Twin Cities Festivals & Fairs – A Year-Round Minnesota Family Guide

September 16, 2021 / Featured / By / 2 Comments / 17 minutes of reading
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Though we’re typically modest Minnesotans, the Twin Cities doesn’t shy away from its fairs and festivals. We’ve got hundreds of options for Minnesota Festivals & Fairs to attend all year long.

We celebrate our communities and traditions all year round. From Winter Carnival in January, to the legendary Minnesota State Fair in August, to the Holidazzle Festival in December, we love to get outside and explore this awesome state. Browse our monthly listings to find old favorites and new ideas.

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Please note: Due to the disruption of the COVID-19 virus, many of these upcoming events may be cancelled or postponed. Please check the event’s official website for the latest updates. Note that Festivals and Fairs will be under the same guidelines as the rest of the state regarding gatherings during current mandated restrictions. Thanks for reading and happy planning!

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    January

    Twin Cities Winter Festivals banner showing Rice Park in St. Paul Minnesota in the Winter - Family Fun Twin Cities

    JANUARY 2021 – MINNESOTA FESTIVALS & FAIRS

    Festivals aren’t just for the holidays and the summertime in Minnesota – we embrace our chilly weather by getting out and playing in the ice and snow! Find more details about these events on our Winter Festival Calendar.

    Jan. 14-18, 2021: Stillwater Winterfest | St. Paul
    Jan. 28-Feb. 7, 2021: St. Paul Winter Carnival | St. Paul

    JANUARY FESTIVALS – CANCELLED IN 2021

    MORE FAMILY FUN IN JANUARY

    February

    snowy st paul

    FEBRUARY 2021 – MINNESOTA FESTIVALS & FAIRS

    February is still going strong with winter festivals that make the best of our cold and snow. If you can’t beat it, join it, right? Bundle up and head out; spring is right around the corner. Find more details about these events on our Winter Festival Calendar.

    Feb. 1-7, 2021: St. Paul Winter Carnival | St. Paul
    Feb. 5-7, 2021: City of Lakes Loppet Ski Festival | Minneapolis
    Feb. 6, 2021: February Fest (Feb Fest) | Lake Ann Park, Chanhassen
    Feb. 13, 2021: Kites on Ice Festival | Buffalo

    FEBRUARY FESTIVALS – CANCELLED IN 2021

    MORE FAMILY FUN IN FEBRUARY

    March

    Saint Patrick's Parade

    MARCH 2021 MINNESOTA FESTIVALS & FAIRS

    Spring arrives mid-way through March and the Twin Cities jumps out of its thermal layers excited! We open the festival season with St Patrick’s Day events. This year, with Easter falling the first weekend of April, we’ll have several Egg Hunts in the second half of the month, as well. Find more information on our Spring Family Festival Calendar.

    Mar. 17, 2021: St. Paul’s St. Patrick Day Parade | 425 Rice Street, St. Paul
    Mar. 17, 2021: Minneapolis St. Patrick’s Day Parade-In-Reverse | Columbia Heights
    Mar. 17, 2021: St. Patrick’s Day Irish Celebration | Landmark Center, St. Paul

    MORE FAMILY FUN IN MARCH 

    April

    Easter egg hunts & activities in the Twin cities

    APRIL 2021 – MINNESOTA FESTIVALS & FAIRS

    In April, We celebrate by going all out for our seasonal festivals: Easter Egg hunts & activities continue into April and Earth Day observations and other celebrations of spring start popping up. Find all the details on our Spring Family Festival Calendar.

