New Locations

Customer parking is now located in the giant lot northwest of the Grandstand. There is accessible parking on the southeast corner of the new lot. If you’ve ever taken a park and ride to the State Fair, this is the Transit Hub where all the buses drop off.

Both the Wristband Booth and the Garden Fair are in the plaza between the new parking lot and the Grandstand. 

Note: there will be no plant sale parking in the Midway lot.


The Google Maps address of the new parking lot is 1800 Randall Avenue. 

The Metro Mobility drop-off address is 1710 Randall Avenue.

You can find additional driving directions here.


Why the changes?

If you’ve shopped the plant sale before, you may have noticed the Horse Show at the State Fair Coliseum on the same ­weekend.

In past years, both events had parking in the same lot (the Midway) and competed for parking on the same streets. Minnesota State Fair officials want to better manage the traffic snarls and keep the two events more separate. To help do this, plant sale parking is moving north to the Transit Hub lot.

With our parking moved to that lot, the Wristband Booth needed a more convenient location right next to the new ­parking lot, and the Garden Fair along with it.


Benefits

  • Our new parking lot is almost 50% larger than the Midway lot. The shape of the lot also means parking spaces are, on average, 20% closer to the new Wristband Booth location. Even the farthest spots are 30% closer to the Garden Fair than the farthest spots in the long, narrow Midway lot.
  • In addition, the paved surface of the Transit Hub parking lot is brand new, vs. the Midway, which is mostly unpaved and sometimes hazardous. The new lot also has a better option for accessible parking near the Wristband Booth. And there’s more space and ­level ground in the Garden Fair area as well, with more seating available.
  • The move also allows us to make the traffic pattern around the curbside pickup area simpler and safer for everyone. Drivers will now approach Curbside Plant Pickup from the west — the opposite direction than in the past — and all of Dan Patch Avenue will be one-way going east.

 

Driving directions

  • From the west on Commonwealth Avenue, turn left on Randall and proceed until you see the parking lot entrance.
  • From the north on Larpenteur Avenue, go through the State Fair’s Underwood gate, then turn right on Randall and proceed until you see the parking lot entrance.
  • From the east on Snelling Avenue, go through the State Fair’s Main Gate and continue straight. Turn right on Underwood, then left on Randall and proceed until you see the parking lot entrance.
  • From the south on Como Avenue, go north through the State Fair’s Underwood gate (by the Haunted House) then turn left on Randall and proceed until you see the parking lot entrance.

Can I still park in the streets?

We strongly recommend parking in the Transit Hub lot, as it will be the closest to the Garden Fair, Curbside Pickup, and the Wristband Booth (as well as the line that extends out from the Booth in the mornings). Street parking is still allowed, though some streets will be closed off, or have restricted parking.

Can I still park in the Midway lot?

No. This year the Midway lot will not be available for parking, and in future years it will be solely for Horse Show parking. 

Where is the Wristband Booth?

The Wristband Booth will be located on the west side of the Garden Fair plaza, closest to the parking lot.

Where do I line up for my wristband?

The wristband line will extend out of the plaza gate and along the southern edge of the Transit Hub parking lot. If you arrive in the morning before the Wristband Booth opens, parking in the Transit Hub will be most convenient.

Is there accessible parking?

Yes. See the “Accessibility” section below for more information. 

Where are the bike racks?

There will be bike racks on the northwest corner of Liggett and Dan Patch.

Where is the Minnesota Water Garden Society?

MWGS will be located in the new Garden Fair location, in the northeast corner of the plaza. 

Food trucks?

Food trucks will be located just south of the Garden Fair plaza, along the sides of Liggett Street. 

Restrooms?

There is a State Fair restroom building at the southwest corner of Liggett and Dan Patch. We will also have a limited number of portable restrooms available closer to the Garden Fair, outside the Garden Fair entrance gates. Once you are inside the plant sale, there are restrooms at both back corners of the Grandstand. 

What about Curbside Pickup?

Curbside Plant Pickup will be in its usual location, west of the Grandstand. The only difference is that the driving direction has been reversed, to accomodate the new parking lot. There will be plenty of help directing you to the correct location!

I need better driving directions!

We have more detailed instructions and a Google map with our recommended driving directions here.

We have designated the southeast corner of the Transit Hub lot as accessible parking. 

From that lot, there is a close entrance into the Garden Fair. There will be volunteers near this entrance who can help with any questions or needs that you have. 

There is also a drop-off area near the accessible entrance outside the Garden Fair, and a portable accessible restroom between the general and accessible entrances, on the parking lot side. 

We do want to note that Liggett Street, the path between the Garden Fair and the Plant Sale, is at about a 4% grade. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please call us at 651-621-8930 with any type of accessibility ­question, or email [email protected].