Minnesota State Fair Reviews

A Yearly Tradition!!
Rode the Big Yellow Slide and the Large Target Ferris Wheel with my Wife!

The state fair itself is a great time! There are paved streets to go through and sidewalks throughout the ground making it more accessible for people in wheelchairs

I hate being around this many people with my entire being, but I really had a great visit. The food was outstanding and it really, truly is an impressive operation. Surprising accessible for anybody with tons of bathrooms and thoughtful infrastructure.

Best state fair with so much food, entertainment, attractions and people watching. Great craft beer scene too. Many beers you can only find here and no where else.

There are five named great state fairs in the United States let me see if I can remember them all, New York State Fair, Texas State Fair, California State Fair, Iowa State Fair, the Minnesota State Fair. I have been to the New York State Fair and the Minnesota State Fair. When I compare the two you need to understand, at the New York State Fair draws its audience from a small percentage a tiny percentage of the New York City population. Let's say 5% and the other half of the audience comes from everywhere else. Nobody other than California can possibly compete with that body count they probably have the largest attendance. The Minnesota State Fair has probably the second largest attendance at a bit over 1 million. The Texas state fair is probably the biggest as far as attractions and walking size, and probably our biggest competitor for food because how else are they going to get people to go out in the middle of a high desert and 120 degrees temperature and party if not damn good Texas barbecue. The Minnesota State Fair was the one that invented the idea of putting something on a stick probably with our original Pronto pup started in God knows 1939? This Fair has been around a very long time probably longer than any other Fair other than the New York State Fair. Probably because it gets so miserably cold here what else you going to do you better have a Soiree at the end of summer before you shovel snow for the next 9 months. Probably one of the most amazing people watching environments you can get to and participate in without having to join a religion. Smart Savvy fairgoers plan their meals. When you have hundreds of amazing decadent deep-fried Treasures to taste, and you don't want to fall into a food coma at noon and have nowhere to take a nap. You need to carefully plan ahead what you're going to choose to eat, maximizing your best eating experience at the fair. Savvy fairgoers also, determine in advance what they're going to go and see plan their route taking into account what they want to eat and try to get it done in one circuit so that they can walk no more than 5 miles while here. Savvy fairgoers wear sneakers good ones ones that don't make their feet tired after a couple hours of standing, standing walking eating these are the things you're definitely going to be doing here prepare for it. Super Savvy fairgoers bring a folding wagon. why folding so you can stuff it on the sky ride at the beginning, to take you to the far end, without having to walk there. This allows you to get your tour, and eating done, without having to walk more than 3 miles, unless you screw up like I didn't have to walk back. Enough said, those who know know the fair doesn't need any reviews because it's one of the greatest fairs on planet Earth. And is exactly what you should expect at an overstuffed overcrowded super Fair. So if you don't like people and you're not really interested in food, agriculture technology, vendors rock concerts animals, rides children, snacks upon snacks upon snacks... Then this is not the place for you.

It was my first time going in about 5 years and it has changed so much. It's fun winning random prizes at different vendors and walking around checking out some unique finds. The wine slushies were the best part of the fair for me. Kids 4 and under are free! We took the buses from Roseville to avoid paying for parking and we didn't have to wait long go to or from the fair. I was disappointed that I couldn't find the original mini donuts. The ones I got were not the same and my kid didn't even like them, so you know they weren't that great.

Its quite difficult to rate the state fair because you havw to rate it as a whole, overall I enjoyed the food, I would personally recomend the bacon place (i cant remember the name) and the roasted corn. There were a few arcades that were nice to hide out in when it started raining. Side note that the smell of rain mixed with fried food is not very good smelling. The bus ride was very unfun because of the amount of people crowded in, although it might juat be me because i live out in the countryside. The lines weren't actually super terrible because I went on a tuesday which was nice, and finally the struggle to find a seat was still quite a task, but you could find a place to sit if you really needed to.

