Livestock Vehicle Admission & Overnight Parking FAQs

Paying for Overnight Parking (Camping) and Daily Auto Passes

How do I pay for my camping spot?

You must use the online horse or livestock registration system to pay for your overnight parking spot. Create an account or log in to your account from year’s past. On the exhibitor information page, enter the activation code you received in your confirmation email, and proceed to register for your entries.

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

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

Payment must be made in full by Friday, July 14, 2023. Any confirmed spaces not paid for by July 14 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.

The Overnight Parking Reservation Request System

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.

Why is the request system only open for one day?

This 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.

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 individual who paid for the space. That individual is responsible for making sure the camping unit has the proper credentials before it arrives.