I try to bring as little as possible, because anything you have to carry around will feel ten times heavier several hours into your day! If you are traveling with another person, I recommend bringing one comfortable (wide straps, lightweight) backpack and plan to take turns carrying it. I don’t recommend a shoulder or messenger bag because you’ll last a lot longer if the weight of your bag is evenly distributed to both your shoulders! I also wear a fanny pack for my personal items (more space than pockets, and zippers ensure nothing will fall out.) Here are my MUST HAVES: Large insulated water bottle (one per person) filled with ice Wallet - contents reduced to essentials (ID, Cash (some vendors only take cash and the ATMs at the Fair have hefty fees, plus they are few and far between), Credit/Debit cards) Cell phone Travel toothbrush and toothpaste Small hand sanitizer bottle Tylenol/Ibuprofen (and any other meds you may need) Sunglasses and regular glasses Ziplock bags for leftover food Other things to consider: I apply sunscreen beforehand and do not need to reapply. If you need to reapply, remember to bring a travel sized bottle! Don’t forget menstrual products if you may need them. Tip: reusable menstrual cups may seem like a good idea to save space, but think about how dirty your hands will be….disposable products may unfortunately be the better option for the Fair. You will need to go through security - remember to remove any mace or other self-defense items you typically carry beforehand. Remember to double check the contents of your backpack - Molly set off the metal detectors one year because she forgot she had a solid metal bird paperweight in her bag! If you’re a wet wipes person for messy food, toss a couple of these in your bag. Check the weather before you leave. If it’s going to rain, a rain poncho will be invaluable. (You can buy one there, but they are expensive and sometimes sold out or otherwise hard to find.) PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING HOLY DO NOT BRING AN UMBRELLA. DO YOU KNOW HOW TERRIBLE IT IS TO TO WALK THROUGH A CROWD FULL OF UMBRELLAS? HINT: VERY TERRIBLE. If it’s going to be chilly - bring or wear a light outer layer that will give you some warmth, but won’t be too heavy or bulky to carry if/when you need to take it off. Tip: if you are planning on buying a State Fair sweatshirt or hoodie, skip bringing an outer layer and plan to buy one when you get there! Consider an STP for less contact in porta potties.

First and foremost, WEAR COMFORTABLE WALKING SHOES. I highly recommend not wearing sandals or any open-toed shoes. I do see a lot of people doing this, so it must work for them, but I can’t imagine it’s comfortable after several hours. Plus, do you really want to risk stepping in a big pile of horse shit with open toed footwear? Or do you really want to risk getting stepped on by a hooved animal while wearing sandals? No thank you. Check the weather. If it’s going to be chilly - bring or wear a light outer layer that will give you some warmth, but won’t be too heavy or bulky to carry if/when you need to take it off. If it’s chilly in the morning, but it’s going to be hot for the bulk of the day, I’ll usually skip the outer layer and just deal with being a bit chilly at first. It’s worth it to not have an extra thing to carry around. I always wear a brimmed hat to keep the sun off my face. Think about comfort above style. I have faith in you that you can achieve both, if both are goals of yours. But I also guarantee that if you’re wearing something cute but uncomfortable, you will regret it several hours in. I usually go with shorts with elastic waistbands and a loose, cotton tank or tshirt, depending on the weather.

I highly recommend taking advantage of the robust park and ride system provided by the Fair. Parking at the Fair is expensive and the lots are often full. Finding parking in the neighborhoods nearby is possible, but I have found it challenging, frustrating, and often expensive. The park and ride buses are either free (for pick up locations in the cities) or cheap (pick up locations in the suburbs). Go to the Fair’s official website for all the details on stops, routes, etc., but here are some tips: Budget a fair amount of time to get to the Fair. Much of the time, the park and ride process is pretty quick. But sometimes the stop you pick may be full and you either have to wait for someone to leave, or you have to drive to a second park and ride location. Sometimes even if you can get a parking spot right away, the line may be so long that you have to wait for multiple buses to arrive. While this may sound like a lot, IT’S STILL MORE EFFICIENT AND COST EFFECTIVE THAN TRYING TO PARK YOUR OWN VEHICLE AT THE FAIR. Scour the park and ride map and pick your first, second, and third choice locations so you already have back up plans in place in case your first choice is full. (This will save you frustration and stress, I promise!) Be sure to double check the availability dates for the park and ride locations you choose. Most are open every day, but a few have days they are unavailable. (For example, locations in church parking lots are often unavailable on the two Sundays of the Fair.) No I’m not telling you my personal favorite park and ride locations simply to drive more traffic to them and ruin them! Other options for getting to the Fair: The regular public transit Snelling Ave bus (the A Line, formerly known as #4) will bring you right to the Fair. This is a totally reasonable option - you’ll have to pay the regular metro transit bus fare (which varies depending on the time of day). I have taken an Uber/Lyft to the fair in the past. It is expensive (rates will be jacked up higher than usual), and battling the traffic as you get close to the Fair IS UNPLEASANT. That being said, this option has the potential to be quicker than the park and ride option. There are designated drop off and pick up locations at the Fair for Uber/Lyft riders. If you are short on time, and not short on $$, and have the patience to sit through crawling traffic close to the Fair, this may be a reasonable option for you to consider. Another good option to consider is to bike to the Fair. There are bike parking lots at both the north and south sides of the Fair. It is sort of like a Coat check where you can't go in and take a bike without your bike checked ticket. (So your bike is safe, even if you don't lock it up - but I would still recommend a lock.) We haven't tried this ourselves, but we've been told by a regular that it's super easy!