I may be biased but I grew up close to the fair, so my love for it started in childhood. My kids were too, and they love it too. It's rated #2 in USA after Texas, but only by attendance. Texas state fair goes for almost a month, Minnesota twelve days.

We had so much fun. We even ran into friends & met new ones. Thank You! 9-1-18

First time being there ever. It was so fun and the food was priced okay. With i had more time to see everything

One of my favourite things to do every year! The people watching...the food...the fun stuff and friends! Yeah!

Yeah Minnesota State Fair might be the biggest best State Fair in the country. Been there done that. Seen the State Fair too many times. Minnesota State Fair is overpriced and too crowded. Too many Pronto Pup stands going up. The Robbinsdale Eastern Star dining hall got torn down to make way, you guessed it another Pronto Pup stand! Food is overpriced and greasy. Makes me sick sometimes. There's tons of wasps and hornets buzzing and swarming around and on you at the fairgrounds. The all you can drink milk for a dollar stand lines are disorganized and out of control. I didn't get my cup of milk! Rides in the midway extremely overpriced. However I like riding on the space needle ride. I love going to the poultry building to see the ducks and chickens. The grandstand is phenomenal with plenty of exhibits to see. Machinery Hill is interesting to see. Would like to see more independent dining halls. MSF miggt be getting more corporate and run of the mill nowadays.

We visited after my Uncle's funeral, the thought of going made most of us cringe. Turns out we needed it. Been awhile since it's been mom and her 3 kids, we cried especially when a booth played his favorite song, but we laughed and had fun to. One of the best nights of my life. I love my family

Visited the fairgrounds in January for part of the Saint Paul Winter carnival. There was a snow sculpture contest which is great.

I always enjoy the Fair. A little of the new and a little of the old. There is so much to do. Of course, cheese curds, view the animals, the hard work of those who made baked goods and projects, Sweet Martha's cookies and a visit to Monty's reptile show to see Albert. I recommend week days when it isn't so crowded. The kids had fun trying log rolling for the first time. May have to do that again and try it myself next time

It is so much fun, and so much to see and do. And the food, so much food. The walleye fingers are the best. Never miss a year at the great Minnesota get together.

This is a great place. You could spend all day here. Lots of food choices, but very busy. I would recommend getting dropped off by bus, which was free, parking close is $40. Definitely worth going

The MN State Fair is always a good time. More to do and see than you can take in during one day. Now that we have kids, I'm starting to understand the common tradition of one trip with the kids and one trip without. We manage to go about every other year, but might have to make the effort to attend yearly now that our kids are getting bigger. Lots of neat things for them to do. The giant sandbox was great, and the Little Farmers exhibit this year was really fun. The fair is very clean, and benches and restrooms are well placed and accessible. Always a good time at the fair!

Enjoyed our time here, probably won't come back for the food but the music and agricultural attractions are one of kind. This state does a great job promoting and helping make the event possible for a lot of people. We took a free bus in and parked 10 min away. We were impressed by this and other amenities that helped make this event cheap and exciting. The new menu items at some stands were absolutely phenomenal while others were more acts of the strange and inconceivable.

It was good clean fair fun. I expected more farming exhibits but the shows and Midway were well run.

First time at the State Fair and I was blown away about all the activities and people. It was an adventure. Lots of vendors and most importantly awesome food. Like the bowl of cookies and much more

Lovely thousand people and I always smile, be positive..I'm courageous hideous healing lady ..bless day..love back to work..staffs real kewl!!

Fun experience to try all the different foods and things to do. Great family friendly event. They have a butterfly area, farm animals area, food everywhere and a food court, they have carnival rides, carnival games, haunted house, fireworks, and so much more. It is on the pricey side so be prepared to spend more than a couple hundred and I recommend bringing cash. You can pay for tickets at the gate or online in advance. For parking, they have a Lot, but if it's full then there are off street parking. I recommend doing the free shuttle bus ride. Best thing they have for parking! Shuttle to the front of the state fair and back to your car. So simple!

Best state fair I've ever been too. I love strolling thru Machinery Alley to see the vintage rural equipment.

