The fair: How do you get to the Great Get-Together?
Posted on August 27th, 2008 – 6:05 AMBy Roadguy
Thanks to conflicting travel plans and the wacky runup to the RNC, Roadguy may very well not get to the fair this year. (”The fair,” like “the lake,” may seem like a vague description to outsiders, but Minnesotans know what I’m talking about.) There’s a small chance I’ll have a fair-visiting opportunity this weekend (I would of course check out the new MnDOT display), so my question for you is: if you go to the fair, how do you get there?
Eons ago, the first time I drove to the fair, I paid 10 bucks to park on somebody’s lawn. Then for many years, I was a huge fan of the park-and-ride lots at the U — free parking and a free shuttle bus ride down the transitway. (Now a football stadium is rising where I used to park.) Two years ago, I hit up a colleague who lives near the fair and parked in his driveway for free — lots of his friends did the same thing, so we all left our keys on a table and moved each other’s cars as necessary.
If you’re a fair fan who’s already been or is planning to go, please share your preferred route and mode below.
30 Responses to "The fair: How do you get to the Great Get-Together?"
I ride my bike to the new (as of last year) Park and Ride at Dunwoody. Metro Transit should talk this PnR up bigtime–it’s just off the Cedar Lake Trail, and if they put up some “dedicated” bike racks who knows how many cyclists would use it. I felt a wee bit guilty about using Dunwoody’s bike rack, but it wasn’t full or anything.
Granted, riding a bike to the fair is fine as long as you’re not full of cheese curds at the end of a hot summer day, or have succumbed to the temptations of the Midway and have to balance one of those huge prizes on the handlebars to get home.
If you don’t have connections like Roadguy who lives by the fairgrounds, park-and-ride at the U is SOOO easy. I went last Saturday around 1pm, got to park in a lot right next to the new stadium (get a nice close-up view!), waited 45 seconds for an almost-empty bus to pull up, and I was across the street from the admission gate in five minutes. Just as easy to get home. I wish I would have known about this sooner! (I’ve been doing that for about three years now)
Seriously…is anyone else sick of the fair yet? I hear it all the time…”are you going to the fair?”, “the fair is the best ever”, “how could you not want to go to the fair?”, etc. And its also a little excessive that every newscast has to come live from the fair. C’mon people, do you have nothing else to live for? Maybe its because I’m a transplant from Milwaukee and we had events of this size practically every other weekend during the summer. Enough is enough for the one local event for the year!
Yes, Joe, it must be because you’re from outside the state. The MN State Fair is one of the largest and most well-attended state fairs in the country, and no, Milwaukee does not have events this big. Not even Summerfest comes close. But as for transportation, we usually park at the U as well. It’s wonderfully convenient and cheap. The only drawback is not having a vehicle close by to swap out stuff for the kids (clothes, more diapers, snacks, etc.) but it beats parking a couple dozen blocks away and having to walk so far.
Joe S says: “I’m a transplant from Milwaukee and we had events of this size practically every other weekend during the summer”
I laughed out load at that one. Thanks!
But I do agree with you that the I’m sick of the fair, and of the never ending news casts from the fairs where they never really cover any real news, yet we hear all about the latest pig birth in the birthing barn. Ugh.
However, I must admit that once every few years I yearn for a cheese curd or two and to pull up a slab of curb and watch all of Minnesota walk bay. During these rare occasions, I either bus it or ride my bike to the fair.
I haven’t been to the fair since ‘92 or ‘93. The Steve Miller Band was playing if that reveals the year. My musical tastes have since vastly improved. I still have no taste for chocolate covered bacon (or bacon of any sort) so there’s not much reason for me to go.
I did, however, travel past the fair grounds by bicycle en route to a fourth of July gathering on the shores of Bald Eagle Lake in WBL. I took the Midtown Greenway east into the Seward neighborhood. Turn north on 30th Ave and then head east one more block to 31st Ave and north again to Franklin Avenue.
