Discounts and Tips for the South Dakota State Fair

The 137th South Dakota State Fair starts Thursday, September 1, and continues through Monday, September 5 in Huron.  Fairgoers will line up for carnival rides, concerts, livestock shows, and more. To make the most of your trip, check out these time and money-saving tips.

To avoid the lines at the ticket booth or credit card ticket kiosk, purchase your single day gate ticket in advance at www.sdstatefair.com. When you arrive, use the “scan and go” feature.

Fair admission is $4 for kids and $6 for adults. Gate admission is free after 8 p.m. on Thursday through Sunday, and after 3 p.m. on Monday.  Midway rides, grandstand entertainment, and other activities cost extra. Free stage entertainment and attractions are available throughout the fair at no extra cost. State Fair Grandstand ticket packages are available which include two nights of bull riding and three concerts for $165 for grandstand reserved seating or $200 for standing room. Individual tickets are available for all shows.

Eight Discounts to Save you Money on Admission and Rides:
1. All veterans and active military members receive free gate admission on Thursday, September 1, courtesy of Rowse Rakes. The fair also hosts a “Salute to Veterans” program on the Northwestern Energy Freedom Stage at 10:30 a.m. Governor Noem and Midwest Honor Flight President and CEO Aaron Van Beek are the hosts.

2. Show your 4-H membership card and receive free gate admission on Thursday, September 1.

3. Get your coupons for $1 off gate admission on Friday, September 2, at Prostrollo Motors on east Highway 14 in Huron. The Prostrollo’s Rockin’ Rollback coupons are only valid on Friday, September 2. 

4. Receive $2 off your gate admission during Stock the Shelves on Monday, September 5. Bring a non-perishable food item to any admission gate between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. to redeem your $2 discount.

5. Get your Weekly Passport to Fun! The passport offers a carnival ride pass for all five days of the fair and can be purchased at Prostrollo Motors for $52. 

6. Big Jim 93.3 and Taco Johns want to give you a $3 off coupon good for daily weekday rides. Pick up your coupon at Taco Johns.

7. Bring your non-winning SD Lottery State Fair scratch ticket to the fair and receive $1 off daily gate admission. Offer is good every day of the fair.

8. Gate admission is free after 8 p.m. on Thursday through Sunday, and after 3 p.m. on Monday.  

Know the gate you are going to use and arrive early to find parking. Full-service entrances can be found at Gates 1, 3, 6, and 7. Gate hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday. A map of the fairgrounds is available online.

Free parking is available outside the southeast and southwest corners of the fairgrounds and at the former Huron Mall on Lincoln Avenue. Fairgoers can park on the west side of the mall in the Advanced Sunflower parking lot and ride a free shuttle bus to Gate 3. The shuttle stops at designated locations every 30 minutes.

Use caution around the DEX: Dakota Events CompleX construction site on the east end of the fairgrounds. Respect the barriers and stay out of the construction zone. Are you a livestock exhibitor and plan to haul a livestock trailer? The new livestock trailer parking area is a quarter mile west of Huron Continental Marketing on the north side of Highway 14. 

Concerts and entertainment events include: Stone Temple Pilots, Everclear, Josh Turner, Elle King, THE BAND PERRY, Lainey Wilson, Priscilla Block, ATV Big Air Tour, and pro bull riders and bullfighters.
Event times and entertainment schedules can be found at www.sdstatefair.com