Minnesota State Fair

The MN state fair is a time-honored annual tradition to be embraced with the upmost enthusiasm. My first fair experience was in 2013. I had just moved to Minnesota from the East Coast, and the fair was a total culture shock. I didn’t know what to make of it. As the years have gone on, I’ve come to adore the Fair and everything that comes with it… the inventive fried food, the people watching, the animals giving birth, the butter sculptures, the smells. It’s an odd combination of intense stimulation and wholesome fun. The Fair is a magical place, and I’d recommend a visit to anyone who feels like a kid at heart and who is willing to embrace heat, crowds, and inflated prices. Worth it in my book.

I attended the state fair for the first time and totally enjoyed it. The crowd was massive. The best part is they had a pick up and drop facility which made it convenient. A day wasn't really sufficient to explore the whole fair. Loved the games and food.

Definitely worth the annual trip, if you can get over the crowds and prices. It's a tradition for the locals with their family. Biggest tip is take the bus or park & ride but be mindful of start/end hours.

Loads of Different and variety of food items to try!!!

If you interested in Cattle/goat production is an alternative livestock enterprise suitable for many small-scale or part-time livestock operations. Pig/ Horse farming includes.

I was surprised by how clean this fair was after seeing other fairs. There were constantly people picking up trash and it was pretty nice. I was in love with how helpful information booths were how mostly nice people were at food booths. People aren’t lying when they said food is very expensive here. We spent $200 easily with two people after being determined to try all of our favorites. This was amazing. Parking though… absolutely insane. Come early. And parking was confusing… ended up parking in someone’s driveway for $30 which ended up being well worth it after being confused about where the grounds parking was anyways. Saved some valuable time. We went right when it opened until about 6pm and didn’t regret a single moment. Pictured some of the absolute favorite must-stop-by places. Babas humus we loved so much we went to their recently opened restaurant.

The state fair is always fun
Sure everything is overpriced, but most of the food and drinks are great.
Several new foods and beers to try.
The people watching is amazing here. Everyone from every corner of life is here.
Just be prepared to wait in lines for everything.
We went pretty high and enjoyed the Garlic cream cheese wontons, 3 different times. A lot of good new bees, and classic ones like the chocolate chip cookie beer.
The rides are fun, and so was the seeing all the animals.
The only downside is the parents that act entitled with the strollers. They think they have the right of way on everything.
Stop. It. You don’t. Leave your kids at home. They’re too young that they won’t even remember it. Make it fun for everyone, not miserable like you guys are.

Wow, it's a scene, Baby! Great for people watching and bad food. Lots to see. Short on music options aside from the Grandstand and a few random bands playing. Lots of space to spread the crowds. Since I'm not into the carnival rides, you could easily cover this in a day. $18/person entry. Parked and took shuttle bus for free by Gloria Dei church. That was super easy and convenient.

Wow! The Minneapolis State Fair lived up to its hype! You could literally spend weeks exploring the Fairgrounds, but unfortunately it's only open for 12 days each year. The State Fair has entertainment for everyone -- farm animals and rides for kids, plenty of alcohol options for adults, and SO much food! We visited on a Sunday, and I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't too crowded, and there were still plenty of benches and sitting areas. Pro Tip: Pace yourself! If you stop and get food from every stand that looks good, you'll be full before you even see 25% of the Fairgrounds! I'll see you next year!!