Livestock Vehicle Admission & Overnight Parking FAQs

The Overnight Parking Reservation Request System

Who is the overnight parking for?

Overnight parking is located on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in the Livestock Lots A, B and D (located to the west of the livestock and horse barns). It is only for livestock and horse exhibitors who wish to park their camping and RV units on the fairgrounds during the State Fair.

The request system is NOT for livestock and horse trailers used solely for transporting animals, tack and equipment.  Those unoccupied trailers are parked free of charge in the Stella and Block 55 parking lots south of Como Ave., across from the fairgrounds. No camping is allowed in those lots.

When does the overnight parking reservation request system open?

Registration for the lottery opens on the Tuesday after Memorial Day at 8 a.m., and the reservation request system will close the same day at midnight. No more requests will be accepted after that time. All requests made between 8 a.m. and 11:59 a.m. on this day will be put into a computer-generated lottery and will be filled in that order. Anyone who successfully completes a request in the first four hours will have an equal chance in securing a camping spot. Requests made from noon to midnight will be considered in the order they were received.

How do I access the reservation request form?

The overnight parking online form is now part of the overall Minnesota State Fair competition registration system.  You must login or create a user account before you can access the form.  If you have entered livestock, horses or paid for overnight parking in previous years, you have a user account tied to your email address.  You should login using that email address.

• If you don’t know your password, you can reset it.
• You can confirm or create your user account at any time and do not need to wait until May 28.

Why is the request system only open for one day?

Last year, we received more than 1,000 requests in the four-hour lottery. Only a handful of requests trickle in after that, and they rarely end up getting a spot. Rather than give people false hope that they can register in June or July and still get a space, we close the reservation system right away as we are full, and then some, when the system closes at midnight.

I didn’t get an overnight parking spot, what are my options? Will I be on the waitlist?

Any requests that were made during the lottery hours that we are unable to fulfill will continue to be considered in lottery number order. Requests made from noon to midnight will be considered in the order they were received. After the payment deadline is reached, we will refer to waitlisted reservations to fill any unpaid spaces. There are hotel/motel options in the area, and we suggest you can search online for reservations in the area. You can also contact your 4-H representative to see if they have any options or suggestions for you.

How do I know the my request has been accepted and that a space has been reserved for my camper?

After June 13, if we are able to fulfill your request, you will receive an email confirmation that you have a space reserved. You will login to the same user account as you did to register in order to pay for your space. Select the exhibitor profile under which you submitted a request for camping and choose “Overnight Parking (camping).”

• You will no longer pay for your overnight parking with your competition entries and activation codes will no longer be needed.
• Your confirmation will be tied to that specific request and we will only honor one request per user account.

I would like to cancel my overnight parking request. Who should I contact?

If you would like to cancel your reservation request, please email competition@mnstatefair.org. Please note that if you have already paid, the fair does not give refunds except for medical reasons.

Can we share, sublet, or resell our space if we paid for it but no longer need it?

Yes. However, the camper must still fit in the space you were allotted. You can let us know that you have sublet all or a portion of the reservation, but it is not absolutely required. All communication including mailing of parking credentials will go through the exhibitor profile information provided in the initial request. That individual is responsible for making sure the camping unit has the proper credentials before it arrives.

Paying for Overnight Parking (Camping) and Daily Auto Passes

How do I pay for my overnight parking (camping) space?

Login to your account. Select the exhibitor profile under which you submitted a request for camping and choose “Overnight Parking (camping).” You should see that your status is “Reserved.” Click the button that says “Pay Now” and enter your payment details.

Click here for step-by-step instructions or here for a tutorial video. (links available soon)

• You will no longer pay for your overnight parking with your competition entries and activation codes will no longer be needed.
• Your confirmation will be tied to that specific request and we will only honor one request per user account.

Is there a deadline to pay for my overnight parking spot?

Payment must be made in full by Friday, July 12, 2024. Any confirmed spaces not paid for by July 12 will be reallocated to the next appropriate request. Payment can be submitted prior to submitting your livestock or horse entries and prior to winning a 4-H state fair trip at your county fair.

How can I purchase a vehicle parking pass for the lots by the cattle tie-outs?

You can purchase daily auto passes while registering your animals. After adding classes, click “Add Items” to find daily auto passes.

If you are a 4-H exhibitor, you must enter a 4-H class in order to view the parking passes. You can select any species when choosing a class. Just make your best guess as to what you will be bringing to the fair.

Daily auto passes will go on sale June 24 when the livestock and horse registration system opens.  Passes are sold by day on a first-come, first-serve basis and are limited to two per exhibitor.  Once we’ve reached capacity for the lots for each day of the fair, no additional passes will be sold.