The Great Minnesota Get-Together; photo by Dennis Hossalla
Highlights this week include:
Aug. 25-27, Le Sueur
Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Show
Aug. 24 - Sept. 4, St. Paul
Minnesota State Fair
Aug. 24-27, Pine River
Lakes Bluegrass Festival
Aug. 25-26, Barnesville
Barnesville Potato Days
Aug. 25-27, Duluth
The Tribute Fest
Southern Minnesota
Aug. 25-26, Albert Lea
Big Island State BBQ/Steak/Chili Championship
The 10th Annual Big Island BBQ/Steak/Chili Cook-off showcases the Nation's best BBQ cooks from 7 states, with prize money awarded for best-chili, chicken, brisket, ribs, BBQ sauce and dessert! In addition to great BBQ fare, enjoy a flea market, live entertainment, kids' cooking contest, and beer gardens. Freeborn County Fairgrounds. 507-402-6371
Aug. 25-27, Le Sueur
Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Show
The 44th Annual Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Show features antique tractors and equipment, as well as a wide array of demonstrations, tractor pulls, tractor rides, stage entertainment, parade, kids' pedal pull, draft horses, and arts & crafts. An Antique Tractor & Machinery Auction will be offered Friday, Aug. 25. The Pioneer Power showgrounds is located 6 miles east of Le Sueur. 507-248-3515
Aug. 26-27, Austin
ArtWorks Festival
The 6th Annual Artworks Festival celebrates visual, performing and literary artists with fine artwork by numerous artists in four galleries, demonstrations, continuous music indoors and out, family art activities, a Bubble Blast, and readings by many authors. Downtown Austin and Historic Downtown Power Plant. 507-434-0934, 507-437-4563
Sept. 2-3, Winona
Big Muddy Brew 'N Que
The 2nd Annual Big Muddy Brew 'N Que is a barbeque competition featuring local restaurants competing in a sanctioned "Competitive Series" Kansas City Barbeque Society barbeque competition. BBQ-lovers will also enjoy live music by numerous acts, wine & microbrew tastings, arts and crafts fair, children's activities, bean bag tournament, and great food and refreshments. Levee Park. 507-452-2272
Sept. 2-4, Dundas
Rice County Steam and Gas Engines Show
The Rice County Steam and Gas Engines Show includes a flea market/swap meet, consignment auction, Barta Pedal Tractor Pull, steam & gas tractor exhibits, horse-drawn wagon rides, grain threshing, blacksmithing and much more! Dundas Showgrounds. 612-816-3131
Sept. 7-10, Northfield
Defeat of Jesse James Days
The townspeople of Northfield Minnesota re-enact the James-Younger Gang's notorious 1876 bank raid on the town, making this the largest all volunteer event in the nation! Highlights include Bank Raid Re-Enactments, live music under the Big Top Event Tent, carnival rides & games, Horseshoe Hunt, arts & craft fairs, parade, pedal tractor pull, rodeo, Raider Derby, antique tractor and truck pulls, theater performances, Bingo on Bridge Square, car show, vintage baseball, and much more! 507-645-5604, 507-645-9268
Minneapolis-St. Paul Area
Aug. 19 - Oct. 1, Shakopee
The Minnesota Renaissance Festival
See why the Minnesota Renaissance Festival is the largest Renaissance Festival in the United States with an annual attendance of 300,000! Enjoy an artisan marketplace with over 250 artists, live entertainment, games & rides, Faire Food, artist demonstrations, and different themes each weekend. Family-friendly activities include the Fairy Wing Forest, Mermaid Cover, Dr. Thora Pandora’s Chemistry Experience, children's costume contest, the grand march parade, children's knighting ceremony, fairy wand-making, a live unicorn, the Wizard's Flight School Zip Line, Merlin's Magic Quest, and the King Arthur Obstacle Course! Renaissance Festival Grounds. 952-445-7361
Aug. 24 - Sept. 4, St. Paul
Minnesota State Fair
Also known as the Great Minnesota Get-Together, the Minnesota State Fair features 12 days of food on a stick, agricultural exhibits, parades, live entertainment, rides, animals and more. Minnesota State Fairgrounds. 651-288-4400
Aug. 25-27, Woodbury
Woodbury Days
Woodbury Days 2017 is a weekend of fun, sun, great food and community. Just some of the many highlights include carnival rides & games, fireworks, parade, children's activities & entertainment, vendor booths, petting zoo, 3M Rod & Custom Car Show, and live music by GB Leighton and The Dweebs! Ojibway Park. 651-735-0409
Aug. 25-27, Norwood/Young America
Stiftungsfest
Enjoy musical entertainment under the "Big Tent" by old-time and polka bands from across the United States and Germany. Other events include softball tournaments, the Fireman's Challenge, 5K Fun Run, Sheephead Card tournament, Kids' Carnival, arts & crafts fair, beer gardens, car show, variety of food vendors and the amazing "Stiftungsfest" hamburgers! Willkommen Park. 952-467-1812
Aug. 26-27, Stillwater/Lake Elmo
Stillwater Flea & Crafter's Market
Make a day of it in the beautiful St. Croix River Valley and check out over 100 unique vendors, local crafters, food trucks, music and more! A great day of fun for the whole family. Free to the public. Washington County Fairgrounds. 715-557-1785
