Discover a highlight reel of summer festivals in Minnesota. From June through August, here’s where to celebrate food, music, heritage, and more.
Minnesotans treasure summer more than most because we know what it’s like to endure nonstop cold for five months of the year. When the sun’s out, we’re out!
Our drive to celebrate together in the sunshine is what makes Minnesota’s festival season second to none. In fact, some of the state’s signature festivals are among the first and most well-attended of their kind—call it a Minnesota tradition.
Whether you’re on a mission to find your new favorite (fried) food, groove to music outside, or discover the creative spirit of the state, these summer festivals in Minnesota are where you’ll find it. From the heart of the Twin Cities to the shores of Lake Superior to the banks of the Mississippi—here’s where the people will be this season.
Grand Old Day
When: Jun. 7
Where: Along Grand Avenue in St. Paul
Cost: Free
Spanning 30 blocks of St. Paul’s beloved Grand Avenue, the annual Grand Old Day festival is the capital’s most treasured single-day bonanza—drawing hundreds of thousands to the avenue. A morning parade starts this Grand Old Day, followed by a car show, wiener dog races, six stages of live music, and droves of food, drink, and craft vendors.
Pro Tip: City buses are free to the event, and biking is encouraged!
Rock the Bayfront
When: Jun. 19–20
Where: Bayfront Festival Park, Duluth
Cost: Free
This year, Duluth’s most legendary run, Grandma’s Marathon, celebrates its 50th anniversary. If you prefer rocking over running, Rock the Bayfront (presented in tandem with the marathon) is your chance to join in on the festivities. Bayfront Festival Park is the place to celebrate a summer day on the shores of Lake Superior. With all the marathon’s energy humming through the city, Rock the Bayfront is not to be missed.
A weekend-long homage to Minnesota-made music, St. Paul indie stars Hippo Campus play Friday night. On Saturday, the music marathon begins at 9 a.m., continuing into an evening of performances by a Prince tribute band, followed by Minneapolis’s Grammy-winning grunge act, Soul Asylum.
Great River Shakespeare Festival
When: Jun. 24–Jul. 26
Where: The ARC, Winona
Cost: $15–$45 per show
What would a (mid)summer in Minnesota be without time spent in the Driftless Area? Few things are as beautiful as a sunny drive down the Great River Road—so make the trek along the river to Winona for one of the town’s largest celebrations: the Great River Shakespeare Festival. This year’s performances are “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Pericles: Prince of Tyre.” Performances are held Wednesdays through Sundays for five weeks only (plus a special fan-favorite performance called “Callithump” on Tuesday, July 21), so make a Bluff Country weekend out of it.
Taste of Minnesota
When: Jul. 3–4
Where: Downtown Minneapolis
Cost: Free
Part music festival, part food festival, part makers market, Taste of Minnesota is a big Fourth of July bash representing the best culinary and musical experiences the Twin Cities have to offer.
The main stage will host genre-spanning performances from Minneapolis and St. Paul’s most notable musical acts, including Bad Bad Hats, Dillinger Four, and Polica on Friday, and Gully Boys, Nur-D, Dessa, and more on Saturday—with support from DJ Sophia Eris all weekend.
Come for the music, stay for the artist-made goods and all the bites you can eat for this vibrant celebration of summer in the cities.
Spirit of the Lakes Festival
When: Jul. 16–18
Where: Surfside Park, Mound
Cost: Free
Slather on sunscreen for Lake Minnetonka’s biggest weekend of the year, the Spirit of the Lakes Festival. These three days of lakeside entertainment on the waterfront feature dog adoptions, wrestling, a parade, a craft market, and more.
Kick off the event on Thursday night with a boat-in screening of “Happy Gilmore” on Cook’s Bay. Friday evening, snag a ticket to the Meet Your Maker craft beer at Surfside Park, featuring libations from more than 20 local breweries and distilleries.
Saturday is the big day, starting with the Wakesurf Open—where boaters and surfers take to the lake to make (and ride) waves all day, alongside the parade, marketplace, live music, and more. Don’t miss the grand finale—the Spirit of the Lakes Fireworks show at 10 p.m.