Turn to the east on Franklin, cross the river and continue through Prospect Park to University Avenue. Merge onto University and head to the left turn lane to get to northbound Raymond Avenue. Take Raymond to Como and turn to the east again. Continue on Como for a few blocks and voilà, you’ve reached the fair.
One can burn off some bacon on the return trip home.
I’ve gone once in about the last 6-7 years (I decided to delete my long rant on why I hate the fair, since it was way off topic). Before that one visit, I was attending school at Hamline, so we just walked there. Come to think of it, I think the last time I went I just parked at Hamline and walked over as well. Note: this won’t work for many people, but since I am involved in an organization over there, I can park in their lot.
We take the bus from Eden Prairie. Free parking (at Wooddale Church during the week or at Southwest Station on weekends), direct ride, nice buses, great way to relax on the way home when we’re exhausted from being on our feet for hours and hours.
My boss and I had a long talk the other day about why on earth people would drive to the Fair. He lives near the Fair and is one of those people who charges for people to park on his lawn. Why would you drive when you can park for free and take the bus for free and get dropped off across the street from the grounds? We think people are afraid of the bus. Also why would you drive if you can bike in park it for free and get $2 off your admission for showing up on a bike. I think the $2 off still applies if you take the city bus too. If I go I will take the bus.
Biking to the fair is my choice.
Pro: The bike lot on the corner of Snelling and Como is monitored, with each rider getting a claim check for their bike. No worries about any theft! Not sure if the other two lots offer this service.
Con: The bike lot on the corner of Snelling and Como is on the corner of SNELLING AND COMO, quite possibly the busiest and most dangerous intersection around the fairgrounds.
Parked at the “U” and took the shuttle bus 2 years ago when I was on leave at a time to go to the fair.
Noticed that MnDOT no longer has their plat next to the Dairy Building. Kinda disappointed in that.
No “fair” for me this year. “Gustav preps” take its place instead…
it’s the free shuttle bus for us. no hassles. this year, we’ll park at the Country Insurance lot after church, and ride on in. when we lived a little closer to st. paul, we used the Grace Lutheran lot for free shuttles. I’m thinking we might skip lunch at T. Coli and eat at the fair 
Free park and ride in Roseville. It was kind of funny, because you could totally tell which of the people taking the shuttle don’t ride the bus on a regular basis. It’s free, fast and lacks the hassle of having to drive and park by the fair itself.
And I like going to see the what’s in the Creative Arts and Agriculture buildings - gotta love the quilts and grain quiz.
Joe Somebody is just bitter.
Minnesota State Fair attendance (2007, 12 days): 1,681,678
Wisconsin State Fair attendance (2008, 11 days): 872,458
I actually like the hokey news broadcasts — but KARE’s farm-motif set this year is cringe-inducingly awful and must go. They’re one step away from putting the anchors in bib overalls.
Back on topic: I solved my fair transportation problems by moving to St. Paul within walking distance. (Well, at least the walk *there* is within walking distance. The walk *home*, after eight hours of the fair, is the Bataan Death March. I usually crawl the last couple of blocks.)
Why don’t the just build an 8 lane freeway, and a 100,000 space parking lot that goes right into the middle of the fairgrounds? Think of all the jobs it would create.
walkin’ the talk — Seriously, this year I volunteered at the Eco Experience Building so driving would have felt a bit hypocritical. Now that I live in Lauderdale I walked in — second year in a row. Walked Larpenteur to north gates and in, took me 20 mins at a decent pace with only 1 red light to stop me. But then I walk much more than the 10,000 steps on any given day. Note to self: next year wear hiking boots not sport sandals. Oww my aching arches.
I live in Como and we park cars all 12 days. I understand why people have to drive - they have strollers, wagons, little ones, elderly parents, dates in high heels and the like. Our house is 1 block from the main gates and sometimes paying the extra few dollars is worth avoiding the hassle on the bus with all of the stuff people sometimes have to bring to have a good time.
