State Fair Parking Lots Fill Up Early On 1st Day

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Given that it’s a #Top10WxDay, it’s probably not much of a surprise that everyone high-tailed it to the Minnesota State Fair the very first morning it opened this year.

Fair officials first reported just before 10 a.m. that all fairground parking lots were full. Park-and-ride lots were also briefly full, leaving Metro Transit buses, bicycles and good old-fashioned walking among the only remaining available means to get to the fairgrounds for a time Thursday morning.

“When we pulled into the Ford lot this morning, we saw the lot full sign, but people were still squeezing in making room. Despite this sign, they told us wait times were actually the problem this morning,” one fairgoer told WCCO’s Erin Hassanzadeh.

John Goodman, of Bloomington, says he waited nearly two hours to get the shuttle Thursday morning.

“The line was way back there and we thought this will move quick. It didn’t move quick,” he said.

1 p.m. State Fair Park & Ride status: Two lots are FULL: I-394/CR-73, Bottineau Blvd.

These lots remain OPEN: 95th Ave, Parade Stadium/Dunwoody, Maplewood Mall, 82nd St/24th Ave, Signal Hills and Cottage Grove.

We’ll keep you posted as things change. ^CBhttps://t.co/mqEL1qcFyt

— Metro Transit (@MetroTransitMN) August 22, 2019

One of the new free Park-and-Ride locations is at Allianz Field and wait times there were really great, with people are only waiting five, 10, maybe 15 minutes. Shuttles there were coming really frequently as well.

And then there’s also the option of arriving there via Metro Transit. It has round trip service for $6 from select park and ride locations.

Minnesota State Fair parking lots cost $15 per car.

Click here for information on State Fair park-and-ride lots.