'State Fair Food Parade' tickets going for hundreds of dollars on Craigslist
If you missed your shot at tickets to Minnesota's biggest food event of 2020, don't worry — online resellers have you covered. But it'll cost a pretty penny.
The event is the 2020 Minnesota State Fair Food Parade, which was offered as an alternative after organizers canceled this year's fair because of COVID-19.
Tickets to the event — essentially a drive-through of the fairgrounds, giving visitors access to some of their favorite fair foods — were gone less than three hours after going on sale Friday morning.
Not long after the sell-out, tickets began appearing on Craigslist, where they're going for far more than their original $20 asking price.
As of this writing, one listing is asking $500 for one ticket, but if that's too rich for your blood, you might consider the one going for $400. A number of other listings are in the $100-$200 range.
Meanwhile, at least one Craigslist do-gooder is posting warnings to other users about the ticket offers, saying they may be scams:
Be VERY careful when buying the MN State Fair Food Parade tickets! You have no idea if they are scamming you! They could sell the same ticket to 10 people! Or they could have you Venmo/Paypal or Cash App the money and not send you anything!! BUYER BEWARE! Plus don't let these people who are buying a ticket for $25 profit hundreds! They could be honest people and just sell it for what they paid for it...... LAME
In an email to BringMeTheNews, the State Fair said it is "disappointed" that higher-priced tickets are appearing on Craigslist:
Even though technically in Minnesota, it is not illegal to resell tickets at more than face value through a third-party vehicle, we are always disappointed at this practice. We always recommend purchasing tickets directly through the fair and our authorized ticket service provider. In addition to potentially paying more than face value, buyers also run the risk that the tickets purchased through a third party are not valid.
The food parade will take place August 20-23, 27-30 and Sept. 3-7.