I love the State Fair and go multiple times per season

The largest premiere fair in the United States!!! Very, very crowded. They may want to add more days to thin out the crowds. We took bus there and was very impressed of the ease and nominal cost for this service.

It's the best State Fair in the country. Just love everything about it mostly the food

Is a must go place at least once a year, always go there to eat and people watching and eat more.

Bring good shoes. Lots of walking. But overall a good time.

Whether you are from Minnesota, another state, or country, The Minnesota State Fair is a great experience. Worth the price of admission.

Great walk. Could have more to see. Icecream cone was best. Giant Paul Bunyon good to see but later looking at photo looked like he had something obvious in his blue jeans :( Enjoyed warm cookies but tasted better.

Can t beat it. Food exhibits and concerts rock. Great family fun.

Best fair I have ever been to! It was hot and crowded, but I still had a blast! It's $14 to get in for adults and it's worth every penny because there is a ton of stuff to do there. Lots of food and activities and one-of-a-kind beers (try the s'mores one or the strawberry lemonade one!) The lines look long, but I promise they move super fast, even for beer and bathrooms. There is so much to do that I recommend going several days.

Love it love it love it! So much to see and do. I do wish that there were more things for Seniors to do like say a couple of AFFORDABLE Bingo booths throughout the fair grounds then this way one could sit down and rest for a spell but still have fun doing so. Would like to see more Senior discounts and opportunities to go to the State Fair such as more than one Senior Day, discounted concert tickets, discounted food tickets, discounted parking tickets, and motorized riders or wheelchairs to rent for a few examples. Otherwise if you have the time and money, this is a great place to visit. Because there is so much to see I would suggest if you are traveling from a distance then get a hotel/motel room (preferably one that offers free or inexpensive transport to and from events and happenings) and make a weekend of it.

If you are looking for an event that is fun for all ages you need to experience the MN state fair. Have cash for the bus ride with exact change, a big appetite to enjoy lots of food, a water bottle to refill throughout the day, and comfortable shoes to walk miles.

Very nice! Traffic was horrible, we will Lyft next time

Back to the 50's car show. Most of the great food vendors of the state fair where open too. Over 10,000 vintage cars on display. Great weekend!

Busy but how can you resist anything on a stick and people watching?

The greatest state fair. Fantastic select of delectable treats, friendly people, more shopping than can be imagined - items from around the world, midway with exciting rides, animals giving birth and more delectable treats. One day is not enough to see everything.

More of an expensive food tasting than a fair. Every year fewer exhibits and more food stands. It has become a revenue grab for the fair board.

The best State Fair in the country. Come for the food. Stay for the people watching. There are lots of fun things to see and do here.

The State Fair was great, a lot of cool foods and neat beers that you can only get at the fair! Plus there were a lot of cute animals especially the ducks!
Tried gator for the first time, tasted like chicken fried steak!

The MN State Fair is so overrated!!! The place is so crowded and way too many weirdos. The animal barns just make me feel sick every time I ve gone through. The rides there look unsafe to go on. And finding parking is just a pain (take the bus instead). The only good thing about the fair are the sports booths, food/drink, shopping areas and live newscasts. Also, people wearing Wisconsin or any other state(s) related stuff shouldn t be here.

The Great Minnesota Get together, Bring your walking shoes and plenty of money. Lots of shopping and tons to eat. Live music, all over the fair and tons of great things to do for the whole family.

A fun place and event for everyone! We go here annually and have always enjoyed ourselves. The parking is always an issue. The houses around the fair let you park for 20 and sometimes 15. But if you drive around a bit you can find free street parking. Make sure to carry cash as most vendors take cash. However we managed to use our credit card as some vendors have a minimum and let you put that on a card. We are vegans so we looked around for vegan dishes. We had earth wings at French Meadow and ate at holy land in the international bazar. Holy land was my favourite vendor and they had the best foods!!

I had a ball! I went there with my aunt and uncle and we enjoyed a nice pork chop on a stick and a beautiful day. The petting zoo was great and the rides were fun!

