Health Fair 11 at the Fair begins is in its third decade of offering free or low-cost health checks and health education for all people attending the Minnesota State Fair. Since launching in 2001, more than 1.38 million screenings and health connections have been tabulated by Health Fair 11 exhibitors.

In 2023, eighteen organizations will offer services like blood typing, memory-loss evaluations, and genetic testing education. Learn about Minnesota’s medical cannabis program. Pick up the official list of state fair foods that are gluten-free and talk with the people who compiled it. Free vision checks are available for children six months to 16 years old. The entire family can get their annual flu shots from friendly Cub pharmacists. (Remember to bring insurance cards as most insurance programs will pay for these vaccinations.) 

On select days fairgoers will find information on how to live with sickle cell anemia and kidney disease, how to cope with a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, and how to prevent overdoses.

Is someone in your family struggling with addiction or dependency issues? Members of the Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge are ready to listen to your concerns and share their experience in helping people gain freedom from chemical addictions.

Health Fair 11 at the Fair is located on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds at the intersection of Dan Patch Avenue and Cooper Street. The building is open from 9:00 a.m.to 8:00 p.m. every day of the Fair. Admission is FREE! This project is made possible with generous finanicial support from Cub Foods.

Here is a rundown of this year's organizations and the services they are providing. Age restrictions and hours of availability may apply to some health activities.

Flu Vaccinations and Blood Pressure checks - Cub  

Thousands of Minnesotans have made ‘flu shots’ one of their State Fair traditions. Since 2009 more than 35,100 flu shots have been given at the Fair. Cub Pharmacy is back this year to provide fairgoers with their annual flu vaccination. Stop into the Health Fair 11 building between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. daily.

Fair time is the perfect time to vaccinate the entire family before sending them back to school or off to college. If available, high dose vaccine will be offered to those over 65 years of age. You must be 5 years of age or older to be vaccinated at the fair. Be sure to bring prescription cards, medical cards, insurance cards or any other proof of insurance. 

In addition, Cub will have self-service machines available to conveniently check your blood pressure, measure your weight and calculate your body mass index.

Learn more about Cub at www.cub.com

Memorial Blood Centers is celebrating 75 years of serving communities in Minnesota. MBC has been providing blood products and biomedical services since 1948. For more than two decades, MBC has partnering with Health Fair 11 by testing and determining the blood type of fairgoers 16 years of age or older. Through this quick and accurate test, individuals will learn something unique about themselves and gain a better understanding of the need for blood in our communities. Friendly MBC staff will explain how fairgoers can contribute to meeting that blood supply need.

MBC’s Mission: Saving lives by providing blood and biomedical solutions.

Through effective outreach to donors, continual development of biomedical expertise, and brand-building partnerships with blood drive sponsors, health care facilities, and global medical providers, Memorial Blood Centers connects those who need blood with those generous volunteers who give. Memorial Blood Centers delivers the highest level of technical expertise and laboratory testing services to customers around the world.

MBC’s Vision: To be the best blood center in America.

Dedicated to quality, integrity, service, and excellence in everything we do, Memorial Blood Centers works to ensure reliable and streamlined access to an adequate supply of thoroughly tested and safe blood and related products wherever they are needed, and to become the industry’s standard-bearer in providing the highest level of service to all the various stakeholders we serve—from financial contributors and corporate blood drive sponsors to in vitro fertilization clinics, hospital partners, and biotechnology companies.

Visit Memorial Blood Centers website at MBC.ORG for more information about Memorial Blood Centers, to learn how you can join them in their mission, and to discover how you can help Memorial Blood Centers serve the community.

HealthPartners is promoting its new DNA health testing program, myGenetics, which is open to all patients 18 years and older. Your DNA makes you you, and it may hold the key to understanding certain health risk factors. That’s why HealthPartners created myGenetics, a community health research program.

myGenetics looks at what your DNA can tell you about your health. The knowledge gained can be used to provide more personalized care to our patients, families, and community – building a healthier future for all. 

