The Minnesota State Fair, one of the largest and most popular state fairs in the United States, offers a unique opportunity for attendees to access a wide variety of free items, promotional giveaways, and experiential offerings. While admission to the fairgrounds requires a paid ticket, numerous vendors, organizations, and sponsors provide complimentary merchandise, samples, and services throughout the event. This article details the types of freebies available, their locations, and any specific eligibility requirements or processes for obtaining them, based on verified information from official fair guides and reputable local reporting.
Types of Free Items Available
Attendees can find free items across a broad spectrum of categories, including household goods, outdoor and recreational products, food and beverage samples, and educational materials. The offerings are often tied to brand promotions, public service initiatives, or educational exhibits.
Branded Merchandise and Household Goods
Many corporate sponsors and local businesses distribute free branded merchandise as a form of advertising. These items typically include practical goods that attendees can use during or after the fair.
- Apparel and Accessories: Free hats are available from sponsors like Bush’s Beans, located on Underwood Street near the Great Giant Wheel. The booth offers customizable bucket and trucker hats, with a limited daily supply. Attendees are advised to arrive early, as lines can form before the 9:00 AM opening. Similarly, myTalk 107.1 FM, also on Underwood Street, provides free sporks (a spoon and fork combination) that are dishwasher-safe and feature a serrated edge. These may require asking a staffer for distribution.
- Bags and Totes: Reusable bags are a common giveaway. KS95 Radio, located south of Dan Patch Avenue, offers a reusable bag ideal for shopping at the fair. Visit Bemidji, in the Education Building, provides reusable bags along with other promotional items. Blue Flame Gas, west of Nelson Street, also gives out reusable tote bags.
- Cooling and Comfort Items: For hot weather, the Buick GMC display east of Underwood Street provides free cooling towels. The Minnesota Blue Flame Lodge, located on Nelson Street between Carnes and Dan Patch Avenues, offers a respite with air conditioning and gives away yardsticks, water bottles, coloring books, key chains, and can koozies.
- Other Practical Goods: A variety of other items are available, including:
- String backpacks from Driven to Discover (west of Cosgrove St.).
- Bottle grips from Blue Flame Gas.
- Sunglasses from Bremer Bank (north of Judson Ave.), Driven to Discover, and WGVX Radio (west of Underwood St.).
- Stress balls from Driven to Discover and Minnesota Farm Bureau (west of Underwood St.).
- Spatulas and reusable wheat cutlery from Minnesota Farm Bureau.
- Drawstring bags from KQRS Radio (east of Cooper St.) and WCCO Radio (south of Carnes Ave.).
- A range of items from WGVX Radio, including water bottles, compact mirrors, wine stoppers, and ponchos.
Food and Beverage Samples
While much of the fair's food requires purchase, several vendors and organizations offer free taste tests and samples.
- Beer Samples: Leinenkugel’s provides free beer samples daily from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Leinie Lodge, located just east of Cooper Street between Dan Patch and Judson Avenues.
- Food Taste Testing: Bush’s Beans offers free taste testing of their baked beans between 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM daily at their booth.
- Personal Food and Drink: Attendees are permitted to bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages. Water fountains and refill stations are located throughout the fairgrounds. A list of water locations is available at information booths.
Educational and Public Service Materials
Government agencies, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions provide free materials focused on safety, health, agriculture, and local tourism.
- Safety and Public Awareness: The Department of Public Safety, located in the Education Building, gives away footballs and flying discs that promote safe driving. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, also in the Education Building, offers shredded money souvenirs. Project Turnabout, in the Education Building, provides backpacks, rain ponchos, pens, and fly swatters alongside educational materials on compulsive gambling and chemical dependency recovery.
- Agriculture and Environment: The Minnesota Department of Transportation, across from the Education Building, allows attendees to spin a wheel, answer a trivia question, and receive a packet of native Minnesota seeds. Minnesota Native Landscapes, on the west side of Underwood Street between Murphy and Lee Avenues, also provides native seed packets and information on pollinator-friendly yards. Friends of the Boundary Waters, at the North End, offers a free reusable spork.
- Local Tourism and Information: Visit Bemidji, in the Education Building, provides a Babe the Blue Ox foam hat, a tote bag, and a guide book. The Minnesota Newspaper Museum, by the 4H Building, gives out postcards, bookmarks, notebooks, and First Amendment posters.
- Health Items: Health Fair 11, in the southwest corner of Dan Patch & Cooper, distributes hand sanitizers, emery boards, rulers, and other health items.
Services and Experiences
Beyond physical items, the fair offers several free services and activities.
- Parenting and Childcare Facilities: The KaiBi Mobile Family Care Center, on the west side of Underwood Street between Carnes and Judson Avenues, provides a climate-controlled space for diaper changes and feeding. Freebies here include reusable hot/cold packs, mini bubble wands, fidget toys, and push pops. For children ages 3-10 (noted as best for ages 4-7), the Kemps Little Farm Hands exhibit offers an agricultural education experience where children can "farm" and use fake money to purchase a real item at the end—all for free.
- Recreation and Tours: The Boy Scouts of America offers free inflatable axe throwing daily. A free, self-guided history walking tour is available with a brochure pick-up at any of twelve stops on the fairgrounds.
- Convenience Services: Free phone charging is available at locations including Renewal by Andersen and Bobby & Steve’s Auto World, with additional stations in the past at places like Ramberg Music Cafe, KARE 11, T-Mobile, and TPT | Twin Cities PBS. Free trolleys operate daily from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM (except 2:00-3:00 PM for the parade) to help attendees navigate the fairgrounds. A free parade begins at 2:00 PM each day on a 14-block route. Visitors can obtain a hand stamp at exit points to re-enter the fairgrounds later the same day at no additional cost.
- Photo Opportunities: Free photos with the State Fair gopher mascots, Fairchild and Fairborne, are available at Visitors Plaza at 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM daily, including autograph sessions.
Key Logistics and Tips for Attendees
To maximize the opportunity to receive free items, attendees should be aware of timing, location, and availability.
- Timing and Limited Supplies: Many popular freebies, such as the Bush’s Beans bucket hats, have limited daily supplies and long lines. Arriving early is often necessary. Some giveaways are time-specific, like the beer samples (4-6 PM) or specific items from radio stations (e.g., WCCO’s drawstring bags on August 28 and water bottles on August 29).
- Location of Major Hubs: The Education Building is a central location for many educational and public service freebies, including items from the Department of Public Safety, Federal Reserve, Project Turnabout, and Visit Bemidji. Underwood Street is another hotspot for branded merchandise from Bush’s Beans, myTalk 107.1, Blue Flame Gas, and others.
- Fair App and Guides: The Minnesota State Fair App is a free resource for maps, discounts, and information. Additionally, a "Deals, Drawings & Giveaways" guide is updated for the fair and lists freebies. Attendees should consult this guide upon arrival.
- Last-Minute Deals: On the final day of the fair (Labor Day), vendors often offer deals to clear inventory, though specific details are not provided in the source material.
Conclusion
The Minnesota State Fair provides a diverse array of free items and experiences that extend beyond the cost of admission. From branded merchandise like hats and reusable bags to educational materials, food samples, and practical services, the opportunities are widespread across the fairgrounds. Success in obtaining these freebies often depends on awareness of specific booth locations, timing, and daily limits. Attendees are encouraged to plan ahead, utilize official fair resources like the app and guide, and explore the various exhibits to fully take advantage of the complimentary offerings available.