Thrifty Strategies for the Great Minnesota Get-Together

It's the end of the summer, and that means it's time for the Minnesota State Fair. Being a transplant to Minnesota, it took me a couple years to become a big Fair fan, but now I certainly am. Last year, I posted my insight on thrifty ways to travel to the Fair here. (hint: think park and ride, not driving and parking there yourself) We are planning to head there this Friday and so I'm getting my Fair strategy together. Some other tips:

From www.mnstatefair.org

The Blue Ribbon Bargain Book: This book sells for $5 both at the Fair and at Cub Foods and includes 125 different coupons. You can look on the website to see the vendors who are included. Some example deals include $2 off a corndog at Corndogs and Lemonade, $3 off BBQ Wings at Famous Dave's, and $2 off a steak or porkchop on a stick at Rajun Cajun. This could be a good deal for you if it includes vendors that you were planning to eat/shop at anyway. Sometimes you can find people giving theirs away as they leave the Fair, usually in the evenings and near the closing weekend.

There's an app for that. Yes, there is a new Minnesota State Fair app. It has a map and a cool feature where you can search for food vendors by categories such as type of food, prices, Blue Ribbon Bargain Book coupons, etc. You can also search for activities and merchandise.

Discount Tickets: Tickets are available for $9 (a $3 savings) at Cub Foods and several other locations in the Twin Cities through August 24. There are also several Discount Days during the Fair:
Thrifty Thursday, Seniors and Kids Day, Military Appreciation Day, Read and Ride Day, Seniors Day, and Kids Day. See the State Fair Website for more details.



Food and drinks can be a major expense at the Fair. There are so many fun foods to try, and you need to keep hydrated on a hot day. My recommendation is to bring some snacks and drinks with you.  Coolers are allowed but might be searched, and you're not allowed to bring in alcoholic beverages. Other than that, you are free to bring food and drinks.  Of course it's no fun to go to the Fair and not eat something on a stick, but even bringing your own water, soda, and some granola bars can save you a lot of cash when bottled water is selling for $3 to $5 each.

Have fun at the Fair! Post any of your Fair thrifty tips in the comments.