Minnesota State Fair Now Underway

Nearly 2 million people—many of them western Wisconsinites—are expected to descend on the Minnesota State Fair’s 320-acre grounds in the next 12 days for concerts, contests, cows and corn dogs. Here’s Stillwater Patch’s rundown on what you need to know to get to the fair and find your way around:

Hours
Admission gates open daily at 6 a.m. Ticket sales end at 10 p.m. (9 p.m. on Labor Day). Grounds close at midnight (10 p.m. on Labor Day). Most buildings are open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Cost
Adults (13-64) pay $12, seniors and children 5 and older pay $10, and children younger than 5 are admitted for free. Promotional days are offered throughout the fair. 

Transportation
The Minnesota State Fairgrounds are located at 1265 North Snelling Ave. N. in St. Paul. Maps and directions are available on the fair’s website. Note that light-rail construction on University Avenue will slow traffic flow; the fair’s website has tips on how to avoid the congestion.

State fair parking lots cost $12 and can be accessed off Larpenteur, Snelling, or Cleveland avenues. (Motorcycle parking is offered for $6 on Como Avenue.)

Free parking is available at 34 locations around the fairgrounds. Complimentary buses leave every 20 minutes from 8 a.m. to midnight to pick up fair-goers. In 2010, the park and ride program gave 920,000 rides.

Free bike racks are offered at the Como-Snelling and Hoyt-Snelling gates and at Commonwealth-West Dan Patch from 6 a.m. to midnight daily.

Three buses service the fair and accept cash or transit passes. Route 960 goes from Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis to the fairgrounds in about 15 minutes. Route 84 travels along Snelling Avenue. Route 3 connects downtown Minneapolis to downtown St. Paul along Como Avenue.

State Fair Express buses operate from 17 Twin Cities locations on 15- and 30-minute loops. Check the fair’s express bus website for more information.

Navigating the fair
The state fair’s website has downloadable maps of the grounds and daily activity schedules. You can also keep checking Patch for a daily rundown of the top five things to see and do at the fair.

The state fair is also smart phone accessible, with a mobile website and stand-alone apps for iPhones and Android phones that include a manipulable map and the ability to search listings of events, merchandise and food.

Hudson at the fair

• A team from Hudson will participate in the Fire Explorers event on Friday, Aug. 26.
• The Marching Band will perform at the Minnesota State Fair on Tuesday, Aug. 30.
• Renee Holm of Hudson placed first in Lot 22 (Crop Art, Out of State, Junior, through age 16) of the Crop Art & Scarecrow contest. 
• Jacob Anderson of Hudson placed first in Lot 505 (Drawing - pencil) of the Education Individual Exhibit (Grades 4-6).
• Jared Anderson of Hudson placed second in Lot 907 (Drawing - ink or ball point pen) of the Education Individual Exhibit (Grades 7-9).

Know of any other Hudson participants? Let us know by sending an email to foleymo@patch.com or by leaving a comment on this post.