Learn more online at healthpartners.com/mygenetics 

Medical Cannabis Information  

NOTE: Medical cannabis has received approval from the Minnesota Department of Health to treat people with a variety of conditions, such as: PTSD, Chronic Pain, Sleep Apnea, Cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Autism, Epilepsy, Sickle Cell Disease, Intractable Pain, HIV/AIDS, and more. People living with these ailments must get ‘certified’ in order to be eligible to medical cannabis prescriptions. 

Green Good’s motto is To embrace and enable goodness. The Mission of Vireo Health to 

is to build the cannabis company of the future by bringing the best of medicine, engineering, and science to the cannabis industry. Vireo is a physician-led cannabis company focused on bringing the best of technology, science, and engineering to the cannabis industry.

Vireo manufactures proprietary, branded cannabis products in environmentally friendly facilities, state-of-the-art cultivation sites and distributes its products through its growing network of Green Goods™ and other retail locations and third-party dispensaries. 

Vireo’s team of more than 400 employees, led by scientists, engineers, and cultivation experts, is focused on efficiency and the creation of best-in-class products, while driving scientific innovation within the cannabis industry and developing meaningful intellectual property. 

Learn more:

Online: www.vireohealth.com or www.visitgreengoods.com/mn 

RISE Medical Cannabis is more than a dispensary with high quality, tested, medical cannabis products on its shelves. RISE is a destination where well-being is approached with a rounded perspective and a human touch. RISE dispensaries serving patients in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis program are open in Eagan, Hibbing, St. Cloud, Saint Paul, Mankato, New Hope, and Willmar. 

For more information, visit the RISE website. 

Memory Assessment & Alzheimer's Education – Bluestone Physician Services and Suite Living Senior Care

Bluestone Physician Services is an innovative primary care practice, delivering on-site care to patients living in Assisted Living and Memory Care Communities as well as those with disabilities in both residential and community settings. Providing care since 2006 for chronically ill, elderly, and disabled individuals, Bluestone is Minnesota's leading on-site primary medical care provider. Bluestone will be offering free memory screenings and information about dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. 

For more information and Bluestone Physician Services locations, please visit www.BluestoneMD.com. 

Suite Living Senior Care is locally owned/operated consisting of 13 Assisted Living & Memory Care communities in the Twin Cities area. They have five new senior communities opening between July and end of year, 2023.

Suite Living communities consist of 32 private suites all on one level in a fully secure, homelike setting. They pride themselves in the high acuity focused provided to residents, through end of life. Suite Living started a Hospice company last year and provides Hospice Services within all Suite Living communities to those in need.

Services/Offerings at the Fair: Cognitive Testing, Educational Information on Cognitive Testing & tips to keep your brain healthy. At least one LPN or RN from the Suite Living team will be at their booth during testing hours to answer questions.

Raising Our Celiac Kids (ROCK) – Twin Cities Chapter, Inc. DBA Twin Cities ROCK, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization returns to fair this year with their Gluten Free Awareness Booth as part of Health Fair 11.

Twin Cities ROCK has become a fundamental part of Minnesota’s health community, providing essential information for those navigating through their Celiac and subsequent gluten-free lifestyle while providing opportunities for children and families with Celiac Disease. Twin Cities ROCK offers an abundance of information through their volunteers. It also researches and compiles the ‘Gluten Free Foods at the Fair List’ each year. This resource provides a lifeline to all those gluten-free fair guests and the ability to enjoy the whole Minnesota State Fair experience without the worry of where to eat. The list can be found at any information booth and at the Twin Cities ROCK booth located inside the Health Fair 11 building.

Check them out on Facebook at Twin Cites ROCK or their website.

The MD5M Lions KidSight Foundation, Inc is comprised of members of Lions Clubs from Minnesota, Northwest Ontario and Manitoba in Canada. Their goal is to provide vision screening to all children between the ages of 6 months to 6 years to detect vision problems that can impact kids’ ability to see and learn. All children participating in the vision screening program will receive a pair of children’s sunglasses. 

