State Fair Day 3: Sports, Swine and Dancing

Nearly two million people are expected to descend on the Minnesota State Fair’s 320-acre grounds over the next 12 days for concerts, contests, cows and corn dogs. Here’s Roseville Patch’s rundown of what you need to know for Day 3.

To know: Today is 4-H Day at the fair, which means swine, rabbits, sheep and more will be on prominent display. The weather is expected to be perfect, with a high of 79 and zero percent chance of rain. Check out the fair’s website for a full schedule of the day’s activities and events.

To watch: A groundbreaking ceremony for the $3 million, 27,000-square-foot Equine and Livestock Arena will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Judging Arena on Judson Avenue. A 4-H Purple Ribbon Auction will follow at 6 p.m.

To dance: Teens and young adults attending the first ever “FAIR-Well-To-Summer Dance Party” from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Carousel Park. DJ Mad Mardigan and DJ Dudley D will host the dance.

To run, hit and throw: Fair-goers can test their skills in hockey, basketball, football and baseball during “PREP 45 Day,” presented by KSTC-TV, Channel 45 to celebrate high school sports in Minnesota. Activities run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on West Dan Patch Avenue.

To hear: Four-man pop group Big Time Rush plays at the grandstand at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available for $35.

Quote for the day: "Seat thyself sultanically among the moons of Saturn, and take high abstracted man alone; and he seems a wonder, a grandeur, and a woe. But from the same point, take mankind in mass, and for the most part, they seem a mob of unnecessary duplicates, both contemporary and hereditary.” - Herman Melville, penned whilst he was aloft on the SkyGlider.

Before heading to the Great Minnesota Get Together:

Hours: Admission gates open daily at 6 a.m. Ticket sales end at 10 p.m. (9 p.m. on Labor Day). Grounds close at midnight (10 p.m. on Labor Day). Most buildings are open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Cost: Adults (13-64) pay $12, seniors and children 5 and over pay $10, and children under 5 are admitted for free. Promotional days are offered throughout the fair, Pre-fair discount admission is available for purchase through Aug. 24.

Transportation: The Minnesota State Fairgrounds are located at 1265 North Snelling Ave. N. in St. Paul. Maps and directions are available on the fair’s website. Note that light-rail construction on University Avenue will slow traffic flow; the fair’s website has tips on how to avoid the congestion. 

Transportation options:

Car
Fairgrounds parking
State fair parking lots cost $12 and can be accessed off Larpenteur, Snelling, or Cleveland avenues. Discount tickets can be purchased in advance through Aug. 24 at Cub Foods or the State Fair Box Office. (Motorcycle parking is offered for $6 on Como Avenue.)

Free park and ride
Free parking is available at 34 locations around the fairgrounds. Complimentary buses leave every 20 minutes from 8 a.m. to midnight to pick up fair-goers. In 2010, the park and ride program gave 920,000 rides.

Bike
Free bike racks are offered at the Como-Snelling and Hoyt-Snelling gates and at Commonwealth-West Dan Patch from 6 a.m. to midnight daily.

Bus
Regular bus routes
Three buses service the fair and accept cash or transit passes. Route 960 goes from Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis to the fairgrounds in about 15 minutes. Route 84 travels along Snelling Avenue. Route 3 connects downtown Minneapolis to downtown St. Paul along Como Avenue.

Express bus service
State Fair Express buses operate from 17 Twin Cities locations on 15- and 30-minute loops. Check the fair’s express bus website for more information.

Navigating the fair
The state fair’s website has downloadable maps of the grounds and daily activity schedules. You can also keep checking Patch for a daily rundown of the top five things to see and do at the fair.

Smart phones
The state fair is also smart phone accessible, with a mobile website and stand-alone apps for iPhones and Android phones that include a manipulable map and the ability to search listings of events, merchandise and food.