Things to do in Minneapolis & St Paul this weekend!
This Twin Cities Family Weekend Guide covers the weekend of October 15-16, 2022. To find our most recent guide, click here.
Fall has been settling in in earnest the past week with its welcome refreshing temps and gorgeous color displays. In search of some inspiration on how to spend your weekend with the family? This edition covers fall festivals, outdoor activities in the parks, pumpkin patch picks, fall color tours and more outings tested by our very own FFTC staff and kids (yes, those sweet faces you’ll find below are OURS!)
And with Halloween creeping ever closer there is no shortage of not-so-spooky family events going on this weekend in the Twin Cities. Pick your poison – do you want to trick-or-treat? Still hunting for that perfect pumpkin to carve up? How about a fall hayride? We’ve got bunches of ideas for the weekend and beyond on our FAMILY FUN CALENDAR or browse our ultimate TWIN CITIES HALLOWEEN GUIDE.
family Halloween & Fall festivals this weekend in the twin cities
This close to Halloween we see a blending of these not-so-spooky family events with more traditional fall activities. Here we feature three we think are worth your time this weekend; plan for more on our FALL FAMILY FESTIVAL CALENDAR and our giant guide to HALLOWEEN EVENTS IN THE TWIN CITIES FOR KIDS & FAMILY.
Spooky Trains – Night Trains at Twin City Model Railroad Museum
The museum’s annual Night Trains beings with a “spooky trains” edition complete with treats. Costumes are welcome. Located in St Paul. Oct 15, 2022, $10/pp age 4+.
CAPONI ART PARK LEAF FEST
1220 Diffley Rd, Eagan, MN 55123
Enjoy the changing colors of the forest and all the fun that comes with it: the annual leaf pile, arts and crafts activities, make-your-own treats, and more. Oct 16, 2022, 1-4pm. FREE! More Ways to Enjoy Fall Colors in Minnesota.
Harvest to Halloween at the Barn
Riley Lake Park, 9180 Riley Lake Road, Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55344
Decorate pumpkins, horse-drawn wagon rides, glow dance, story stroll, scavenger hunt and other family activities. Additional activities include art stations, a scavenger hunt and awards. Oct 15, 2022. 2-5pm, FREE.
It’s SCARY how much fun stuff we’ve got rounded up on our TWIN CITIES HALLOWEEN FAMILY FUN GUIDE. Check it out – if you dare!
fun outdoor activities in the parks this weekend
Featured here for the weekend is just a taste of all that’s going on across the incredible Twin Cities park systems. You can get more ideas on our FAMILY FUN CALENDAR or browse the links below to search for local fun events & things to do with kids this weekend in the parks.
SOME FUN FAMILY IDEAS FOR THIS WEEKEND
RICE CREEK CHAIN OF LAKES PARK RESERVE is a 5500-acre park in the northeast metro. It is one of the largest parks in the metro area and stretches through the communities of Lexington, Circle Pines, Lino Lakes and Centerville. We’ve found good ways for a family to explore the expansive park by honing in on the WARGO NATURE CENTER, by biking the Rice Creek trails, and spending a day at the CENTERVILLE LAKE BEACH. For more ideas, jump over to our list of 12 THINGS FOR FUN AT RICE CREEK CHAIN OF LAKES PARK RESERVE.
At the WARGO NATURE CENTER, families will enjoy the displays, the touch and see room, and the outdoor areas, including the nature playground and gardens. Anne’s daughter (pictured) adored the rope swing in Maple Hollow Nature Play Area.
SPECIAL EVENT! Wargo Nature Center Fall Festival
Play pioneer games, try cider pressing and take nature walks. Oct 15, 2022, 2-4pm, FREE.
Centerville Lake, one of seven in the Rice Creek Chain, earns high marks in our book for hosting one of the top beaches in the Twin Cities Metro AND makes Gianna’s list of the top fishing holes in the northern suburbs.
Anne’s family is always on the search for new family-friendly bike trails. The Rice Creek North Regional Trail meanders through this park. The level trails make for good biking with small children. Or, hike if you’d rather.
Featured Twin Cities Park Events this weekend
FREE FAMILY FUN DAY with Three Rivers parks
Each Sunday in October, MISSISSIPPI GATEWAY REGIONAL PARK hosts a FREE FAMILY FUN DAY with drop-in activities from 1-3pm. If you’re from the SW Metro: RICHARDSON NATURE CENTER in Bloomington also hosts this program. Want to explore more nature centers? Check out the links on our big list of Twin Cities nature & interpretive centers for all the details. Oct 16, 2022.