There is a map you can request at the info booths that shows you where all the “family restrooms” are located. This map does not include any of the porta potty locations so it lacks a significant number of gender neutral bathroom locations. (However, we did bring this to the attention of the Info Booth Ladies (see Resources and Extras page) and they were going to try to get this addressed, so maybe this map will be improved this year? We’ll see!) Going with the assumption that the official restroom map won’t be adequately updated to show all gender neutral bathroom locations, we have created our own unofficial version, courtesy of your very own two Trans Fair Guides. Please navigate to the "Extras and Resources" page to access this map.

Warning, this is a long one. There are tips here for people who want to go easy on fair food and tips for people who are all about the food. Scroll on past the section that isn't for you! Here are some tips for people who are NOT into food at the fair: It’s okay to bring your own food and (non-alcoholic) beverages to the Fair! Bring items that won’t go bad in the heat so you don’t have to carry around coolers or ice packs. Bring refillable water bottles and be on the lookout for water fountains! There are plenty of them, but some can be a bit hidden. (If you do bring a cooler, just know it will be searched at security and you will not be able to bring it into any shows at the Grandstand.) If your reason for laying low with food at the Fair is due to dietary reasons, be sure to check out some resources on eating vegan or gluten free on the Resources and Extras page. If you’re not going to go wild with food, but want to have some fair food, it’s best to come in with a plan. Have a couple priority items in mind and aim to get those first. I’d recommend picking both a classic and a new food priority item. If you are attending the fair with someone you can share food with, sharing food allows you to try more items while not spending as much $$ and not getting full as quickly! Tips for people who want ALL THE FOOD (We are probably friends): BRING ZIPLOCK BAGS FOR LEFTOVERS. Bring some quart sized and some gallon sized. This will allow you to not feel obligated to finish everything you buy, which will reserve important stomach real estate space for more food items. Share food with your fair companion. If your goal, like mine, is to try as many different food items as possible, sharing food means you can try more items without getting full as fast. Pace yourself. And walk a lot. You’ll be able to eat more than you usually do because of all the walking you’ll be doing. Alternate types of food. If you start off with something meaty and heavy, have your next item be more veggie-centric (roasted corn, pickle on a stick, the options are endless!). Use restraint when it comes to dessert or sugar-centric items - they will fill you up fast and you’ll feel kinda crappy afterwards. Save these items to the end of your day when you’re headed home to crash anyway. If you get the refillable milk, SAVE YOUR CUP. You can go back throughout the day and refill it. Set aside a plastic ziplock bag for this and be sure you have a place to store this that won’t end up with it getting crushed. Take a look at the new food list (available EVERYWHERE online and also printed at all the info booths at the Fair). Go through and indicate which items are “MUST HAVE” and which are “yes, if it works out.” This will help you prioritize and ensure you don’t miss a MUST HAVE item. Refer to this list regularly so you can make informed decisions and not suddenly find yourself over-stuffed with nice-to-have food items and there’s no room at the in for a priority item. Do the same with a self-created list of classic Fair food items. There is also a New Beverage list (on the official website or printed at any info booth at the Fair). I review this every year and scan it for any weird new beers that I want to try. I find it very, very annoying that they don’t separate out beer from other beverages. Anyway, peruse this list and mark down if there are any priorities here as well.

There is an official State Fair map that shows where all the drinking fountains are located. You can pick this up at any info booth once at the Fair. Yes, the Culligan booth has fresh, ice cold water dispensers. No you are not allowed to fill up water bottles at these stations. They are designated for use with the provided SMALL paper cups only.

