How to Do the Minnesota State Fair on a Budget

In case you haven't noticed somehow, I'm a Minnesota State Fair fanatic. I'm one of those people that spends an entire day at the fair so we have plenty of time to see and do everything! We also save up money all year to afford to go...

The state fair can be so expensive! It can easily cost you over $100 per person just to go once.

So what if you want to go to the fair so badly but you don't have $100 per person to make that happen? Never fear! I, as a self-proclaimed Minnesota State Fair expert, have some tips for you to do the fair on a budget.

ALSO READ: New Adult Beverages at the 2024 Minnesota State Fair

How to Stay on a Budget at the Minnesota State Fair

Buy Tickets Before the Fair

If you know you want to go to the fair this year, get your tickets before the fair opens. You can get them online or at certain stores around Minnesota (Cub Foods, if you're in the Twin Cities area).

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They're $15 per person if you buy them ahead of time. If you buy them after the fair begins then it's $18 per person for an adult ticket. Plus, if you get them ahead of time it saves you a massive headache of waiting in the ticket line when you get to the fairgrounds.

Use the Free Park and Ride Options

There are 31 different places where the state fair offers free park and rides. That saves you a ton of money because it costs $20 just to park on-site. No thank you! That could be used for food instead.

Here's a peek at the park and ride map:

Different park and rides can have different hours, so make sure to find the best option for you.

Check Out the Blue Ribbon Bargain Book

The Blue Ribbon Bargain Book can have some great deals. It's only $5 for the whole book. The trick is that you should make sure you're actually going to use enough of the coupons to be worth the $5. If so, great! If not, then you can pass on this one.

Bring Your Own Water Bottle

Don't pay for water at the fair, just bring your own water bottle! There are plenty of water fill stations around the fairgrounds.

Bring Some Small Snacks, Especially for the Kids

Obviously a large reason people go to the fair is for the food. But sometimes you just need a little something and not a big ole bucket of cheese curds. You are actually allowed to bring food onto the fairgrounds.

So bring a little something something so you have a snack if you need it, especially for the kiddos who likely won't eat the big portions that they'll be getting from the vendors.

Check Out the Free Shows

There are tons of free shows to see while you're at the fair. I think the only thing that I pay for at the fair other than food and drink is to ride on the Sky Glider (which is really nice if you want to spend your money on that). Otherwise, there are so many free shows you don't have to spend money to stay entertained.

Share Food While You're There

Like I mentioned earlier, the portion sizes can be huge at the fair. So split food with whoever you're at the fair with. That way you're only buying one funnel cake instead of two that won't get finished.

Skip Anything That's Over $10

Food and drink is the place where most of our money gets spent at the fair. So in order to keep yourself on a budget, plan to stick to things that are $10 or less. Shout out to MPR for this idea.

Of course, if there's something that you HAVE to have and it's over $10, then go for it. Otherwise, stick to that rule and your back account will thank you.