FAMILY NATURE EXPLORATION SATURDAYS
Sunfish Lake Park & Sally Manzara Nature Center, 3554 Kelvin Ave N, Lake Elmo, MN 55042
No registration is needed, just show up to explore nature. This weekend’s theme is fall photography. Kids will enjoy the indoor exhibits and outdoor nature play area. October 15, 2022, 10-11am.
Visit a twin cities apple orchard, pumpkin patch or corn maze this weekend
This weekend’s highlighted fall fun pumpkin patches & corn mazes:
PUMPKIN PATCH PICKS
Patches are in full swing this weekend, and we’ve got the details on 15 on our list we think are worth checking out for their fall activities, farm animals, and fresh produce. This weekend we highlight COUNTRY SUN FARM in Lake Elmo. Admission is free, with a charge for all fall activities with the exception of the petting farm and outdoor display photo ops. Fun stuff includes a giant corn pit outfitted with buckets, slides and toys ($3), bounce house ($3), Silly String Zone ($3), make your way through the corn maze ($4), enjoy the fall scenery on a hay ride ($5), pan for gems ($6-$20).
Jump over to Pick One: Twin Cities Pumpkin Patches or click the graphic for more outing ideas.
KIDS IN THE (CORN) MAZES
Love them, fear them, however you feel about corn mazes, they are a staple of outdoor fall fun in Minnesota. This weekend, we share a good option for families at PEARSON FAMILY FARM in Ramsey, Minnesota. Along with a big ‘ol maze you’ll find antique tractors, games for the kids and a popcorn pit. Weekends include hay rides and food trucks. Wristbands are $35-$45/family or $5-$10/pp depending on the time of day you visit. 8846 US-10, Ramsey, MN 55303.
more ideas for things to do this weekend in the twin cities with kids
Catch the fall colors
Beautiful but fleeting, fall colors in Minnesota are worth a weekend family outing. Some suggestions for the best places to view this stunning palette can be found in our TWIN CITIES FALL COLOR GUIDE. Or, here are a few quick notes to jot, some from readers who have voted for their favorite color spots in our OCTOBER SURVEY:
- HYLAND LAKE PARK RESERVE, Bloomington – for the well-groomed paths.
- MINNEHAHA FALLS REGIONAL PARK, Minneapolis – take the stairs down into the gorge and hike the little trails to admire the colors.
- MINNESOTA LANDSCAPE ARBORETUM, Chaska – beautiful colors, displays and an apple house.
- RED WING, Minnesota – Barn Bluff is one of our favorite fall hikes and less than an hour from the metro.
- TAYLORS FALLS, Minnesota – Interstate State Park, on the St Croix River, is some of the best scenery and colors in the state.
Pumpkins & Trolley Rides
COMO-HARRIET STREETCAR LINE presents Farmer Ken & Jan’s Pumpkin Patch! Take a trolley ride and bring home a Halloween pumpkin. Riders get off the car at the “pumpkin patch” where they can search for just the right pumpkin. There are no advance tickets or reservations. Located in Minneapolis. Oct 15-16, 2022. $3/pp plus $7/pumpkin.
Lattes & LEGOS at Snapology
Parents, need a quick break? Enjoy a delicious beverage from Bob’s Java Hut (next door to Snapology) while your child plays at Snapology. If they are 5+, you can drop them off! Playtime at Snapology is a creative building experience that includes LEGO bricks, a race track, magnatiles, train tracks, k’nex, polydrons, marble mazes and more. Oct 16, 2022, 9-11:30am, $12/child, includes beverage.
Fall Free Ink Day at Highpoint Center
Highpoint Center for Printmaking, 912 W Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55408
Relief printing in the Rain Garden: Spend a weekend afternoon creating fall or Halloween-themed prints to take home. October 15, 2022, 12-4pm. FREE.
ALWAYS FREE TO VISIT WEEKENDS
- MINNEAPOLIS INSTITUTE OF ART
- MINNEAPOLIS SCULPTURE GARDEN – adjacent to the Walker Art Center. Follow the link to reserve your required tickets to visit the museum.
- COMO PARK ZOO & CONSERVATORY – ADVANCED RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
Find hundreds more things to do in Minneapolis & St Paul with kids!