If you like large crowds and deep fried fair food, this is where you can get both. Animal exhibits where fun...

The Minnesota State Fair is a tradition, and a fun one which I enjoy each year. There is plenty of food and entertainment to keep one busy for as long as you could want to be around millions of humans in a small space, and the observation of aforementioned hordes is just as much a pleasure.

I've been going to this state fair almost every year since I can remember. Always a great time! The food (cheese curds are the best) is great and of course, there's lots of it! Massive beer variety throughout the fair that just keeps getting bigger. And lots and lots to see and do! Great bandstand shows each year. Best state fair ever!!

Always have a great time with my daughter Joe and grandchildren!!!

No better place to be in the summer. Hundreds of thousands of people coming together for the biggest get together of the year. Never gets old and I'll love it forever.

I went there with one of my friends and it was very safe and enjoyable.

We went on the last day and that was perhaps a mistake. It took ages to find a park and ride lot that was open (2 hours from the time we arrived in the area to entering the gates) and it was so so so packed it was difficult to enjoy the fair. I think we just picked the wrong day! The food we had was yummy but couldn t find anyplace to sit and enjoy it for a second which was hard!

Best fair ever hands down the Australian battered potatoes are out of this world and as always the corn on the cob is amazing.

Grew up going to the Texas State Fair, and this was my favorite state fair experience ever. Definitely go to the police k-9 demo and the lumberjack show if you can. Already counting down to next year!

I have people in my family that are gluten free and there are not many choices for them for them to eat at the fair. So I think you really need to bring more of gluten free food into the fair. Do you know how many people are gluten free and still like to come to the fair? So for next year there is a new project for you.

Basically my friend had a heart attack at the state fair around 21 summers ago but it was actually really good because he wasn t really my friend so that s why I m giving this five stars because he deserved it and the state fair killed him without giving me a murder charge! Yay!

Hot dish on a stick. Comes with cream of mushroom dipping sauce. So damn good.

I can't say that I really enjoyed my experience. The parking was very difficult and everything was full. Ended up parking on a residential lawn for $20. The vendors seemed geared towards food only. With that there was a lack of places to actually sit and enjoy the food. As the day went on the crowds became pretty intense and was difficult to walk. Also, most vendors still cash only and finding an ATM was difficult. Compared to other State Fairs just not that great.

Really had a great time! Ed was cool, highly recommend the reptile exibit.

I've been attending the MN State Fair for literally my entire life. Haven't missed a year, well, until this year. And not it's not by choice.

(Note: Ive never got free admission to the fair and the only affiliation I have, is simply the love and memories I have of it.)

I've moved away from the great state of Minnesota due to life/career choices almost 2 fairs ago. I was fortunate enough to make it back last year, but due to financial obligations, that streak will sadly end.

I've had some of the best memories of my life on those fair grounds. Memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. The beginning of the MN State Fair has been something that I have looked forward to every year starting on the the first Tuesday of September.

It's not souly because of the Ye' Old Mill, french fries, cheesecake on a stick, big fried bacon, haumted house, the skyscraper, tipping up a bottle in the midway, the insane amount of animals or the chocolate chip cookies...

It's all of it.

We have over a thousand venders that come and go that draw us to the fair. Some small... some large. There is a lot of new comers every year and the good ol greats that we look forward to from the last.

But we should never boycott everything that makes these 12 amazing days amazing. Unfortunately a torn apart family had to make a very tough decision after an owner had passed. From my understanding, this put the MN State Fair smack dab in the middle of this controversy.

This shouldn't stray us away from the thousand + of other venders out there (along with the hard working staff of the state fair)loose our business.

The Minnesota state fair has an obligation to make the public keep coming back with innovation and authenticity. But one thing that comes with that, is what only I can imagine is insanely hard decisions.

Big surprise the Minnesota State Fair is for profit, but how else would they be able to keep up everything from the landscape and buildings to the roads, parking lots and overall innovation. Without that, it wouldn't be the second largest in the country.

