MAPE at the State Fair 2025

MAPE members doubled their time at the State Fair Labor Pavilion from two days to four days this year. Despite retiring in June, former Local 2101 President Liz Pearson again coordinated MAPE’s labor contingency at the Great Minnesota Get-Together 2025.   

“I was excited we had four full days, but was unsure if people would fill the volunteer shifts for four days. I was happy to see that when the list went live, all the volunteer shifts were taken within an hour. People want to be part of it,” Pearson said.  “We have so many state employees who are at the State Fair who are represented by MAPE and AFSCME.”

Union members are prevalent at the Fair, including at the Education Building, the DNR [Department of Natural Resources] Building and the ECO Building, which focuses on sustainability and environmental awareness. 

Pearson said when she was at the Labor Day Parade at the Fair in 2019, she wondered where her union was and decided to change that. She said she “did her best to wrangle the 32 volunteers this year – the most we’ve ever had. We had people representing their various agencies come to the MAPE booth – it is important to have that solidarity, pride and sense of purpose. It’s important for us to be represented with other unions.” 

Local 101’s Lindsey Franklin volunteered this year because she said she enjoys the State Fair and loves “talking to everyday Minnesotans and MAPE members whom I wouldn’t normally see in my workplace.” 

“It’s important that MAPE has a presence everywhere. It’s important to connect with our union siblings. I was able to talk with a lot of folks from different unions and exchanged pins with AFSCME members and talked with some negotiators,” she added.

Next year, someone else will have to pick up MAPE’s State Fair mantle because Pearson will be out of the country during the State Fair. “We have the chairs, buttons and other things – let’s show up so we can use them. It’s easy now,” Pearson said.

If interested in carrying the labor baton for MAPE at the State Fair next year, contact Action@mape.org.