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CBS News
4 days ago
- CBS News
Minnesota State Fair travel tips: Roads, parking and transit options
With the Minnesota State Fair just a week away, organizers are urging visitors to plan ahead for traffic, parking and travel options. "There are plenty of different ways to get to the State Fair, and we encourage everyone to take a look at them and plan out their route in advance," said Minnesota State Fair spokesperson Maria Hayden. The Minnesota Department of Transportation plans to pause construction on Interstate 94, with all lanes expected to reopen to traffic during the fair. "We don't anticipate any detours on our routes around the State Fair. We also have an avoiding construction page on our website, which has all the information on the 511 road construction updates, so if people are interested and looking at their route to the fair, they can check that out," Hayden said. On-site parking is expected to fill up quickly. New this year, parking on city streets in Falcon Heights will cost $25 per day. For those hoping to avoid the rush, express buses will pick up and drop off from more than 10 locations around the metro. The fair also offers free park-and-ride lots within the cities. "We have more than 30 a short distance from the fairgrounds and you can park and ride completely for free," Hayden said. "Park and ride lots will fill up at different speeds depending on the day. However, we do have a page on our website for parking updates that people can monitor to see which lots still have availability and then they will reopen throughout the day as space becomes available." Bikes and scooters are also welcome, with three designated corrals for riders. For more information on how to get to the State Fair, click here.
CBS News
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Final preparations underway for 2025 Minnesota State Fair
It's crunch time at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. "Vendors are moving their trailers in, we're all getting ready. The fairgrounds are being prepared to welcome our guests in just two short weeks," fair spokesperson Maria Hayden said. "We've got nearly 300 different food vendors, over 1,600 different menu items, and then we've got hundreds of different shopping vendors, exhibit booths." For Pickledog, the work began a while back. "We've gotta start a couple months before. Start talking about all your product and new things that you're doing on the stand. Or getting your product involved so it gets here on time," creator Gary said. "Every year's just getting better and better. More people. It's a wonderful fair." Before the Root Beer Hut serves up refreshments, the booth needs a little refreshment of its own. "It gets really dirty over the winter so we're out cleaning and then we're going to paint," Loretta Sunderland said. "And then the next step, we're going to bring out the equipment." Loretta and David Sunderland's Root Beer Hut has been in business for 55 years, something their family takes a lot of pride in. "Our grandkids say, 'Oh, this is our great-grandfather's recipe of root beer,' so they just think it's cool that we're selling something that belongs to our family," Loretta Sunderland said. For Matt Cranston, of the Flowering Onions booth, the Great Minnesota Get-Together lives up to its name. "My brother has a stand here, my daughters have a stand here, nephew has one," Cranston said. "Everyone knows each other and some great, great relationships that we've built here. Some we only see once a year, here." Starting early makes all the difference "We've got two weeks to get it all set up because the last four days, boy, there's a lot of people here," Cranston said. "It's just great to get it all done."
