I love any type of summer festival—music festivals, art festivals, community festivals, festivals that celebrate beer and films and The Great Outdoors. I also love Minneapolis, the city that claims 40+ hours of my time every week. When you combine the two, magical things are bound to happen.
And that’s exactly how I would explain the Minneapolis Aquatennial—magical! It’s a Minneapolis festival like no other. And while we may have missed the beach bash last Sunday, the 5K race, and the parade is tonight (hurry and you can still make it!), the best part of the Aquatennial is the fireworks show on Saturday. It’s one of the largest fireworks displays in the country. (Right here in good ol’ Minnesota!) Unlike some Fourth of July fireworks shows, traffic is minimal and it’s not unbearably crowded. There’s even live music before the show, beginning at 6 p.m., and a 96.3 K-TWIN simulcast.
The festivities start at 6 p.m., and the fireworks show starts at dusk, around 10 p.m. on Saturday, July 20. The best viewing spots are on West River Parkway, between Portland Avenue and the Third Avenue bridge. It’s a great (free) way to spend some quality time with friends or family!
If you don’t want to deal with the humidity, you can watch the spectacular light show from the air-conditioned comfort of your car, with the Minneapolis skyline as your backdrop. But really the best way to watch is on a blanket or camping chair (bring bug spray), when you can fully appreciate the beautiful July night as you “ooh” and “ahh” over the Aquatennial grand finale.
