Corn dogs, cheese curds, carnival rides — and children handing dollar bills to a drag performer.
That was among the scenes at the opening days of the Minnesota State Fair, where video of an all-ages drag performance showed a young boy approaching a performer with cash.
State Rep. Pam Altendorf, R-Red Wing, recorded a video of Friday’s performance by POWER: Drag Revue, which appeared Aug. 27 and 28 as part of the State Fair’s official entertainment lineup.
“NEW at the @mnstatefair this year … ‘family fun’ options today included: DRAG SHOW DANCING,” Altendorf wrote on X. “WHAT do you think about the kids in this video handing dollars to the Drag Performer…..!?”
NEW at the @mnstatefair this year..…“family fun” options today included:
DRAG SHOW DANCING
⁉️WHAT do you think about the kids in this video handing dollars to the Drag Performer…..!? pic.twitter.com/Amc1qosfiB
— Rep. Pam Altendorf (@PamAltendorf) August 29, 2026
Altendorf told Alpha News she was particularly troubled by the lack of any age restrictions or warning for children who could encounter the performance while walking through the fairgrounds, including young 4-H participants who may not be accompanied by their parents.
“Any child, any age, could just walk through it and not be alerted to know what they’re about to walk into,” she said.
Altendorf said she has no issue with adults choosing to attend drag shows but believes children should be left out of them.
“If you’re an adult, do whatever the heck you want. I don’t care,” she said. “Just leave our kids out of this.”
She questioned how a drag performance could be presented as family entertainment at an event generations of Minnesotans have attended with their children.
“If you want to do that, go do it at a bar. Go have fun. Enjoy yourself. I don’t care,” Altendorf said. “But to think that this is somehow family entertainment — it’s just not right.”
For Altendorf, who described her family as longtime State Fair regulars, the contrast was striking.
“Our family is a huge State Fair family. We go every year,” she said. “We used to take our kids to the lumberjack show. To go from the lumberjack show to a drag show — the drop-off in society is so significant.”
Altendorf said she left the fair deeply bothered by what she had witnessed.
“I drove home and I just really felt sad,” she said. “What are we doing to our kids?”
She described the inclusion of children in the performance as an affront to their innocence.
“Stop attacking the innocence of our children,” Altendorf said. “It’s grooming your children to normalize this behavior, and it’s just so sad.”
Altendorf hopes parents who object to the performances will contact the State Fair board to make their views known.
“If families in Minnesota don’t want to see this, then their voices need to be heard,” Altendorf said. “They need to contact the fair board. They need to say there’s just no place for this.”
‘Degenerate filth’
Republican state Sen. Michael Holmstrom had an even harsher assessment.
“This degenerate filth has no place at the State Fair,” Holmstrom wrote on X.
“What are you teaching this young boy?” he asked. “That his body may be a mistake? That this grotesque caricature is an accurate portrayal of womanhood? That ‘femininity’ is a characteristic to objectify and monetize?”
This degenerate filth has no place at the State Fair.
What are you teaching this young boy?
That his body may be a mistake?
That this grotesque caricature is an accurate portrayal of womanhood?
That “femininity” is a characteristic to objectify and monetize? pic.twitter.com/dA4aBujx6S
— Michael Holmstrom (@MichaelH_MN) August 30, 2026
An ‘all-ages’ show
The images now circulating from the fair put a new spotlight on questions Alpha News raised before the first cheese curd hit the fryer.
As Alpha News previously reported, POWER: Drag Revue was scheduled for multiple performances Aug. 27 and 28. The State Fair promoted the act as a “high-energy drag performance showcase celebrating the artistry, creativity and diversity of Minnesota’s drag community.”
POWER was equally clear about who was welcome to attend.
“This is an all-ages production intended to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages, and the cast includes performers of various ages,” the group told Alpha News before the fair.
Alpha News specifically asked the Minnesota State Fair whether there were any age restrictions or advisories associated with the performances.
The fair did not directly answer the question. Instead, fair officials put the decision in parents’ hands.
“We encourage everyone to use their own judgment in determining if a show is appropriate for them and their families,” the State Fair told Alpha News.
Fair officials also defended drag as an artistic discipline with “a long history in theater and vaudeville” and called it “an increasingly popular contemporary performing art form enjoyed by many.”
The fair said it “strives to present programming that reflects a wide variety of styles and genres” and noted that drag performances had appeared at the fair before.
POWER has been described by Mpls.St.Paul Magazine as a “BIPOC-focused musical sketch” formed following George Floyd’s death with the goal of expanding opportunities for “historically underrepresented queer performers and artists.”
POWER previously told Alpha News it believed it had created “a fun and welcoming experience for fairgoers,” while also echoing the State Fair’s position that parents should decide for themselves whether to attend.
“We encourage individuals and families to use their own judgment when deciding which activities and performances are right for them,” the group said.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
