Life by the Fairgrounds

Imagine stepping out of your front door to the aroma of freshly popped corn and the distant echo of laughter. Welcome to the neighborhood surrounding the Minnesota State Fair, where life takes on a celebratory air every late summer. Living here means embracing a truly unique experience - one that blends the charm of a close-knit community with the exhilaration of being at the center of one of the nation's most iconic events.

We sat down for some Q & A with Emma Burns, who has lived in the State Fair neighborhood for almost two years. She shares all her thoughts and tips for living near the fair - a location she loves!

Q: Do you or any of your neighbors leave during the State Fair to avoid the chaos?

A: We haven’t left and at this point I don’t think we would. None of the neighbors on our block leave either!

Q: Tell us about parking cars! How do you decide if you will and how much you’ll charge, give us the details!

We were a little hesitant about parking cars in our yard last year leading up to our first Fair. I assumed it would be much more labor intensive and didn’t want to ruin our front lawn. Our neighbor pointed out that almost every house on our block, and the guy who owned the house for 25 years before us, parked cars on their lawns every year and their lawns weren’t destroyed. I also had zero interest in taking strangers’ keys and parking their cars for them and that same neighbor assured me that none of the houses on our block parked that way. So that info basically changed my mind. 

Once we got to the first day we realized it’s pretty darn easy. We usually spent about 20-30 minutes around nine in the morning filling up (we can fit five cars) and then kept an eye out around one in the afternoon for turnover. Anytime someone leaves you just have to walk out and wave a new car in. It ended up being about an hour of work each day but my husband Trevor works from home, so he had no issue keeping an eye on it throughout the day. 

We charge the same as whatever our neighbors on the corner are charging, which is a little less than the block closer to the Fair, and varies depending on day of the week/time of day. In 2022 we were usually charging $30 per car but it peaked the second Saturday at $40. The block between ours and the Fair and the houses on Snelling were charging $60 with a 4 hour limit at one point, which I have no idea how you even enforce. 

Q: What is it like to have vendors pop up in your neighborhood hoping to capitalize on everyone walking to the fair?

A: I personally love it! It’s so weird and wild. We are just out of range of vendors posting up on our block but walking past is fun. You can go get mini donuts without paying for a gate ticket any time!

Q: What type of noise levels and foot traffic do you get? Does it bother you?

A: Noise wasn’t too bad for us. Depending on which way the wind is blowing we can hear the Grand Stand show at night. It was definitely a little surreal to hear The Beach Boys from bed last year. We didn’t really think about the fact that our dog hates fireworks when we moved in, so the first couple nights were rough, but by the end she barely noticed them. 

Foot traffic varies a lot by time of day and day of the week but it was never a huge issue for us. Our neighbors do a lot of great collaborative neighborhood walks during the Fair both to keep an eye out for any potential safety concerns and also to act as guides around the neighborhood - it’s very easy to forget where you parked after you’ve been walking for 8 hours. 

Q: Any advice for someone looking to purchase a home near the fairgrounds?

A: Do it! But go into it eyes wide open - if you’re between Snelling and Hamline and have a flat, open front yard, everyone will ask if you’re parking cars and, “oh by the way can you save them a spot when they come on Saturday?”

We love it. It’s a weird, awesome, special community. 

And the biggest thing we learned last year? Never go to the Fair on the weekend. Weekdays, midday or bust. It will always be crowded,  but holy cow the difference in enjoyment for us was bonkers. 

You heard it here - living near the fair is fun and you can make some extra cash for a few hours of work parking cars. Mini donuts in abundance and maybe even a free concert from your front porch. If you grew up as a Fair goer in Minnesota, this neighborhood might just be the perfect spot to look for your next home. Here’s to the Great Minnesota Get Together 2023!