Every Father’s Day my dad and I bike to Excelsior, west of the Twin Cities, on the Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail for the day. The city is full of adorable shops and great lakeside dining—lunch at the Bayside Grill and a treat from Adele’s Frozen Custard are often part of our adventures. But no matter when you go this summer, there’s always something fun to see or do in Excelsior. This weekend, Excelsior kicks off summer with its 32nd annual Art on the Lake (June 9 from 10 a.m.-6 pm. & June 10 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.).
art on the lake (left) and a painting by mi young lee (right).
photos courtesy of south lake-excelsior chamber of commerce
Held at Excelsior Commons, a 14-acre community park on the shores of Lake Minnetonka, Art on the Lake features more than 201 artists and 17 food vendors. Shop booths of paintings, glass, ceramics, jewelry, woodwork, sculpture, and more before filling up on crabcakes, gyros, fruit smoothies, noodles, brats, corndogs, tacos, deep fried twinkies, and chocolate-covered bacon.
For more fun, enjoy a cold drink with views of the lake at the Biella Beer and Wine Tent (opens 11 a.m.) or bring the kids to the art tent at the band shell for fun art activities and face painting (Saturday 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. and Sunday noon-3 p.m.). Kids can also enjoy mini golf (Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.). Stay for live music from Joe Cruz and the Barley Jacks, Sleep Study Band, Havana Hi Fi, Patchoili, and Sarah Morris Band. Attendees can also ride the Minnehaha steamboat for just $5.
If you decide to head out to Excelsior for Art on the Lake, you can always beat the crowds by biking or by taking advantage of the complimentary shuttle from Minnetonka High School. Shuttles will depart every 20 minutes beginning at 9:45 a.m.
