Big things are happening at Graham Park! From the exciting groundbreaking of the new Exhibition Center to the success of the 2025 Olmsted County Fair and ongoing preservation projects, there's a lot to celebrate. Discover what’s in store—including a look at new amenities, construction updates, and how you can host or advertise your next big event.

Olmsted County officially broke ground on the future Graham Park exhibition center on July 30, 2025. A large crowd gathered at the future site to mark this significant milestone, including local legislators, members of the Olmsted County Fair Board, University of Minnesota Extension, and other community partners. 

What does Olmsted County government actually do? More than you might think! Our new “Olmsted County works for you!” video provides a quick overview and highlights how county services – from health and safety to roads and resources – help keep our community running smoothly.  

Olmsted County will soon open the application period for its cannabis retail business registration lottery. Beginning August 11, 2025, interested business representatives will have 10 business days to submit their applications.

Olmsted County Parks and Trails is hosting a series of open house events to gather community input on the future of county parks. These events are part of the county’s ongoing efforts to update master plans for the parks and ensure local voices shape improvements to park spaces, natural areas, and visitor experiences.  

To better prepare for a cyber threat, representatives from both Olmsted County and the City of Rochester, as well as the State of Minnesota, participated in a tabletop exercise on July 23, 2025, led by an official from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). During this exercise, city, county, and state staff discussed a cyberattack scenario that would have a wide impact on government operations.

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Olmsted County from noon to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, with dangerously high temperatures expected. 

The Olmsted Soil and Water Conservation District and Olmsted County Public Health Services are providing free nitrate testing at the Olmsted County Fair for households that rely on private systems for their drinking water.

The Rochester-Olmsted Council of Governments is developing a new plan aimed at making roads in Olmsted County safer for everyone. The comprehensive Safety Action Plan is part of the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All program. 

Olmsted County is opening the registration lottery application for cannabis mezzobusinesses soon. Starting July 14, 2025, representatives from interested businesses have 10 business days to apply.