Mark the calendar: the Minnesota State Fair returns Thursday, August 27 through Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2026. The Great Minnesota Get-Together means twelve straight days of new foods on a stick, Grandstand concerts, barn animals, seed art, and a nightly fireworks show — and it’s one of the busiest travel stretches of the year in the Twin Cities. If you’re coming in from out of town, a furnished studio at Oaklands on 9th in downtown Minneapolis lets you do the fair your way: come for a night, a week, or settle in for the entire twelve-day run.
The 2026 Fair at a Glance
This year’s Grandstand lineup is a good reason to plan your dates early. Bonnie Raitt opens the run on August 27, “Weird Al” Yankovic follows on August 28, and hometown legends Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis celebrate the Minneapolis Sound on August 29. The second week brings Rod Stewart (September 1), AJR (September 2), Brad Paisley (September 3), HARDY (September 4), and TLC and Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue (September 5), before CeCe Winans closes things out on Labor Day. Beyond the Grandstand there are hundreds of free performances across the grounds and a fireworks spectacular every night of the fair.
Why Stay Downtown Instead of Next to the Fairgrounds
Nobody does the whole fair in one day — and that’s exactly where a furnished studio beats a hotel room. Every studio at Oaklands has a full kitchen, so you can eat a real breakfast before a day of Pronto Pups and mini donuts (and skip the food lines for at least one meal). Free laundry is included — trust us, after a 90-degree corn-dog day, you’ll use it. WiFi and all utilities are included too, and there are no contracts: stay one night around your Grandstand show, or book the whole fair run and space your visits out like the locals do. Here’s what to pack (and what your studio already has).
Evenings are the other half of the argument. When the fair winds down, you’re back in the middle of downtown Minneapolis — steps from the Skyway, Nicollet Mall restaurants, and everything in our summer concert guide. Traveling as a couple and want something more romantic? Our sister property, the 300 Clifton mansion bed and breakfast, has its own State Fair getaway guide.
Getting to the Fairgrounds From Oaklands on 9th
The fairgrounds sit in Falcon Heights, between Minneapolis and St. Paul, and the smartest fair veterans don’t drive to the gates. Metro Transit and partner agencies run State Fair Express buses — free parking at the pickup site, then a non-stop, air-conditioned ride that drops you right outside the entrance. The fair also lists roughly 30 free Park & Ride lots with free shuttles on its Get Here page, while on-site parking is limited. Staying with us? Leave the car in the 215 Lot right behind the building — $19 per night, or $11.40 per night on stays of five nights or more — and take an express bus or a rideshare to the fair. Our downtown parking guide has the details.
Fair Days, Downtown Nights
If you build in a fair-free day, downtown is easy to explore from here — or see the whole city the fun way with our friends at Minneapolis Trolley Tours. However you mix it, the math is simple: Labor Day weekend rooms go first, and Grandstand nights fill in behind them. Twelve days of fair only come around once a year — give yourself a home base that makes all twelve possible.
Ready to plan your fair trip? Check availability and book your studio for August 27–September 7, or call us at (612) 314-5124 — we’re happy to help you pick dates around your Grandstand show.
Keep reading: the fair’s opening weekend doubles as a Twins fireworks weekend at Target Field — here’s our guide to the Twins’ August home games, a 20-minute walk from your studio.