Wear your walking sandals!
From art festivals to cultural festivals, we have a schedule of fun events throughout the spring and summer that the whole family can enjoy.
It doesn't look like there will be any major changes this year. Below is a monthly schedule of fairs and festivals that you can add to your calendar.
April
April 6 — Fraser Festival, Rivercenter: This fun event brings together music, movement, games, food, and animals in a way that allows people with sensory processing differences to participate. The festival is also a fundraiser for the nonprofit organization Fraser, so attendees can pre-register with a minimum donation of $1 at fraser.org/events. The event will be held at the downtown River Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
April 6 — Capital City Village Bazaar Extravaganza, Union Depot: From the founders of Selby Avenue Jazzfest, the event features music, food vendors, a variety of local businesses and artists, and is free from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 214 E. Fourth Street
April 8 — Big Year Solar Eclipse Celebration, Bell Museum: Minnesota is not in the path of the upcoming total solar eclipse, but it is getting close. With approximately 75% coverage, Bell offers a full day of sunny skies and activities. “We can't control the clouds,” the museum says, but the event will go ahead even if the weather is bad. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the eclipse peaking around 2 p.m. free. 2088 W. Larpentour Avenue
April 11-25 — Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival: Most films during the 43rd annual festival will be shown at the Main Cinema in Minneapolis, but some will be shown at the Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul. The festival will feature approximately 200 films, as well as numerous panel discussions and filmmaker talkbacks. A six-pack of tickets costs $75 and other options are available at mspfilm.org/mspiff.
Multiple dates — St. Paul Art Crawl: This biennial extravaganza features three weekends of open studios, food, live music, and more. Business hours may vary by location. stpaulartcollective.org.
- April 12-14: Summit Grand, Westside, Merriam Park, Little Mekong Cultural District
- April 19-21: West 7th, Cathedral Hill
- April 26-28: Downtown, Lowertown (including Union Depot), Como, Payne Phalen, Raymond Station.
May
May 18-19 — Minnesota Songkran Festival, State Capitol: This Thai New Year celebration is back with live music, dancing, stalls and the annual spicy papaya eating contest. A must see for the faint of heart. Free; no ticket required. Saturday, May 18th from 11am to 9pm and Sunday, May 19th from 11am to 6pm. 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
May 23-36 — Kick off summer at the Fair at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds: A preview of the early summer fair returns with food, beer, vendors, the Milk Run 5K race, the Giant Slide ride and other attractions. And perhaps the biggest perk is free parking. Attendance per day is limited and tickets will be on sale soon at mnstatefair.org.
May 31-June 1 — Flint Hills Family Festival, Ordway Performing Arts Center: This popular family fun event is back for its 24th year, featuring performers such as Brazilian musicians B2Wins, Cirque Carabante, NOOMA, Opera for Babies, Davina & the Vagabonds, 123 Andres and more, as well as a host of other activities To do. The outdoor event is free, and tickets for indoor performances can be purchased at ordway.org/festival. 345 Washington Street
June
June 1 — St. Anthony Park Arts Festival: This year's 55th annual Neighborhood Arts Festival, anchored by the St. Anthony Park Branch Library, will also include great book and plant sales, food and music. Local businesses are also participating. Carter Avenue Frame Shop commissioned artist Stephanie Keene to create his map of neighborhood art, which will be auctioned off on the library lawn.Free; 2245 Como Avenue
June 1-2 — Train Day, Union Depot: Seems like a fitting place to celebrate locomotives. In addition to model train setups and tours of real railroad cars, there are also family-friendly activities such as a bounce house, DJ dance area, and crafts. Free; 10am to 4pm on Saturday, June 1st and Sunday, June 2nd.
June 2 — Grand Old Day, across Grand Avenue: parade! food! Live music and street performances too! Support local businesses on Grand Avenue! What more could you ask for?
