The Minnesota State Fair has announced it will raise ticket prices for the upcoming 2022 event. The Fair will now cost $17 for adults and $15 for seniors and children, a one dollar increase over 2021's prices.

In addition to the higher cost, the Fair will also be cutting the hours short.

Last year my family went to the Sherburne County Fair, Benton County Fair and the Minnesota State Fair. For our family of three, the State Fair was by far the worst value of all. Like, not even close.

The Sherburne County Fair cost us $3 to get in and parking was free. They had all the usual fair faire with the Miller Concessions folks and other local stands, plus the rides were fairly affordable. We all had a great time.

The Benton County Fair was free to enter and parking was available at no cost. We were able to purchase a ride wristband for a fair fee and we were happy with the amount of food options available.

We also enjoyed the exhibits from local businesses and artists, along with the livestock and (my kid's favorite) the robotics display. We spent the whole day at the fair for under $50 and it was awesome.

The State Fair cost us $32 just to get in the door and parking a mile away costs about $20. While there are more exhibits and space to walk around, there is also a lot more people contending with you to see those exhibits.

On top of that, the food is priced to the point of almost being comical. We paid $8 for cheesecake on a stick and it was frozen solid in the middle. A slice of pizza set us back $7. A bucket of cookies for nearly $20? A single kids' ride costs almost $7 for about 30 seconds of fun.

Growing up in the cities the State Fair was one of the most anticipated events on my calendar each year. Now? I just don't see the value.

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