Most people I know that attend the Fair have to watch their budget to some extent. Here are a few tips that may help make your money last longer: Check out the official State Fair’s webpage on discounts. Some nonprofits have free tickets available for the people they serve. If you have a case manager or are connected to a nonprofit, ask! I’d recommend asking sooner rather than later since the tickets will likely go fast. If the nonprofit you are connected with does not have free tickets available, encourage them to reach out to the Fair to inquire about how to obtain free tickets next year. Keep an eye out - especially towards the end of the Fair - on your local Buy Nothing group. I often see posts, especially towards the end of the year, from people who bought their tickets in advance and then plans changed and they can no longer use their tickets. Don’t be afraid to make an ask for tickets on your Buy Nothing group too! Blue Ribbon Bargain Book. This is the discount/coupon book sold by the MN State Fair. Take a look at one when you first arrive and see if it looks worth it to you. It costs $5 per book - if you’re interested in buying even just 2-3 items in the book, the book will easily pay for itself. Bonus tip: be on the lookout for discarded books near the exits of the Fair - especially towards the end of the Fair. When people are leaving the Fair for the last time, they often leave their partially used Blue Ribbon Bargain Books somewhere where someone else will find it and use it. Buy your tickets ahead of time at Cub or online. They are usually about $3 cheaper if you buy them before the Fair starts. And, finally, things like sharing food with your Fair buddies, bringing some food from home, bringing a refillable water bottle to avoid needing to purchase beverages, etc. can help a bit as well. If you have a flexible budget, read on! In addition to being able to get most, if not all of the food items and souvenirs your heart (and stomach) desires, here are a few other things you may consider: Become a Friend of the Fair! This is the nonprofit that works to keep the grounds fresh and updated along with providing support for educational and other programming. Check out the Minnesota State Fair Foundation’s website for more details. So many people want to go to the fair and just can’t afford it. Consider reaching out to a local nonprofit that works with lower income people or people experiencing homelessness and ask if they would be interested in a donation of State Fair tickets. I recommended people on a tight budget look on their local Buy Nothing group for people offering unused State Fair tickets. Perhaps you could consider purchasing a couple extra and offering them up in your local Buy Nothing group to spread the love around. Or you could look for posts asking for tickets and ensure these asks are fulfilled. One time someone saw Molly deliberating over a t-shirt in the DFL booth. She put it back reluctantly. The person saw her do that and bought it for her! Consider a random act of kindness like this! You’ll make someone’s day. Molly still talks about this. (And she still has the shirt.)

You can get tons of freebies and swag all over the Fair. Some swag hotspots include the Education Building (the side where academic institutions are tabling), the TV stations often give out fans, some of the animal barns will give out temporary tattoos, etc. But the whole reason I included this section at all is so that you don’t forget to get your free State Fair-themed chapstick from the Star Tribune booth. I usually try to stop here each day I’m at the Fair because you can never have too much State Fair-themed chapstick!

Hopefully you’ve purchased your tickets before the start of the fair to get the $3 discount. But even if you didn’t do that, it’s still worth buying tickets ahead of time online - you can do it on your phone while on the park and ride bus on your way. This will mean you will have one less LONG line to wait in to get into the fair. (You’ll still have to wait in the security line, of course.)

Look at what the theme of the day is for the day(s) you are attending the Fair. Military Day, for example, may feel less safe to certain people based on who is more likely to attend that day and the messages on the clothes they choose to wear. (There will be a significant increase in patriotic clothing, pro-military clothing, and pro-gun clothing. As a visibly queer person, I have experienced more stares and disapproving looks on this day.) You may also be eligible for discounts on a particular day, depending on the theme. (So check this before buying your tickets in advance so you know if you are eligible for a discount before you pay full price.)

Look at the daily schedule for the day you are going. You can pick up a printed copy at any info booth when you arrive to the Fair or you can view it on the official State Fair’s website. There's also an official State Fair App that is worth downloading. And, 4-H has its own app as well. You may want to ditch something on your plan and swap it out for an event that is happening on the day you are attending.

Here are a few tips or things to consider in your efforts to mitigate crowds. (To be clear, the Fair is a CROWDED place, so it will not be possible to completely avoid crowds here.) Take a look at the history of attendance on the Fair's official website. We Minnesotans are a predictable bunch and the days with the lowest attendance in the past are likely to be the lowest attended days this year. The quick info is that the first day of the fair is consistently the lowest attended day each year and the weekends are typically the highest attended days. Weather also has a big impact on attendance. To avoid crowds, attend on rainy days, especially days with storms predicted. I personally prefer to avoid extra hot days (crowds just FEEL worse), although others may do the same, reducing the actual number of people on the extra hot days. Get there EARLY. The early mornings tend to be less crowded - especially if you get there right when the gates open, before many of the buildings are open. It’s still fun to walk around and see the sights, even before the buildings are open. Aiming for 15-20 minutes after the gates open is probably your best bet, however. You’ll avoid the die-hards who aim to attend every minute of the fair this way! And, then, just a general tip from people who don’t like or are sensitive to crowds: Bring a solid set of ear plugs (not the cheap foam ones - invest in a higher quality pair that filters out but doesn’t muffle sounds.)

Super secret, extra special tips that you definitely don't want to miss BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA SIKE. Some secrets need to stay secrets. Just show up. But you have to figure the rest out on your own.

Crop Art (don’t call it seed art or you may get corrected!) has exploded in popularity in the last couple years, and for good reason. The Minnesota State Fair is currently the only state fair that has a crop art competition, however rumor has it that other states are catching on and will soon have crop art at their state fairs as well. Because of Crop Art's exploding popularity the area (a room in the Ag Hort Bee Building) can be quite busy! This year, the space has been redone and there is now crop art all around the whole room, not just on one wall! This means you can enter the room from any entrance and there is no need to wait in line and go in order. Despite the organizers’ relentless efforts at communicating this, people still are waiting in line unnecessarily (we are Minnesotans, afterall). If you are more comfortable waiting in line, that’s your choice, but know it is not necessary - just come on in and meander through the room and view the art in any order you want. In order to properly respect Crop Art, you must educate yourself on Lilian Colton. Do a google search, but also read the book Seed Queen. Ps. Molly submitted one piece and Annie submitted two pieces this year. Can you find them??