Yes, the original cheese curd stand will be have something in its place this year. But this is nothing different from year to year, other than it sounded like this time around, this particular deliberation took months to come to a resolution.

In end.... Don't boycott... But rather support the things you love about the fair and try something new, who knows.. maybe it'll be me next thing you love about the best 12 days of the year in MN.

The great Minnesota get together! I go every year and love it. Great way to end the summer on a high note!

Excellent fair! Biggest I've ever been to. So much fun!

I've now been twice. Amazing experience to say the least. Cheese balls, get the cheese balls. So much good food, so little stomach space. Take a friend or 3 and split it up, you'll get to try more that way! We spend 1 whole day and and always feel like we conquered something at the end of it.

Even though I grew up in St. Paul and going to the MN state fair was part of my life every year until recently....I just wanted to comment on how much it has changed...to me it now seems more like a craft beer and artisan food festival. The traditional fair ambience is gone. Granted, some of the areas needed to be updated and the addition of new bathrooms has been very welcome. I honestly don't know if I will be back

A one-of-a-kind Minnesota experience if you visit when the fair is going on. Take advantage of transit options to get there. But beware, the Park and Rides often fill up before 10am, especially on peak days, like weekends.

A yearly tradition. Lots to do and see... And eat. The best state fair in the country!

I have visited the fair 19 years in a row with my now wife. It is not cheap, but if you go into it budgeting to spend $75/person you can have a lot of fun. For me, it's all about the diverse options of food.

Had a great time at the fair. Lots to see and great fair food. Huge crowd and parking was tight. Expect to park in a local's yard from $40-$25

I did the park & ride, it worked out awesome. People watching is the greatest there.

Great place for Back To The Fifties Car Show- 3 day event! Looks like new buildings are going up! Excited to see what they will be for!

We went 3rd consecutive yr...its really fun, my fav foods stalls were Martha cookies, corn dog stall, and fried chocolate bar... And if you forgot to take your strollers don't worry they have some stroller shop.. You can get good earring 3 for $10 and good craft beer and good tribal art wood works and try indoor merchandise mart.... Try space needle you can able to see the whole state fair and surrounding... And games and rides...

Highlight of the summer. People watching at its finest.

Overrated. Used to be fun and cheap. Now the food is more like stadium prices.

Fun fair experience, and a good selection of concerts in the grandstand. One of the top 5 fairs in the country. Worth a trip.

We always go for the food vendors, but there's tons of merchandise vendors and companies out there getting involved showing their product, answering questions and offering any deals they have.

It is one of those places you need to go at least once in your life! I didn't like it much because we went on Saturday and it was super crowded. I think it was even more crowded than Disney world! There were very long queues for everything. Also, everything was very expensive. Prices were doubled or tripled. A bottle of water was $3. Bring cash! They don't accept cards.
There are lots of different food that you can try if you're patient enough to stay in line; ice cream, cotton candy, corn, bacon, fries, hot dogs, corn dogs, sandwiches, kebabs, burgers, Asian food,...
There are several rides which we did not try because they were very crowded. They were nice but since we have been to all the theme parks in Florida, the rides were not so attractive to us to stay in long queues.
Overall I think it worth to go at least once but try to go during the week, maybe it is less crowded.

As long as you're ok with crowds and you're up for experimental unhealthy eating you'll have a great time.

Gets better every year! The SkyGlider is a great way to see the fairgrounds - so relaxing and a great escape from the crowds. The free music was wonderful as always! Interesting beer, good food, and excellent music - you'll need more than 1 visit!

This is the one event you need to be in MN for. One of the oldest and best State Fairs in the country, every food you can imagine, and some you can't (chocolate dipped cheesecake on a stick anyone? It only gets stranger from there) can be found there. Farm animal exhibits. Go on a weekday though, weekends are crowded.

Over the top with all the vendors trying to be cute with the food. What ever happened to bringing quality and tasty food to the fair? It's a shame they took out the north entrance to the fair. No nostalgia either.