Minneapolis Events

Annual Events

Address: Historic Main St, at St. Anthony Main, Minneapolis, MN 55414 Category: Fair / Festival - Arts / Crafts Dates: June 20 - June 21, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

Situated around (what else?) Stone Arch Bridge, this riverside event showcases works by more than 200 artists and craftspeople. It also features performance art, poetry, and concerts along the Mississippi. Other attractions include an extensive display of vintage cars, walking tours, trolley rides, paddleboat rides,...

Address: 1382 Willow St, Loring Park, Minneapolis, MN 55403 Category: Fair / Festival - Cultural Dates: June 27 - June 28, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

Annually attended by more than 300,000 people, this event honors and promotes solidarity among gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered residents. Three stages of music and entertainment provide an energetic focus and feature national and local acts. Food courts help ward off the munchies, and a history pavilion...

Address: various locations, Minneapolis, MN Category: Fair / Festival - Holiday / Seasonal Dates: July 17 - July 26, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

Initiated in 1940, the Aquatennial is a ten-day celebration of summer that takes place the third week of July. As might be expected in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, many events are water-related. Activities and competitions feature boating, swimming, diving, sand castle-building, and milk carton boat racing. Don't miss...

Address: various venues, Minneapolis, MN Category: Fair / Festival - Art Dates: July 30 - August 9, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

Fringe festivals developed as a way for independent performers and groups to promote theater and art that don't fit the status quo. Minnesota's version began in 1994 and has grown into a well-attended event, complete with more than 850 performances at some two dozen venues throughout the city. None of the component...

Address: Hennepin Ave S and W Lake St, Uptown Minneapolis, Minneapolis, MN 55408 Category: Fair / Festival - Art Dates: August 7 - August 9, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

What began as a plan to promote Uptown and showcase local art has grown into an enormous, three-day event attracting some 350,000 people yearly. Nearly 400 artists display everything from sculpture and photography to jewelry and glass, offering attendees a great opportunity to find something one-of-a-kind for their...

Address: 12364 Chestnut Blvd, Shakopee, MN 55379 Category: Fair / Festival - Cultural Dates: August 22 - October 4, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

A half-hour's drive south of town will deliver you to a 22-acre Renaissance village that captures life in the 16th century. The weekend event comes complete with costumed folks in period dress, not to mention animals, magicians, jugglers, musicians, and artisans. Enjoy entertainment on outdoor stages, cheer at lively...

Address: 900 S 5th St, Metrodome (starting point), Minneapolis, MN 55415 Category: Sports Event - Running Dates: October 2 - October 4, 2009 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

With a scenic route along area lakes and the Mississippi River and an average temperature in the mid 60s, this appealing race is often considered the nation's "most beautiful urban marathon." First established in 1982, it united separate races in Minneapolis and St. Paul; now, the marathon begins in the first city and...

Address: various locations, St. Paul, MN 55101 Category: Fair / Festival - Holiday / Seasonal Dates: January 21 - January 31, 2010 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

Billed as the "oldest and coldest celebration in the nation," this winter event promises ice fishing competitions, a half-marathon, hockey, curling, ice-skating, and a nighttime torch parade. However, the Midwest's largest ice-carving event is the focal point, and the outdoor gallery features an amazing array of...

Address: Minneapolis Convention Center • 1301 S 2nd Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403 Category: Convention / Conference - Home / Garden Dates: February 24 - February 28, 2010 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

This enticing event packs the convention center with great design, innovative merchandise, and well-known TV hosts. Gardening exhibits, floral designs, seminars, and manufacturers' displays distinguish the show, which features the latest in home and interior design and lifestyle trends. Perfect for folks about to...

Address: 1265 Snelling Ave N, Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St. Paul, MN 55108 Category: Fair / Festival - State / County Dates: August 26 - September 6, 2010 User rating:      (Rate It!)    |    Add to a Suitcase

The largest 12-day fair in North America, Minnesota's state celebration attracts more than 1½ million people each year. Over 400 free concerts draw folks in, and the Grandstand has hosted national artists like Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera. Other noteworthy attractions include rodeo events, auctions, Robot...