    Apr. 9-25, 2021: Spring Babies | Twin Cities Festivals, Brooklyn Park
    Apr. 17-23, 2021: Family Earth Day Celebration | Wargo Nature Center, Lino Lakes
    Apr. 24, 2021: Earth Day Celebration | Harriet Alexander Nature Center, Roseville
    Apr. 24-25, 2021: Earth Day Youth Birding Competition | Carpenter Nature Center, Hastings

    APRIL 2021 FESTIVALS TO BE ANNOUNCED

    MORE FAMILY FUN IN APRIL

    May

    Spring Festivals

    MAY 2021- MINNESOTA FESTIVALS & FAIRS

    The spring festivals are still going strong as we ease into one of Minnesota’s most beautiful months – May. The sun is shining, the bugs aren’t a force yet, and summer vacation is on the horizon. You can get started planning those May weekends on our Spring Festival Calendar.

    MAY 1, 2021: Arbor Day Walk & Green Fair | Staring Lake Park, Eden Prairie 
    MAY 14-16, 2021: Virtual Art-A-Whirl | Northeast Minneapolis
    MAY 16, 2021: Holz Farm Spring Festival | Holz Farm Park, Eagan
    May 17-23, 2021: Art Start’s EcoArts Fest | Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Bloomington
    May 22, 2021: Spring on the Farm | Eidem Homestead, Brooklyn Park
    MAY 22, 2021: Hopkins Mainstreet Day | Hopkins 
    MAY 31, 2021: Memorial Day Virtually with Lakewood Cemetery | Minneapolis

    MAY 2021 FESTIVALS TO BE ANNOUNCED

    MAY FESTIVALS CANCELLED IN 2021

    MORE FAMILY FUN IN MAY

    June

    JUNE 2021 – MINNESOTA FESTIVALS & FAIRS

    Summer in the Twin Cities is off to a bang with community festivals springing up every weekend on the calendar. How to choose from all the family activities? Bookmark our handy June Festival Calendar and start planning!

    June 4-5, 2021: Flint Hills Family Festival | Downtown St Paul
    June 5-6, 2021: Union Depot Train Days | St Paul
    June 9-13, 2021: Albertville Friendly City Days | Albertville 
    June 10, 2021: Party on the Plaza | Nicollet Commons, Burnsville 
    June 10-13, 2021: Spring Lake Park Tower Days | Spring Lake Park
    June 11-13, 2021: Hugo Good Neighbor Days | Hugo
    June 11-13, 2021: Father Hennepin Festival | Champlin
    June 12, 2021: Lowertown Blues Fest | Dual Citizen Brewing, St Paul
    June 12-13, 2021: Deutsche Tage | Germanic-American Institute, St Paul 
    June 12-27, 2021: Northern Spark | In Person, By Mail and Onlne 
    June 13-20, 2021: Buffalo Days | Buffalo
    June 16-19, 2021: Faribault Heritage Celebration | Faribault
    June 16-20, 2021: Midsommar Celebration | American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis
    June 19, 2021: St. Louis Park Parktacular | St Louis Park
    June 19-20, 2021: Stone Arch Bridge Festival | Minneapolis
    June 19-27, 2021: Waterfest | Phalen Regional Park, St Paul
    June 23-27, 2021: Columbia Heights Lions Jamboree | Huset Park, Columbia Heights (June 25-28, 2020)
    June 23- July 4, 2021: Rosefest | Roseville
    June 24-27, 2021: Twin Cities Jazz Festival
    June 25-26, 2021: Summerfest | Walton Park, Oakdale
    June 25-27, 2021: Blaine Festival | Aquatore Park
    June 25-27, 2021: Kaposia Days | South St. Paul
    June 26, 2021: Summer Festival | Minnetonka Civic Center
    June 27, 2021: Scandinavian Summer Fest | Minnehaha Park 
    June 26-27, 2021: Art Festival | Eagan
    June 30-July 4, 2021: Apple Valley Freedom Days | Apple Valley.

    June 2021 FESTIVALS TO BE ANNOUNCED

    Cancelled  in 2021:

    MORE FAMILY FUN IN JUNE

    July

    July Family Holidays

    JULY 2021 – MINNESOTA FESTIVALS & FAIRS

    July bursts with family festivals all month long – take notes with this handy list of local celebrations around the Twin Cites. Jump over for our complete listing of Twin Cities Independence Day & Fourth of July events.