More information about Lions KidSight can be found at: www.kidsightmd5m.org

AFAA is a Minnesota state-wide, all-volunteer nonprofit whose mission is food allergy education, advocacy, and support. Their motto is “Taking the fear out of food allergies.”

AFAA's booth will have food allergy information, literature, and interactive quiz about food allergies, and on select days Ask-the-Doctor segments featuring leading Minnesota allergists. Contact AFAA by email at info@minnesotafoodallergy.org or check out their website www.minnesotafoodallergy.org.  

On designated days, fair attendees can talk with experts on the following topics.

Healthcare for women 65+ - Herself Health 

Herself Health is the first healthcare company designed for women 65+. Herself Health provides comprehensive primary care and offers a holistic approach that goes beyond labs, medication, imaging, more doctors, and surgery. It looks at the whole picture of a patient’s health and wellness, including mobility, mental health, social and behavioral health, and the patient’s life journey. Herself Health is working to ensure each one of its patients is properly cared for, listened to, and supported through this next stage of their lives. 

Herself Health currently operates a clinic in Highland Park (2004 Ford Pkwy.) Two additional clinics are coming to the Twin Cities. On September 11 a new clinic will open in Crystal (5200 Douglas Dr N). A third clinic will open by the end of the year in south Minneapolis (5452 Lyndale Ave).

Learn more at Herself Health’s website. 

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness - PanCAN Minnesota  

The Pancreatic Cancer Action (PanCAN) has a vision to create a world in which all patients with pancreatic cancer will thrive. Its mission is to take bold action to improve the lives of everyone impacted by pancreatic cancer by advancing scientific research, building community, sharing knowledge, and advocating for patients.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The Minnesota Affiliate will be available to answer questions, provide educational materials, informational brochures, and one-sheets. It will distribute pancreatic cancer awareness items such as purple ribbons, purple bracelets, and temporary tattoos, Fair staffers will offer support to anyone who’s been impacted by pancreatic cancer. 

Holland Connections offers services to both adults and children of varying diagnoses. Our team of Speech-Language Pathologists and Occupational Therapists provide individualized treatment in an inclusive environment to promote independence in meaningful activities.

Overdose prevention - Maxx-imum Overdose Awareness and Steve Rummler HOPE Network  

International Overdose Awareness Day is August 31. Two grassroots organizations join forces to reach out to fairgoers who have been impacted by overdoses. The shared goals and programs of both groups include Advocacy, Education, and Overdose Prevention.

Maxx-imum Overdose Awareness is a nonprofit started to honor the memory of Maxx Zacho. Maxx became dependent on pain killers after an injury. He accidentally overdosed because of his addiction. 

The mission of the Steve Rummler HOPE Network is to heighten awareness of the opioid crisis, address its impact on the physical and emotional burdens of addiction and chronic pain, and improve the associated care processes. The network wants to educate the general public about the importance of naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and Steve’s law (Good Samaritan Law). 

Learn more online at www.steverummlerhopenetwork.org 

Sickle Cell Foundation of MN (SCFMN) is a nonprofit community based patient advocacy organization providing patient support, education and awareness for Sickle Cell Disease, the most common genetic disorder in the US.

SCFMN provides fun facts, brochures and other supportive information for those who are impacted by this disease, who care for affected individuals or those who may desire more information about this disease. They also provide information on ways to connect with and get involved (i.e. volunteer, donate, sponsor, etc) with the Foundation.

Learn more online at www.sicklecellmn.org or email SCFMN your questions at info@sicklecellmn.org.

About Health Fair 11 

Health Fair 11 at the Fair is a project of Health Fair 11, a nonprofit organization with a vision of creating healthier communities through collaborative outreach. Our mission is to provide health education and free or low-cost health screenings to the people in our community. Health Fair 11 operates with media support from KARE 11 TV. Cub and Herself-Health are providing additional support for Health Fair 11 at the Fair.