Minnesota State Fair: The 5 Best Shopping Venues

The Great Minnesota Get Together is the perfect gathering for spending time with friends and family. Most people are attracted to the MN State Fair for the rides, exhibits, and of course, the delicious food (on a stick!). But did you know that the Minnesota State Fair is one of the best shopping venues in the area?

Shopping opportunities abound at the MN State Fair. It seems that everyone is trying to get you to part with your money. There are certain areas, however, that offer an especially unique shopping experience. The following five locations are my favorite places to shop when I visit the Minnesota State Fair.

1. International Bazaar

The International Bazaar features booths representing dozens of different countries. The booths sell a variety of items, including handmade jewelry, dresses, figurines, stuffed animals, aprons, shot glasses, purses, and almost anything else you can think of! I like to visit the MN State Fair International Bazaar and get my Christmas shopping out of the way, because gifts found at the International Bazaar are much more unique than those purchased at the mall.

2. Pet Center

The major attraction of the pet center is the opportunity to see and pet almost any breed of dog you can think of. But the pet center is also one of the best Minnesota State Fair shopping locations. Several of the MN State Fair pet center merchants are listed in the blue book, where visitors can find valuable coupons. Favorite Minnesota State Fair stores here include Custom Cat Purrrniture, the Dog Perk, Annie's Pooch Pops, One Scoop, Pet Peddler and the Stone Mountain Pet Lodge.

3. Merchandise Mart

The name of this MN State Fair building makes the venue's main purpose quite clear: shopping! A variety of vendors set up booths inside this building and many offer interesting demonstrations. Some of the merchants also have prize drawings and giveaways, making a trip to the Minnesota State Fair Merchandise Mart worthwhile. I like to stop by Colorful Cotton Clothing for tie-dyed shirts, Cartoon Passion for great comic books, Lott's of Crafts for handmade Christmas ornaments and wood toys, and the Golf Connection for tees, spikes, balls and anything else golf related.

4. Inside Fan Central

If you're a fan of Minnesota sports teams such as the Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves or Gophers, you'll want to visit Inside Fan Central, the premiere sports location of the Minnesota State Fair. This is the place to find tickets, jerseys and logo merchandise, so that you can support your favorite team at the MN State Fair!

5. Creative Activities Annex

Do you enjoy scrapbooking or quilting? How about photography, cooking and folk art? These passions and others can be fulfilled at the MN State Fair Creative Activities Annex. Interesting Minnesota State Fair stores found here include Silhouettes in a Snap, Switchplate Gallery, Creative Memories, Granny's Attic, and Handbags by Jean.