Teresa L.
Yelp
***ADA/Handicap + Grandstand POV***
As a native Minnesotan, I attend the Minnesota State Fair every year. This year, I went twice since The Jonas Brothers were playing, and my family didn't want to go. LOL.
Parking:
The state fair has multiple Park & Ride locations around the Twin Cities. The only downside is the availability of parking spaces at these locations, which determines the time. You'll likely find parking at these Park & Ride early in the morning vs. afternoon/evening. This was my issue when I worked at one of the vendors at the fair. Otherwise, you could have a family member drop you off at these Park & Ride locations and pick you up from there later, which was what my mom did when I worked at the fair to avoid the fair's traffic and to get me where I need to be.
But this year, I parked near the fairground for $30. The only downside was traffic, especially by Como Avenue, which is to be expected.
ADA/Handicap:
On the fair's website, you can RSVP a manual wheelchair for $25 or an electric scooter for $70 for the whole day. There was no security deposit or hold. They have multiple rental booths, but we went to one by gate #9 (Como Ave). You can also leave your crutches behind. From personal experience, I recommend an electric scooter. Due to pricing, we rented a manual wheelchair, which became a big mistake when I had to push my husband uphill, downhill, and get onto a sidewalk. It was an unpleasant experience between the hot high 90's weather, his weight, crowd, and fighting mother nature/man road construction was no fun.
There are various ADA parking around the fair. It is on a first-come, first-served basis for $20 and with a valid handicap placard. I saw one by gate #9. This is also where you could drop off your handicapped person.
Food:
Everyone will have their opinion about the food at the state fair. Every year, I will get a Pronto Pup (corn dog on a stick) and Pickle Dog (a pastrami smothered with cream cheese rolled with a pickle), and Sweet Martha Cookies are always good. I recommend bringing a Ziploc bag because they will overfill the bucket or cup. There's an excellent vendor by the grandstand with roasted corn on the cob; the only downside is this vendor accepts cash only. German Root Bear was delicious - better than Barq, A&W, 1919, and Not Your Father's Root Beer. They also accept the state fair's cup.
Most vendors will close around 9 p.m. You may not be able to visit some vendors after the concert.
Grandstand:
This year, I attended The Jonas Brothers concert. Getting in was simple: have your tickets ready so the staff can scan them. You can print your ticket from home in case of technology issues. Otherwise, they were able to scan the etix barcode from my phone. I got in with my drawstring bag, which had a Ziploc bag, hand sanitizer, a few napkins, a hat, sunglasses, and Excedrin/TUMS, state fair's cup with root beer in it - you know, state fair survival items. Haha. They will have security to direct you to your seats. The concert merch was worth the wait - same pricing as their official website. Like many concert/sports venues, they open cans or uncap bottles. The Jonas Brothers' concert had seats. From another experience when I went to Linkin Park, it was all-standing. I sat in the plaza and noticed that security was very strict. They will check your ticket every time, so make sure you bring it with you mid-concert if you need to get a drink or go to the restroom. The concert ended at 10:10 p.m. when fireworks went off.
Tips:
- Download the Minnesota State Fair app. It is not available in the iTunes store, but you can get a helpful interactive map of it if you go to their website on your phone. It will have an interactive map, which will be helpful when searching for certain vendors.
- Bring a Ziploc or containers to store food like Sweet Martha's Cookies.
4 out of 5 stars due to having the Jonas Brothers modify their setlist and some popular food vendors close by 9 p.m. If time were not an issue, I would have visited Que Viet for egg roll on a stick and Mouse Trap Cheese Curds. On the day when I attended the grandstand, gate #9 exit only allow one person out at a time, so there was a long line to exit the fair. Gate #10 was not accessible at the time.
