Minnesota state cornhole championships return to Waite Park in June 2026

Waite Park became the place to track Minnesota cornhole’s pecking order as the 5th Annual Minnesota State Cornhole Championships brought a three-day state-title weekend to The Park Event Center. The tournament ran June 19-21, with free admission for spectators, Minnesota residents only eligible to play, and a $5 venue fee added to each event before individual prize pools were calculated.

The setup made the championship feel bigger than a standard stop on the calendar. Past listings for the same event showed singles and doubles competition for all skill levels, plus cash prizes for top teams, and earlier state championship materials made clear that Minnesota residents did not need to pre-qualify. That kept the field wide open inside the state line and gave newer players a path into the same brackets as the established names chasing the title.

The real pressure came from the ACL points chase. The American Cornhole League awards points at local, regional, conference and state championship, and open events, so the Minnesota State Championships carried weight beyond one weekend of trophies. Local promotion around the 2026 event pointed to the Minnesota ACL Top 25 points race, which turned every match into more than a bracket battle. A strong run in Waite Park could tighten the standings, change a player’s season and reset the conversation about who belongs near the top of the state scene.

The event was hosted by The Park Event Center and presented by Fish ON Target Cornhole, with Visit St. Cloud listing the address at 500 Division St. The championship also landed on the St. Cloud area visitor calendar, a sign that it pulled more than local players into town. Nearby lodging options included Hilton Garden Inn St. Cloud and Residence Inn by Marriott, and online registration closed one hour before event start, a detail that kept the weekend moving on schedule.

That combination of open access, real prize money and state-level points made Waite Park the focal point of Minnesota cornhole for the weekend. For players chasing bragging rights and a better place in the ACL standings, the championship offered the clearest in-state measure of where they stood.