June 8-9 — Asian Street Food Night Market — Sears Lot at Rice Street and Aurora Avenue: Inspired by night markets across Asia, various organizations hold versions of street food, music, dance, talent shows, and more here. free entrance. Saturday June 8th from 3pm to 11pm and Sunday June 9th from 3pm to 10pm. 425 Rice Street
June 8-9 — Deutsche Tage, Germanic American Association: The annual German Cultural Festival, which features food, beer, music, dancing, and more, is in its 66th year. A complete list of vendors and performers is still being compiled. This event is free and open to all ages.301 Summit Avenue
June 15 — St. Paul Pride, Rice Park: The second annual festival aimed at building opportunities for gay youth in St. Paul is expanding this year with the addition of a parade and day-long activities. The day begins at 10 a.m. outside Bulldog Lowertown by Mears Park, with a parade from there to Rice Park at noon and a party that lasts until 10 p.m., with music and food.
June 15 — Midsummer Celebration, American Swedish Institute: The annual celebration, held on the longest day of the year, features flower crown-making, singing and dancing around the maypole, as well as flute duo Twinflower and Celtic/Scandinavian/French trio McNoldie. This includes enjoying the performances of groups such as Kusu. Advance registration is required. General admission is $15, $12 for ASI members, $6 for children, and children under 5 are free. Flower crowns are an additional $10. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with limited walk-up tickets available for $18 after 1:30 p.m. For more information, please visit asimn.org. 2600 Park Avenue, Minneapolis.
June 22-23 — Little Mekong Night Market, Little Mekong Cultural District: This pre-COVID-19 favorite is finally back! Food, art, cultural performances, and other small business events will be held from day to night, as well as singing, Kpop, and breakdancing competitions. Free; Saturday June 22nd from 5pm to 11pm and Sunday June 23rd from 3pm to 9pm. The event will be held along the Little Mekong He area of University Avenue between Mak Bin Street and Marion Street.
June 28-30 — Kaposia Days, South St. Paul: South St. Paul's community celebration will be held once again, but the full details of the event are not yet known. However, there will definitely be a parade on Friday, June 18th at 6:30pm, and a craft flea market will be held in the central square on Saturday, June 29th from 9am to 5pm. Last year's festival included a bean bag tournament, fireworks and a pancake feed.
July
July 12-13 — West St. Paul Pride: West St. Paul's LGBTQ Pride Festival is in its fifth year, with the main Pride in the Park event being the Roll Into WSP Pride Skate Party in Harmon Park on Friday, July 12th. will be held on Saturday, July 13th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the West St. Paul Sports Complex. 1650 Oakdale Ave. More information will be posted at wsppride.com.
July 13-14 — St. Paul Food Truck Festival, Union Depot: More than 50 food trucks will be at Union Depot's Lot C, but it's not all about the food. Check out the truck-based commercial facilities, including clothing, vintage records, photo booths, and pet supplies, as well as non-vehicle attractions like a mechanical bull and a henna artist. Free; 11am to 7pm both days. 390 E Kellogg Blvd.
July 13 — Dragon Festival, Phalen Regional Park: The annual festival brings traditional Chinese dragon boats to Lake Phalen, as well as food and other cultural activities celebrating Asia-Pacific culture. Free; 9am to 7pm. 1600 Dr. Farren
August
Aug. 4 — Little Africa Parade and Festival, Hamline Park: The annual event, which features live music, art, vendors and an African fashion showcase, is sponsored by local organization African Economic Development Solutions. The event will run from noon to 6 p.m. 1564 Lafond Avenue
August 9-11 — Minnesota Irish Fair, Harriet Island Regional Park: One of the largest Irish festivals in the country, St Paul's offers a wealth of food, dance, music, cultural programs and marketplaces. Single-day tickets are $20 for adults, $12 for seniors and youth, and free for children. Weekend passes are $45 for adults, $35 for seniors and youth, and free for children, but all prices will increase after August 1st. Visit irishfair.com.
August 24-September 4, Minnesota State Fair: Of course, we are already considering it! As of this writing, about half of the grandstand shows have been announced. Chance the Rapper, comedian Nate Bergatze, Blake Shelton, Happy Together Tour 2024, Mötley Crüe and Kids Bop Live will be visiting.
not awake
Ramsey County Fair: Organizers announced that the fair would return in both 2022 and 2023, but it was abruptly canceled both years. It is unlikely that the fair will be held again this time, and its long-term future remains uncertain.