Pro Tip: A shuttle will make four key stops around Mound, so park smart and grab a ride.
MN Food Truck Festival
When: Aug. 1 and Aug. 15
Where: 420 Main St. SE, Minneapolis & 2015 S First Ave., Anoka
Cost: Free
Dozens of local food trucks gather to bring street eats to you, two Saturdays this August. In addition to serving every imaginable nosh, the MN Food Truck Festival features live music, games, and giveaways. On Aug. 1, the food truck fest comes to St. Anthony Main, bringing the festival to the mighty Mississippi, and on Aug. 15, it posts up in downtown Anoka.
Minnesota Fringe Festival
When: Aug. 6–16
Where: Various venues
Cost: $25 per show
The Twin Cities are well-known for the arts, and for theater in particular—so mark your calendar for this year’s Fringe Festival. The festival consists of hundreds of performances across participating theaters, spanning dance, stand-up comedy, improv, storytelling, and more.
Anything goes, as participating artists are chosen in an un-juried lottery process, to keep it fair and keep it fringe. This cutting-edge performing arts festival seeks to take bold risks and develop new ideas, facilitating egalitarian and experimental theater experiences.
Individual show tickets are available in advance online or at the venue. Enthusiastic attendees may also buy five- and 10- show passes (or become a VIP Fringe with Benefits member for access to all shows of your choice).
Twin Cities Irish Fest
When: Aug. 8–10
Where: Harriet Island Regional Park, St. Paul
Cost: $30 entry
One of the area’s most iconic cultural festivals, the Twin Cities Irish Fest was established in the 1980s as a successful counterpart to St. Patrick’s Day. The Irish Fest features traditional food and drink—expect Guinness and whiskey—alongside cultural celebrations, crafts, and fanfare.
Modern takes on Irish music are a staple of the festival, which has frequently hosted Irish punk bands as its headliner. This year, the lineup includes 11-piece girl group BIIRD and folk-electronic act Chasing Abbey, plus many other musicians carrying out both traditions and twists on Irish music.
Minnesota Garlic Festival
When: Aug. 15
Where: McLeod County Fairgrounds, Hutchinson
Cost: $10 entry
This year marks the 19th annual Minnesota Garlic Festival, which some say will be the most fragrant festival yet! Celebrating the region’s premier garlic growers, the festival is a chance to enjoy all manner of pungent products made from garlic—including garlic ice cream, garlic wine, and even garlic soap.
The irreverent festival begins with the traditional bulb toss, kicking off a day of garlic-laced foods galore, chef demonstrations, a “peculiar” parade, and vendors of all manner of garlic goods. Bring a toothbrush.
Ren Fest
When: Aug. 22–Oct. 4
Where: 12364 Chestnut Blvd., Shakopee
Cost: $30 per entry (+ parking pass fee)
One of the most iconic festivals in Minnesota, the Minnesota Renaissance Festival is an epic time-traveling adventure—one that claims to be the largest in the United States.
Period-immersive, hands-on entertainment is what Ren Fest is all about. Get swept up in performances on the street and stage, try your hand at knife throwing, and traverse the artisan market to pick out your fairy wings, or have your fortune told. Spend your day the medieval way and dress to impress!
Minnesota State Fair
When: Aug. 27–Sept. 7
Where: Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St. Paul
Cost: $17 entry
What is there to say that hasn’t already been said about the Great Minnesota Get Together? Nearly two million people attend the Minnesota State Fair every year (many of them die-hards who brave the crowds multiple times during its 12-day run). In this time, 65,000 pounds of cheese gets fried at the fair’s single most popular cheese curd vendor alone—thank you, Mouth Trap.
While every imaginable fried food (and new ones that premiere every year) is the obvious draw, the sheer scale of the fair offers much more to awe: entire buildings filled with award-winning displays of quilts, baked goods, and butter sculptures, expos and bazaars galore, stretches of carnival rides and games, a Grandstand booked with timeless talent, and it doesn’t stop there. This year’s performers include Weird Al, Brad Paisley, Salt-N-Pepa, Rod Stewart, and more.
Consider this your reminder (or your sign): You must go.