I have lived here since 1990 and have attended every Fair starting in ‘90. My most memorable moment was the Friday in Aug. 1994 when I stood in line behind then-Gov. Arne Carlson at the “fried green tomatoes and corn fritters” stand. He and his entourage suddenly took off. Found out later that two cops had been shot in St Paul and the shooter was on the loose. Oh, and we always park-and-ride. Used to park in the big lot by the U that is now the football stadium. Now park in Roseville and get dropped off at the main gate. Why anyone pays to park anywhere at or near the Fair is beyond me.
Last couple times I’ve parked & rode. If I make it this year, it will likely be by bicycle.
I’m not a regular bus rider (if I could efficiently get to work that way, I would), but learned early from the parents that no one wants to park on the grounds or vicinity. Have taken the bus from multiple free lots in Roseville in the past 10 years or so. Shorter drive, easy parking - oh and little to no traffic when you do get back in the car!
More stats to counter Joe S.’s claim:
Milwaukee’s Summerfest has the greatest attendance of any event in the Milwaukee area, and the 2008 attendance was 831,024 over 11 days. The record was set in 2001 with 1,039,794. Interestingly enough, the MN State Fair also set a total attendance record in 2001, but with 1,762,976. The WI State Fair set a record with 938,658 in 1990.
This is my second year biking there - I take Como most of the way. There is a lot of traffic by the fair but most of it is moving at a snail’s pace so not too scary (though the ad hoc bike lane is a bit narrow). I love that there is a free, monitored bike parking lot, and that I burn off some of the fair food on the way home.
In the past, I have driven from Maple Grove to a park-and-ride lot right on Larpenteur to get dropped off for free. It wasn’t worth taking a school bus from Maple Grove to the fair for $7 a person when driving was much more cost-effective.
This year, though, I should have a spot to park at the U for free (note: fair parking at the U is NOT free anymore!) since I live there and will take my bike on the Transitway from Mpls to St. Paul campus and find a spot for it there. Thank God for a bike-friendly University of Minnesota!
UofM2010 writes “fair parking at the U is NOT free anymore!”
Metro Transit’s Park Free & Ride Free page lists:
U of M Minneapolis Campus
4th St. ramp and surface lots
Free weekdays after 4 p.m., all day on weekends and Labor Day
Since I refuse to ride city buses and think the parking lots are a bit expensive I drive and then park for free on one of the neigborhood streets. It’s a bit of the walk to the gate but when you’re walking all day anyway walking a ways to your car isn’t a big deal.
Monte is part of the reason I can’t get a parking spot at my girlfriend’s house unless I get there after about 9:30pm on fair days.
Plus people who ‘just park in the neighborhood’ drive too fast in very parked up residential narrow streets.
Yep, I stand corrected, sorry. I had assumed the U of M didn’t have free parking anymore since a parking e-mail I got from the U was talking about daily rates for going to the fair, but the 4th Street Ramp at 17th Avenue IS STILL FREE!! Rejoice!
I used to drive to Rosedale,and park on the East end, then they stopped doing the park n ride there. Now I drive to Catholic Charities, and catch the bus there, and always I have to get my lefse fix at Lynn’s Lefse. I started something new for her about 8-9 years ago. I told her I like peanut butter on mine, and she’s had it ever since.
What more could one ask for? Great service and products at the fair.
The only bad thing this year was the security at the Leine bandshell.
Thursday night (28th) War was playing, and security let people (mostly drunk) run amuck in front of the stage.
They were bumping into everybody, including those sitting…so security, your grade for the 28th…F
For various reasons, I can’t attend this year, but last year, I took the #3 bus from downtown Minneapolis, which stops right across from the fairgrounds.
I bike and park in one of the secured bike lots — just as I’ve been doing for 20 years. Public transportation is something the fair does right. I’d invite Monte to try it.
(This also reminds me of when I rode Light Rail during its first month. A rider told me that I couldn’t board the train — that there were already too many people. Very Minnesotan - I suspect that he’d never ridden the train in a more dense city…)
