Courtesy X Games
Somali Week
6/29-7/6
Starting with the Somali Independence Day Festival, tons of music, food, and games across the Twin Cities make this week the local Somali community’s biggest celebration of the year, with more than 40,000 participants.
3M Open
7/2-7
The state’s first PGA Tour golf event in 10 years comes to TPC Twin Cities, in Blaine. Phil Mickelson competes, Zac Brown Band performs.
Fourth of July
7/4
Minneapolis has Red, White & Boom! near the Stone Arch Bridge, St. Paul has a show at CHS Field, Fort Snelling puts on a mock battle, and Twin Cities suburbs fire off rockets of their own. (Find a more comprehensive roundup here.)
Sommerfest
7/6-8/3
The Minnesota Orchestra offers family-friendly programming at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis under the theme Música Juntos, highlighting Latin American music and performers—including by playing the score of Coco.
Basilica Block Party
7/12-13
The Basilica Block Party, in downtown Minneapolis, lines up one of its flashiest rosters yet, having booked 2018’s Grammy winner of Album of the Year, Kacey Musgraves, along with mellow guitar hero Jason Mraz, synth-pop Scots CHVRCHES, and Hanson, of “MMMBop” infamy.
Dragon Festival
7/13-14
Celebrate all Asian cultures in the Twin Cities at St. Paul’s Phalen Park, recognizing the Year of the Pig with dragon boat races, local food vendors, entertainment, and more.
National Puppetry Festival
7/16-21
The University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, hosts a 1,000-plus-person gathering for the puppet arts, featuring more than 20 performances, 50 workshops, and other activities.
Twin Cities Summer Jam
7/18-20
A new, hard-driving music fest breaks out some big names—read: Aerosmith, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, REO Speedwagon, Soul Asylum, and Pitbull. For three days, rock, pop, country, and rap mix at Canterbury Park, in Shakopee.
St. George Middle Eastern Festival
7/19-21
Middle Eastern traditions set up in West St. Paul—including food, dance, and even camel rides, plus an indoor bake sale at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church.
Bayfront Reggae & World Music Festival
7/20
An island-tinged music fest at Bayfront Festival Park, in Duluth, spotlights Kymani Marley, Demarco, Kabaka Pyramid, and more.
Minneapolis Aquatennial
7/24-27
Cap off a four-day party in Minneapolis—featuring a nighttime parade, a water-ski show, a Caribbean festival, and more—with fireworks near the Stone Arch Bridge that have ranked in the national top five.
Minnesota Monthly Fine Spirits Classic
7/ 25
Stay abreast of the craft cocktail scene. High-end local and national spirits, plus gourmet bites, come to Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.
X Games
8/1-4
Returning to Minneapolis for the third summer in a row, extreme biking, skateboarding, and more take over U.S. Bank Stadium, in Minneapolis, with Diplo, Wu-Tang Clan, and others performing.
WE Fest
8/1-3
One of the country’s slickest country-music fests happens right here, at the camping-friendly Soo Pass Rach in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, LeAnn Rimes, Brooks & Dunn, and more play before an expected crowd of tens of thousands.
Minnesota Fringe Festival
8/1-11
For the 26th year, hundreds of performances at venues throughout Minneapolis present boundary-pushing acts of local and national theater.
Midwest Home Luxury Home Tour
8/2-4; 9/9-11, 9/16-18
The finest homes in the Twin Cities metro open for self-guided tours, making these three weekends inspirational for home, garden, and remodeling goals.
Rendezvous Days
8/9-11
This annual event honors 19th-century traditions of Grand Portage, with a powwow by the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, plus music, crafts, and history-steeped workshops for families at Grand Portage National Monument.
Festival of Sail
8/11-13
Tall ships and the World’s Largest Rubber Duck come into harbor at the Duluth waterfront. Step aboard some of the most impressive ships of yore.
Renaissance Festival
8/17-9/29
The Shakopee turkey-leg fête of medieval revelry gets a new weekend theme (all about belly dancing and beer) plus jousting, artisanal goods, ribald comedy, and more.
Japanese Obon Festival
8/18
During the Japanese holiday Obon, spirits are said to revisit families, who light lanterns guiding them back home. At Como Park in St. Paul: Japanese food, music, dance, entertainment—and a pond full of lanterns.
Chef Camp
8/20-9/1
For the fourth year, top-tier chefs guide gourmands in the wilderness, who cook under the stars and enjoy classic summer-camp activities in Surgeon Lake.
Minnesota State Fair
8/22-9/2
We’re wondering if the top-ranked state fair in the country, at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul, will beat its record-setting 2 million turnout rate from last year. And don’t miss: Our food critic Jason DeRusha ranked 2019’s flashy new foods.
