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Technology at the Fair with Verizon

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  Published in Science and Technology on Thursday, August 28th 2025 at 13:21 GMT by KSTP-TV
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Verizon Lights Up the Twin Cities Fair with a Showcase of Next‑Gen Tech

When the Minnesota State Fair’s doors opened this past weekend, a new kind of excitement buzzed in the air. Far beyond the usual cotton‑candy and midway rides, a fresh wave of innovation poured into the Fairgrounds, courtesy of a partnership between the state’s most visited festival and one of America’s largest telecom giants. Verizon, the long‑time corporate sponsor of the fair’s “Technology at the Fair” segment, unveiled a portfolio of emerging technologies that gave visitors a glimpse into the future of connectivity, artificial intelligence, and the smart‑city ecosystem.

A Modern-Day “Exhibit Hall” in the Midway

The fair’s technology pavilion was a three‑story building in the heart of the midway, complete with LED‑backlit displays, interactive kiosks, and an augmented‑reality zone. Visitors walked through a “5G Experience Hall” where Verizon’s own engineers demonstrated the speed and low latency of the next‑generation network. A 5G‑powered live stream of the “Night Parade” was projected onto a 30‑foot screen in the main hall, while a VR booth let attendees step into a simulated smart‑city environment that highlighted Verizon’s edge‑computing capabilities.

“We wanted to show people not just what 5G is, but how it transforms everyday life,” said Marcus Lopez, Verizon’s Senior Director of Innovation and Communications. “From autonomous vehicles to real‑time disaster response, the possibilities are limitless.”

Spotlight on Student Innovation

A key component of the pavilion was the “Student Tech Showcase,” which featured prototypes from high‑school and college teams across the state. At the forefront was a project from the University of Minnesota’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering: a low‑cost, 5G‑enabled IoT sensor network designed to monitor air quality in urban parks. The system, built by a group of seniors, uses machine learning algorithms to predict pollution spikes and trigger alerts for local residents.

“It’s amazing to see our students apply classroom concepts to real‑world problems,” said Dr. Laura Kim, the project’s faculty advisor. “And having Verizon support our work gives us credibility and the resources we need to scale.”

Other student exhibits included a drone‑based package delivery demo, a holographic gaming platform that uses machine‑learning for character interaction, and a solar‑powered home‑automation prototype that reduces energy consumption by 20% in test scenarios.

Verizon’s Commitment to STEM Education

Verizon’s partnership with the fair goes beyond product demos. In a statement released at the opening, the company reaffirmed its commitment to “Verizon for Good,” an initiative focused on expanding STEM education across Minnesota. As part of the program, Verizon will fund scholarships for students entering computer science programs and provide grant money to local schools for technology lab upgrades.

“Investing in young minds is an investment in our future,” Lopez said. “The technology we’re showcasing today is only the tip of the iceberg.”

Interactive Experiences for All Ages

While the high‑tech booths were the star attraction, the pavilion also offered hands‑on experiences for visitors of all ages. A “DIY 5G Router” station let families build a simple router using off‑the‑shelf components, learning how to secure data and optimize signal strength. Meanwhile, a “Coding Arcade” allowed kids to program simple games in Scratch, with Verizon engineers on hand to explain how code runs on the cloud.

The event’s highlight, however, was a live “AI Art Show,” where visitors fed a neural network images and text prompts to create instant generative art. The resulting masterpieces were displayed on a giant digital canvas and later auctioned off, with proceeds going to a local STEM nonprofit.

Looking Ahead

The fair’s success has drawn attention from tech journalists nationwide, and Verizon is already planning to expand its “Technology at the Fair” partnership to other regional festivals in the coming year. The company hopes that the exposure will inspire a new generation of tech enthusiasts and cement its role as a community partner rather than merely a service provider.

As the Minnesota State Fair draws to a close, the lingering buzz of digital hums and the echo of applause from a new generation of innovators remind everyone that the future is here—and it’s being built on the streets of the Twin Cities.