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June 12, 20185 favorite summer activities in the Twin Cities
The Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.
There really is nothing like summer in the Twin Cities. There is so much to do, yet so little time to do it. So, in the interest of time, we put together a list of five our favorite things to do in the summer around these parts.
Take a look and let us know what you think, and what else you’d like to add to the list.
Farmers Markets
Farmers markets have sprouted up (no pun intended!) in nearly every community in the Twin Cities, and they provide a great opportunity to not only buy farm-fresh produce, meats and cheeses, but also they are a great way to support local growers.
Of course, there are several farmers markets in Minneapolis as well as in St. Paul. But you can find them throughout the Twin Cities suburbs and small towns across the state, too. To find one close to your home or cabin, visit Minnesota Grown and click on Minnesota Grown Directory (toward the top of the page) to search by city, zip code or mile radius.
Open Streets
What began in 2011 as one street festival in south Minneapolis has grown to several car-free public spaces for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
How it works: a major thoroughfare in various Minneapolis neighborhoods is closed to motorized vehicles (cars, buses, motorcycles) and turned into safe bike, rollerblading and walking zones. Along the street, visitors can experience all kinds of activities from pop-up yoga classes, skateboard and biking demonstrations, live music, food trucks and more.
Open Streets Minneapolis is the organization behind these events, and their goal is to connect the community with local businesses in a safe, family friendly way promoting healthy living and offering another lens in which to view our streets.
The first Open Streets takes place on Sunday, June 10 on Lyndale Avenue South in Minneapolis. Others happen throughout the summer on these dates:
- Sunday, July 22 – Lake Street and Minnehaha Avenue
- Sunday, August 5 in Northeast Minneapolis
- Sunday, August 26 on Franklin Avenue
- Saturday, September 15 on Broadway
- Sunday, September 23 on Nicollet Avenue
- Sunday, September 30 at the University of Minnesota
For more information and for details on each Open Streets event, please visit Open Streets Mpls.
Aquatennial
While it’s true that this annual event celebrating Minneapolis has shrunk in size and scope over the years, the Aquatennial is still billed as “The Best Days of Summer.” From July 18 – 21, you can enjoy a variety of family-friendly events, most of which take place in and around downtown Minneapolis and the Riverfront.
The fun kicks off on Wednesday, July 18 with a Torchlight 5K run followed by the Torchlight Parade, and ends on Saturday, July 12 with the Target Fireworks. In between, you can enjoy the Twin Cities River Rats waterski show, a MN Made Market, and the Minneapolis Farmers Market. There is also pre-fireworks fun on Saturday, and we should note that the Target Fireworks have been voted one of the nation’s top five annual fireworks shows.
For more information, please visit the Aquatennial website.
Art Festivals
It seems spring, summer and fall are great seasons for art festivals in the Twin Cities and there are no shortage of art fairs in the area this summer. The annual Edina Art Fair is happening June 1 – 3 at 50th & France in Edina. This is the 52nd year of this art fair and will feature 280 fine artists from all over the U.S. and Canada.
The other “biggie” art fairs include the Loring Art Festival (July 28 – 29) in Loring Park, the Powderhorn Art Fair (August 4 – 5) in Powderhorn Park, and the Uptown Art Fair (August 3 – 5) in the Uptown area of Minneapolis.
But, there are so many other great art fairs happening throughout the Metro area and state all summer long. For instance, the Wayzata Art Experience is happening on June 23 as is the Hmong Arts and Craft Show in St. Paul. And, the Raspberry Festival Marketplace Arts & Craft Fair is happening on July 15 in Hopkins.
There are so many more, too. Some are strict art fairs while others are broader festivals that include art fairs. All of them sound like a lot of fun! To find the dates and locations of art fairs all around the state, please visit the Minnesota section of Fairs and Festivals.
Minnesota State Fair
Sure, it’s kind of cruel to bring up the State Fair now because it symbolizes the end of summer for so many of us. But, it is a great way to end summer, don’t you think?
The Grandstand will welcome old favorites like The Beach Boys, Earth Wind & Fire, and an ensemble from the ‘80s including Boy George and The B-52s. Newer favorites will be on hand, too, including Niall Horan, formerly of One Direction.
The Fair has all sorts of other entertainment as well which may include music, animals, art and more.
And let’s not forget the food. What’s your favorite Fair fare? I’m partial to roasted corn on the cob.
The Minnesota State Fair runs from August 23 – September 3, and if you want more information or even want to buy tickets, click on mnstatefair.org.
So there you have it; five summer events that we love. Of course, there are so many that we could have included so tell us what we left out. Contact us with your favorite summer event and why you like it. We’d love to know!
