SouthWest Transit will provide bus service on all dates of the Minnesota State Fair and Minnesota Renaissance Festival this year, including Labor Day. A buy-one-get-one promotion, in which riders who purchase a bus ticket to one event can ride to the other for free, also returns this year.
The cost of a bus ticket to either event is $6 for adults. Children 5 and under, and disabled veterans with proper identification, ride for free. Tickets do not specify a date or time, so riders can use them at a time that fits their schedules.
SouthWest Transit will provide bus service to the State Fair from Thursday, Aug. 21, through Labor Day, Monday Sept. 1. SouthWest Transit service to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival will operate during the festival’s seven weekends, from Aug. 16-17 through Sept. 27-28, as well as on Festival Friday, Sept. 26, and Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1.
Buses to the events will depart daily from SouthWest Station in Eden Prairie, SouthWest Village in Chanhassen, East Creek Station in Chaska, and Carver Station in Carver. Specific departure and return times will be announced soon.
Tickets for the State Fair or Renaissance Festival service can be purchased in advance by downloading the Token Transit app for iOS or Android and following the instructions. Riders should activate the pass only when ready to board and show the digital pass to the driver. Tickets can also be purchased on-site during fair service with cash (exact change) or credit card. Riders will then exchange a 2025 BOGO paper ticket for a stamp.
SouthWest Transit will also offer discounted ticket days for seniors and military members (active or retired) with proper identification for on-site ticket purchases on the same days that discounts are offered at the events. Bus tickets will be $3 for seniors on Monday, Aug. 25, and Thursday, Aug. 28, on State Fair Senior (65+) Days, and $3 for military on Tuesday, Aug. 26, and Saturday, Sept. 13, on the State Fair and RenFest Military Days. These discounts cannot be combined with the buy-one-get-one promotion.
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