For some Minnesota State Fairgoers, it's the deals that drive where they eat, shop, and have fun. At least 100 of those discounts can be found in a little-but-mighty booklet, usually procured at one of the first stops visitors make just beyond the gates.

But how are vendors picked for the Blue Ribbon Bargain Book? And how much can they really save you?

Costing $5, the Blue Ribbon Bargain Book is packed with discounts on food, merchandise, and entertainment.

"I think the unexpectedness is part of the fun of the Blue Ribbon Bargain Book," said Maria Hayden, spokesperson for the fair.

The process of arriving at which vendors get chosen for the bargain book starts with an application process, at no cost.

"We have vendors submit what deals they would like to offer guests, and they are required to be at least 30% or more of a discount," said Hayden.

From there, the fair then tries to create a balanced book with a variety of options for all ages, diets, and interests.

"You're probably not going to eat five ice cream cones in your day here at the fair. I mean you might, but most people typically won't. So we like to have a good variety so that you can be sure to use multiple coupons throughout your fair day," Hayden said.

One of the staples in the bargain book is "coupon number 26," or $3 off garlic fries at the Ball Park Cafe.

"It's amazing the amount of people that come up and you can see them with the coupon in their hand ready to buy," said Dan Thiesen, co-owner of the Ball Park Cafe.

The spot, located outside the Food Building, is known for its lively restaurant and bar setting, along with its aromatic fries. Thiesen said the coupon has helped the fries become their number one seller. It's been that way for about two decades.

While Ball Park Cafe has been a staple in the book, the fair tries to add new vendors each year so buyers have something different to try. One of them this year is "coupon number 80," a discount on a toy bungee or bib, found at the Busy Baby in the grandstand.

"Last year was our first year at the fair, and we didn't know about (the bargain book)," said Eric Fynbo, who helps run the business created by his sister, Beth Fynbo. "We had some really good friends at Fan HQ that told us that being in the bargain book is a great idea to bring people to your booth and learn about your product."

The Fynbos applied to be in the bargain book in early 2025 and were happy to know they were picked months later. To bring visibility to their latest creation, a bib with utensils attached, Busy Baby is offering a 50% discount.

"The traffic that it brings, we've turned a lot of window shoppers into customers for being in the book," he said.

Hayden said the fair sells about 125,000 bargain books each year, and visitors redeem around 350,000 coupons across the fair's 12 days. Money earned from bargain book sales goes to the Minnesota State Fair Foundation, which is a nonprofit that helps with the upkeep of the fairgrounds and supports state fair programs.