With less than two weeks to go until the Minnesota State Fair opens its gates, residents in Falcon Heights are bracing for crowds and, new this year, a pay-by-mobile parking program.

Back in May, the city of Falcon Heights approved a plan to make people pay to park on the streets surrounding the fairgrounds.

The measure assigns approximately 1,000 Falcon Heights parking spots near the fairgrounds as parking zones. The program will charge a flat fee of $25 per day for vehicles to park between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. during the 12 days of the fair.

Residents who live on the impacted streets have started receiving parking passes and can visit City Hall to request a hardship waiver for up to two additional passes.

On Friday evening, the streets in Falcon Heights were quiet and peaceful, but re

See Full Page