    June 30-July 4, 2021: Apple Valley Freedom Days | Apple Valley.
    July 1-4, 2021: Hudson Booster Days | Lakefront Park, Hudson WI
    July 1-11, 2021: Manitou Days | White Bear Lake
    July 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29, 2021:  Marketfest | Downtown White Bear Lake
    July 1-4, 2021: Forest Lake 4th of July
    July 3, 2021: Summer Fete | Normandale Lake Park, Bloomington
    July 3-4, 2021: Coon Rapids 4th of July | Coon Rapids Ice Center
    July 4, 2021: Rosefest – July 4 Celebration | Roseville
    July 4-11, 2021: Pan-o-Prog Summer Festival | Lakeville
    July 7-11, 2021 Karl Oskar Days | Lindstrom
    July 8-11, 2021: Whiz Bang Days | Robbinsdale
    July 8-11, 2021: Monticello Riverfest | Monticello
    July 9-10, 2021 Family Fun Fest | Andover
    July 10, 2021: Lowertown Blues Fest | Dual Citizen Brewing, St Paul
    July 13-18, 2021: Festival of the Lake, Centerville
    July 14-18, 2021: Maple Grove Days
    July 14-18, 2021 Hopkins Raspberry Festival
    July 16-17, 2021: Spirit of the Lakes Festival | Surfside Park & Beach, Mound
    July 16-17, 2021: Discover Anoka Sidewalk Sale & Saturday Food Truck Festival | Downtown Anoka
    July 16-18, 2021: Wannigan Days | Taylors Falls/St Croix Falls
    July 16-25, 2021: Rosemount Leprechaun Days | Central Park, Rosemount
    July 16-18, 2021: Rivertown Days | Hastings
    July 17, 2021: Minnesota Scottish Fair & Highland Games | Virtual
    July 20-25, 2021: Anoka County Fair | Anoka
    July 21-24, 2021: Minneapolis Aquatennial
    July 22, 2021: International Festival of Burnsville | Nicollet Commons Park 
    July 22-25, 2021: Excelsior Crazy Days Fair & Festival
    July 22-25, 2021: Crystal Frolics | Becker Park, Crystal
    July 23-25, 2021: Slice of Shoreview Days | Island Lake County Park
    July 23-25, 2021: Chaska River City Days 
    July 28 – Aug 1, 2021:  Scott County Fair | Jordan
    July 29-31, 2021: FLOW Northside Arts Crawl | Minneapolis
    July 31-August 1, 2021 Loring Park Art Festival | Minneapolis

    JULY 2021 FESTIVALS TO BE ANNOUNCED

    Cancelled in 2021

    MORE FAMILY FUN IN JULY

    August

    AUGUST 2021 – MINNESOTA FESTIVALS & FAIRS

    Kicking off with neighborhood fetes and culminating with summer’s fair-well bash (the great Minnesota State Fair, of course), August is ripe with family festivities to keep summer good until the last drop. If you don’t believe us, jump over to our August Festival Calendar to get all the details.

