Aug. 21 – Labor Day, Sept. 1, 2025
351 Days 1 Hours 24 Mins
Applicants are required to be 16 years of age or older to apply through the Minnesota State Fair Employment Center. Applicants must meet this requirement at the time of applying.
No. If you registered (online or in person) or worked at the Minnesota State Fair in 2007 through 2023, you do not need to re-register. However, you must go to the Employment Center to reactivate and update your registration each year.
Online registration begins June 1, 2024.
Visit the Employment Center during office hours, and the staff can assist you with your registration.
The Employment Center is not located on the fairgrounds. It is located south of the fairgrounds at 1640 Como Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108 – one block west of Snelling Avenue.
Parking is available on the west side of the building.
Directions:
Take 35W south to Highway 36 east via Cleveland Avenue exit. From Highway 36, go south on Snelling Avenue. Exit on Como Avenue and go west (right) approximately one block.
Or, take 35E south to Highway 36 west. Take Snelling Avenue exit and go south. Exit on Como Avenue and go west (right) approximately one block.
Take 35W north to I-94 east. Exit on Snelling Avenue, then turn north (left). Exit on Como Avenue and head west (left) approximately one block.
Or, take 35E north to I-94 west. Exit on Snelling Avenue, then turn north (right). Exit on Como Avenue and head west (left) approximately one block.
Take I-94 west. Exit on Snelling Avenue, then turn north (right). Exit on Como Avenue and head west (left) approximately one block.
Take I-94 east. Exit on Snelling Avenue, then turn north (left). Exit on Como Avenue and head west (left) approximately one block.
Check with Metro Transit for bus information: https://www.metrotransit.org/
You will meet in person with an Employment Center staff member to review the registration form you submitted online. You will discuss your interests, availability and experience. If you are a match with any open positions with State Fair departments or vendors, you may be referred to an interview.
Applicants must visit the Employment Center in-person to meet with our staff to activate their online registration..
Identification is not required for the registration process, but it is helpful.
If an applicant is hired to work for a Minnesota State Fair department, they must bring in forms of identification from the List of Acceptable Documents when completing the Step Two process.
Screening takes approximately 5 minutes, depending on the number of applicants that are at the Employment Center at the same time. We take the necessary time with each applicant but keep the process moving.
Only the applicant meets with a staff member.
Applicants are referred for interviews when their interests, availability and experience match what the State Fair department or vendor has requested for a position. We are unable to refer every applicant.
We refer applicants to one interview at a time.
The type and number of jobs available changes frequently, therefore we do not post open fair-time positions on the website. When you meet with Employment Center staff, they will tell you about open jobs they believe match your interests, availability and experience.
The types of jobs that are available change frequently as we continue to fill positions and receive hiring requests. We have jobs with State Fair departments, food vendors, ride operators, game operators and exhibitors. You will get specifics when you meet with a staff member. We receive staffing requests throughout the summer months.
See a list of possible fair-time job opportunities.
Applicants are not referred on a first-come, first-served basis. Job referrals are based on matching an applicant’s interest, availability and experience to the needs of the State Fair departments and vendors who are hiring.
After you receive a job referral, the State Fair department or vendor who is looking for employees will interview and hire qualified candidates. You may be required to complete additional paperwork once you are offered a position. Your paycheck will be issued by the State Fair if you are working for one of its departments. If you work for a vendor, they will pay you.
Most fair-time positions prefer that the applicant is available to work all 12 days (Aug. 22 – Sept. 2). Work schedules vary depending on the job. This will be reviewed with the applicant during the screening process.
No. Referrals are based on matching an applicant’s interests, availability and experience to the needs of the State Fair departments and vendors who are hiring. If you’d like to make changes to your registration, contact the Employment Center during business hours.
Some vendors hire employees through the Employment Center and others hire on their own. Job availability varies.
We cannot offer a job to everyone who applies. We match an applicant’s interest, availability and experience with the employment needs of State Fair departments and vendors.
There is no need to contact our office as a follow-up to your visit. We will call you if a job is available that matches your interest, availability and experience. Contacting our office does not improve your chances of getting a referral for an interview.
Please contact the Employment Center at 651-288-4475.
If it has been more than seven business days since you submitted your background paperwork, please contact the Employment Center at 651-288-4475.
Employees must prove their identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete Section 1 of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration I-9 Form. Please see the list of acceptable documents on the USCIS website at: http://www.uscis.gov.
Each employer (a State Fair department or vendor) determines the rate of pay for their positions. This information will be given to you when you are interviewed. The minimum wage for the State of Minnesota is $10.85 per hour. Please refer to the Minnesota Department of Labor for details at: http://www.dli.mn.gov. All State Fair department job wages will start at $11.00 per hour.
If you work for a State Fair department, your payroll check will be mailed no later than the Monday after the fair ends. If you work for a vendor, you must check with them. It is your responsibility as an employee to ask about your paycheck and to make sure the employer has your correct mailing address on file.
Most employers give their employees admission tickets for the days that the employee works. If you are hired to work for a State Fair department, you will be given admission to the fair. If a vendor hires you, please check with them.
The State Fair department or vendor that hires you will discuss parking options with you.
Some State Fair departments have summer jobs, which run from May – September and post fair jobs that run September to October. To view current summer or post-fair job openings, visit the Career Portal. You can also ask about these opportunities during your screening.
The jobs at various fairgrounds events are filled by State Fair employees who have previously worked during the fair. If you are interested in working at events, you might want to request a referral for a fair-time position with a State Fair department. Please keep in mind that we cannot guarantee you will be hired to work events.
You can contact our employment department at employment@mnstatefair.org.
