Courtesy Erica Loeks
Palooza in the Park
What: St. Louis Park Parktacular
When: June 12-16
Where: Wolfe Park, 3700 Monterey Dr., St. Louis Park
While there will be events during the week, things really pick up on Saturday. Between the plentiful food trucks, inflatable attractions, pony rides, petting zoo, the Grand Day Parade, Pet-a-Palooza, and more, kids (whether four-legged or human) will never want to leave. There’s an educational component, too, with opportunities to learn about everything from kayaking to concussions, rain gardens to ranked-choice voting. Learn more.
Art in the Dark
What: Northern Spark
When: June 14-15
Where: The Commons, 425 Portland Ave S., Minneapolis; American Indian Cultural Corridor, 1414 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis; Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, 270 N. Kent St., St. Paul
A nocturnal art fair with a cause, Northern Spark brings together artists and community members to explore the themes of resilience, renewal, and regeneration and to celebrate some of the local neighborhoods which embody those themes. Learn more.
Celebration at Stone Arch
What: Stone Arch Bridge Festival
When: June 14-16
Where: Father Hennepin Bluff Park, 420 SE Main St., Minneapolis
An overwhelming variety and quantity of entertainment for everyone awaits at the Stone Arch Bridge Festival. There will be over 200 visual artists, 30 food artisans, 28 live bands, 11 breweries offering samples, art workshops, free yoga classes, fun runs, a vintage and vinyl market, a car show, and more. Learn more.
Brews at Boom Island
What: Boom Island Brewing’s Boom Days
When: June 14-16
Where: Boom Island Brewing Company and Taproom, 2014 N. Washington Ave., Minneapolis
Take part in the Mississippi River cleanup to start your day off with a good deed, then get in the water for a kayak or water taxi tour, or take in a water ski performance by the Twin Cities River Rats. Do all of this with a glass of Boom Island Brewing’s new Cuvée de Boom in one hand, a food truck snack in the other, and live music in your ear. Not convinced? There will be corgis courtesy of the Corgi Racing Society. Learn more.
Farewell on the Field
What: Joe Mauer Day
When: June 15, 6:10 p.m.
Where: Target Field, 1 Twins Way, Minneapolis
Catch the number-retirement ceremony for Joe Mauer, who spent his 15-year baseball career as No. 7 of the Minnesota Twins, and then watch his former team face off against the Kansas City Royals. Twins players will be wearing No. 7 patches on their jerseys and hats during the game, and the first 40,000 fans to arrive (i.e., everybody) will receive their own No. 7 hats to match. Learn more.
I Scream, You Scream, at Izzy’s
What: Izzy’s People’s Flavor Awards
When: June 16, 1-4:30 p.m.
Where: Izzy’s Ice Cream, 1100 S. Second St., Minneapolis
You can live the dream and be an ice cream taste tester, if only for a day. Izzy’s Ice Cream is always rotating through an ever-expanding set of flavors, and they’re calling on their customers to taste and vote on which of the 26 customer-invented flavor finalists they should start stocking. Last time around, the winner was Raspberry Little Italy, a mouthwatering mascarpone ice cream with chocolate chunks and a raspberry swirl. Don’t miss your chance to decide the winner this time around; you’ll have to wait until 2021 to do so again. Learn more.
