Avoiding parking tickets at the Wisconsin Valley Fair

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - Some people are choosing to park inside the Wisconsin Valley Fair grounds, while others opt to park in neighborhoods and not pay the parking fee. But beware, the Wausau Parking Patrol is monitoring the streets for illegal parking.

The Wausau Police Department said they’ve given out hundreds of parking violations during the fair.

“It seems like there’s a mindset of the rules don’t apply during fair time,” said Jim Hellrood, a parking enforcement specialist for the Wausau Police Department, “That’s the biggest reason why we have the rules for when we have a lot of people in one area.”

Hellrood said there are three main violations he sees during the fair. The main one is drivers blocking the driveways of nearby homes.

“The number one violation that we see is being too close to driveways. 4 feet is supposed to be the rule of thumb to use,” said Hellrood.

Drivers also want to pay attention to any crosswalks or fire hydrants nearby.

“Should be 15 feet from a crosswalk. And fire hydrants should be 10 feet away,” said Hellrood.

Parking enforcement said it’s not a matter of being the bad guy, but a matter of safety.

“When people get too close to a crosswalk or an intersection that type, it creates a visibility issue. So when people try driving out, they’re not able to without seeing the people at them,” said Hellrood.

Drivers who don’t obey parking rules will find a reminder on their windshields.

“The average parking ticket is $20. There are a few $30 violations out there,” said Hellrood.

But don’t let parking enforcement discourage you from going to the Wisconsin Valley Fair.

“We want people to come down to the fairgrounds. We want them to have fun, but just use some common sense when it comes to parking,” said Hellrood.

Parking enforcement said the best advice to avoid illegal parking is to pay for parking at the fairgrounds. The price for parking is $5.

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