But getting there is a challenge – which is why so many state fair fanatics flock to the I-35W and 95th Avenue Park & Ride in Blaine.
The spot has morphed into the “great North Metro get together” as Metro Transit express buses give people a hassle-free ride to the “great Minnesota get together.”
“Absolutely,” said Cathy Strand of Blaine. “That’s the top reason. The convenience of it. I think it’s fabulous.”
“We like the convenience and saving money,” said Genet Vankempen who recently rode an express bus to the fair. “We like the fact that it’s close to our houses.”
“I like the convenience because we went and found all these other park ‘n rides were all closed,” said Sharon Black of Circle Pines. “We came back up here.”
Buses begin running at 8 am each day and leave approximately every 30 minutes as they carry fair goers to the fairgrounds. The roundtrip cost is $5 on the app, or $6 cash. Any way you slice it, that’s a bargain.
“I couldn’t put an amount on it, but it saves a lot,” Strand said. “This is worth it. This is totally worth it. It’s really spacious. It’s well-kept. There’s plenty of room for people here.”
“The buses are great,” Vankempen said. “They’re not old and rickety. They’re brand new most of the them., The seats are soft and comfortable.”
Blaine hub is bustling
Through the first seven days of the fair, over 45,000 people used this popular park ‘n ride – which is a 60 percent increase over the same days in 2024. According to Metro Transit, the Blaine hub is the second-busiest state fair site.
Said Strand: “I give it a 10.”
For long time friends Black and Vankempen the bus journey is as much fun as the destination.
“We’ve been going to the park ‘n ride for about 20 years…” Vankempen said. “The people you meet, the stories you see. Sometimes friends and families you run into. It’s one of the great conveniences of the state fair.”
A 60-foot Metro Transit bus has a seating capacity of 60 and over 100 for standing room.
Besides Blaine, Metro Transit has state fair express buses in Bloomington, Cottage Grove, Maplewood, Minnetonka, and Maple Grove.
