FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. — There are a lot of things that go up each year at the Minnesota State Fair - The Space Tower, Sky Glider, assorted rides and amusements, the cholesterol of fairgoers - you get the picture.
Come Aug. of 2023, something else is going up... namely, the price of admission and the amount it takes to park your car on or near the fairgrounds.
The Minnesota State Fair announced Sunday that the price of adult admission is jumping one dollar, from $17 to $18 for those between the ages of 13 and 64. Kids ages 5 to 12 and seniors will bump up a buck to $16, while children 4 and under are admitted free.
Outgoing Minnesota State Fair CEO Jerry Hammer says the hike is linked to rising costs in fair production, public safety, facilities upkeep and other services such as the free Park & Ride system.
"We work hard to provide an amazing experience for everyone, and it takes a lot of effort and expenses to do that," Hammer explained in a media release.
State Fair fans can save a couple of bucks by buying early: If you purchase before Jan. 31 tickets are $14, four bucks off the 2023 gate price.
Onsite parking for cars moves to $20, a hike of $3, with the cost of motorcycles getting bumped up $4 to $15.
In another development, the Minnesota State Agricultural Society, the governing body that operates the State Fair, voted to approve $9.3 million in maintenance projects and capital improvements that have been delayed since 2019. The vote took place during the society's annual meeting in Bloomington last weekend.
The board also made long-time butter sculptor Linda Christensen the latest member of the Minnesota State Fair Hall of Fame. Christensen, who hung her knife up in 2021, carved out the likenesses of Princess Kay of the Milky Way and her dairy princesses live during the State Fair for 50 years. During that time Linda figures she captured the faces of 550 young women from 41,500 pounds of butter.
Watch more from the Minnesota State Fair
Watch the latest coverage of the 2022 Great Minnesota Get-Together from KARE 11 in our YouTube playlist: