart of Stone”.

I always say some of my favorite moments at the fair happen each year during my afternoons spent getting introduced to new music at the free stages. Dylan Salfer’s performance at the Bandshell certainly ranks as one of my favorites for 2025. Salfer has been crafting his own spin on traditional blues music for years across Minnesota and I was thrilled to hear of plans for the upcoming release of his debut album.