    July 30-August 14, 2021: PeopleFest | Eden Prairie
    July 31-August 1, 2021: Canadian Days | Spooner Park, Little Canada
    August 5-15, 2021: Fringe Festival | Saint Paul 
    August 6-7, 2021: VillageFest | St. Anthony
    August 6-8, 2021: Uptown Art Fair | Minneapolis
    August 7-8, 2021: Powderhorn Art Fair | Minneapolis
    August 9-15, 2021: Vadnais Heights Heritage Days
    August 13, 2021: Eagan Food Truck Festival | Eagan Festival Grounds
    August 13-15, 2021: New Brighton Stockyard Days 
    August 13-14, 2021: Tater Daze Festival | Brooklyn Park
    August 13-15, 2021: Irish Fair of Minnesota | Harriet Island Park, St Paul 
    August 13-15, 2021: Rockford River Days | Riverside Park, Rockford
    August 14, 2021: IndiaFest | Minnesota State Capitol
    August 14, 2021: Lowertown Blues Fest | Dual Citizen Brewing, St Paul
    August 14, 2021: New Hope HeyDey Festival | Northwood Park, New Hope
    August 15, 2021: Como Park Japanese Obon Festival (Lantern Festival) | Como Park Conservatory, St Paul 
    August 19-22, 2021: Ki Chi Saga Days | Vilhelm Moberg Park, Chisago City
    August 20-21, 2021: Mounds View Festival in the Park | Silver View Park
    August 20-22, 2021: North Hudson Pepper Fest | North Hudson, WI
    August 20-22, 2021: Woodbury Days | Ojibway Park, Woodbury
    August 20-22, 2021: Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Wacipi | Wacipi Grounds, Shakopee
    August 20-22, 2021: Edina Art Fair | 50th & France
    August 21, 2021: Arts in the Park | Purgatory Creek Park, Eden Prairie
    August 21, 2021: St Paul Food Truck Festival | Mears Park 
    August 21, 2021: Spelmansstämma | Gammelgarden Museum, Scandia

    Free, but registration required, call (651) 433-5053.

    August 21, 2021-October 3, 2021: Minnesota Renaissance Festival | Shakopee

    Open weekends 9am-7pm. Tickets: $12.50+.

    August 26, 2021: Party on the Plaza | Nicollet Commons, Burnsville
    August 26-29, 2021: Stiftungsfest | Norwood Young America
    August 26-September 6, 2021: Minnesota State Fair | Falcon Heights

    Tickets: $13+, under 5 FREE. 

    August 29, 2021: Johnny Appleseed Day | Bruentrup Farm, Maplewood

    August 2021 FESTIVALS TO BE ANNOUNCED

    WATCH FOR THESE AUGUST FESTIVALS IN 2022

    MORE AUGUST FAMILY FUN

    September

    Fall Festivals

    SEPTEMBER 2021 – MINNESOTA FESTIVALS & FAIRS

    With the ending of summer comes the harvest – get ready for a bumper crop of Twin Cities fall festivals! Get all the details in our Fall Family Festival Calendar.

    September Weekends: Minnesota Renaissance Festival | Shakopee

    Tickets $12.50+

    September – October: Scarecrow Festival | Emma Krumbees, Belle Plaine
    September 4-6, 2021: Chalkfest at Arbor Lakes | Maple Grove.
    September 7-11, 2021 Burnsville Fire Muster (Sept 9-12, 2020)
    September 8-12, 2021: Inver Grove Heights Days
    September 10-12, 2021: James J. Hill Days | Lake Street, Downtown Wayzata
    September 10-12, 2021: CountryFest | St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Oak Grove
    September 10-October 31, 2021: Sever’s Fall Festival | Shakopee 
    September 11, 2021: Open Streets West Broadway | Minneapolis 
    September 11, 2021: St. Louis Park Art Fair | The ROC, St. Louis Park 
    September 11, 2021: Minneapolis Monarch Festival | Lake Nokomis, 49th & Woodlawn
    September 11, 2021: Mac-Grove Fest | Edgcumbe Rec Center, St. Paul
    September 11, 2021: Blaine World Fest | Tom Ryan Park, Blaine
    September 11, 2021: Fulton Fall Festival | Pershing Park, Minneapolis
    September 11-12, 2021: Edina Fall into the Arts Festival | Centennial Lakes Park, Edina
    September 11-12, 2021: Grape Stomp Festival | St. Croix Vineyards
    September 11-25, 2021: Eagan Art Block | Eagan
    September 17, 2021: Farmington Dew Day | Farmington 
    September 17-18, 2021: Bayport Derby Days | Lakeside Park, Bayport
    September 18, 2021: Wild Rice Festival | Harriet Alexander Nature Center, Roseville
    September 18, 2021: Nickle Dickle Day | Waconia
    September 18, 2021: Otsego Prairie Festival | Prairie Park, Otsego
    September 18, 2021: Plymouth on Parade | Plymouth City Center
    September 18, 2021: Minnesota Children’s Book Festival | Anderson Center, Red Wing
    September 18, 2021: Fall Festival | Holz Farm, Eagan

    ($3/pp; Pre-Register)

    September 18, 2021: Fiesta Latina | CLUES St Paul
    September 18-19, 2021: Lakeville Art Festival | Downtown Lakeville
    September 18-19, 2021: Art & Apples on the Lake | Downtown Excelsior
    September 19, 2021: Open Streets Nicollet | Minneapolis (Tentative)
    September 19, 2021: Twin Cities Veg Fest | Harriet Island, St Paul
    September 21, 2021: East Harriet Fall Fest | Minneapolis
    September 25, 2021: St. Louis Park Roctoberfest | ROC

    Save the date.

    September 25, 2021: Fall Raptor Release | Carpenter Nature Center, Hastings
    September 25-26, 2021: Afton Art in the Park | Town Square Park

     SEPTEMBER 2021 FESTIVALS TO BE ANNOUNCED

    Cancelled for 2021:

    MORE SEPTEMBER FAMILY FUN

    October

    halloween pumpkins

    OCTOBER 2021 – MINNESOTA FESTIVALS & FAIRS

    It’s SCARY how huge our list of Twin Cities Halloween events is! Too large to list here, so jump over to our Halloween Guide (if you dare!) If you’re in search of fall festivals packed with apples and pumpkins, corn mazes and all other bounties of harvest time, keep scrolling. For all the details on these festivals, click over to our complete Fall Festival Calendar.

    October 2-3, 2021: Minnesota Renaissance Festival | Shakopee

    Final weekend. Tickets $12.50+

    October 2-3, 9-10 and 16-17, 2021: Afton Apple Fest | Afton Apple Orchard, Hastings

    Admission: $6-$8/pp.

    October 10, 2021: Open Streets Lyndale | Minneapolis (Tentative)
    October 15-16, 2021: Chaska Fire & Ice Festival | Firemen’s Park
    October 24, 2021: Open Streets Minnehaha | Minneapolis (Tentative)

    october 2021 FESTIVALS TO BE ANNOUNCED

    MORE OCTOBER FAMILY FUN

    November

    Family Fun Twin Cities Guide to November in the Twin Cities Banner

    NOVEMBER 2021 – MINNESOTA FESTIVALS & FAIRS

    November brings many early holiday events to the Twin Cities including several tree lighting festivals and other events to kick off the season.

    November 23, 2021: Apple Valley Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony 
    November 26-28, 2021: Taylors Falls Lighting Festival 

     

    NOVEMBER 2021 FESTIVALS TO BE ANNOUNCED

    MORE NOVEMBER FAMILY FUN

    Our November Family Events Guide has ideas for making the most of Thanksgiving Break with family – whether you are traveling or staying cozy at home.

    December

    DECEMBER 2021 – MINNESOTA FESTIVALS & FAIRS

    Our Twin Cities Holiday Festival Guide is filled with hometown festivals at their holiday best. Find holiday tree lightings, skating events, meet and greets with Santa and many more jolly ways to kick off the holiday season in 2020.
    Dec 3, 2021: Osseo MiniDazzle Celebration | Boerboom Veterans Park
     

    DECEMBER 2021 FESTIVALS TO BE ANNOUNCED

    MORE DECEMBER FAMILY FUN

    Travel tips: It’s often easier to take public transit to fairs and festivals. In fact, Metro Transit offers free rides to some events. Joy offers suggestions on packing for an all-day outing and getting around by bus with kids in Get On the Bus! Public Transit with Kids.

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