Sept. 1 - Oct. 31, Stillwater
Aamodts Apple Farm Fall Fun
Everyone will enjoy the many fall activities including tractor trikes, hay bale maze, wagon rides, goat farm, apple-picking, treasure hunt, and more. Some activities offered only on specific days. Aamodts Apple Farm. 651-439-3127
Sept. 2-4, Elk River
Threshers & Combines Weekend
Celebrate Labor Day weekend and the culmination of the grain growing season at Kelley Farm. Help the farmers bring grain bundles in from the fields, thresh the grain in an 1856 Cox and Roberts horse-powered threshing machine, bag up the grain and rake away the straw. Then compare that experience to a modern combine. Visitors can also discover the story of flour and gluten in the new Learning Kitchen and sample treats made from a variety of grains. Oliver Kelley Farm. 763-441-6896
Sept. 3, Columbus
Labor Day Weekend Cookout at Running Aces
The Labor Day Weekend Cookout features great food including brats, burgers and corn on the cob, along with live horse racing! Running Aces. 651-925-4600, 651-925-4587
Upcoming Twin Cities' concerts and performances:
Nickelback with Daughtry at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand in St. Paul, Aug. 24
Tim McGraw Soul2Soul Tour at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Aug. 25
Jim Gaffigan at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand, Aug. 26
Brad Paisley at Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Welch, Aug. 26
Toby Keith with 3 Doors Down at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand, Aug. 27
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand, Aug. 28
John Mellencamp: Sad Clowns & Hillbillies Tour at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand, Aug. 29
Pentatonix at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand, Aug. 30
Usher at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand, Aug. 31
MSF Amateur Talent Contest Finals at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand, Sept. 3
Sam Hunt with Lanco & Ryan Follese at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand, Sept. 4
Justin Moore at Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, Sept. 8
U2: The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Sept. 8
YES featuring ARW at Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Welch, Sept. 8
KARD: "Wild Kard" 2017 1st Tour in America Pt. 2 at the Historic State Theatre in Minneapolis, Sept. 15
The Australian Bee Gees Show: A Tribute to the Bee Gees at the Ames Center, Sept. 15
Matchbox Twenty & Counting Crows at Treasure Island Resort & Casino, Sept. 16
Prophets of Rage 93X: Twenty at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Sept. 16
Gorillaz at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium at St. Paul RiverCentre, Sept. 20
Starboy: The Legend of the Fall 2017 World Tour at the Xcel Energy Center, Sept. 24
Tickets available through Eventful or Ticketmaster.
Central Minnesota
Aug. 24-27, Pine River
Lakes Bluegrass Festival
The 12th Annual Lakes Bluegrass Festival is a family-friendly event for a day, an evening or camping all weekend. Featured are the best in national touring and Minnesota bluegrass bands, along with professional emcees, top-notch sound system, beautiful stage and a big tent. Enjoy over 40 professional bluegrass shows over the 4-day weekend, as well as free bluegrass workshops for a variety of instruments, impromptu jam sessions, and great food vendors. Cass County Fairgrounds. 218-587-4000
Aug. 26, Onamia
Happy Together Tour
Celebrate the groovy sound of the sixties and seventies with The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie, Chuck Negron formerly of Three Dogs Night, The Association, The Cowsills, The Box Tops, and The Archies' Ron Dante. This is an evening of hit after hit, like “Happy Together,” “Joy to The World,” “Mama Told Me Not to Come,” “Sugar, Sugar,” "The Letter," and many more. Grand Casino Mille Lacs. 800-745-3000
Aug. 26, Lake Shore
Gull Lake Classic Boat Show
This popular events features beautiful classic boats, as well as boat tours, rides, live music and great food and refreshments. Bar Harbor Supper Club. 218-963-2620
Sept. 1-4, McGregor
Wild Rice Days
Check out this end of summer festival featuring arts & crafts vendors, games for kids, live entertainment, parade, mud volleyball tournament, digital scavenger hunt, corn feed, water wars, bungee trampoline, paint ball blast, wild rice pancake breakfast, Wild Rice 5K, and much more! 218-768-3692
Sept. 2-3, Pine River
Arts Off 84 Art Crawl
Arts Off 84 Art Crawl features over 80 juried artists along and adjacent to State Highway 84 from Pine River to Longville. Signs will be posted at official sites. 218-682-2916
Sept. 9-10, Little Falls
Arts & Crafts, Marketplace & Man Cave Fairs
The Arts & Crafts, Marketplace & Man Cave Fairs is one of the largest craft fairs in the upper Midwest with more than 600 arts, crafts and marketplace vendors, as well 50 food vendors. Free shuttle bus service is offered. Downtown Little Falls. The 13th Annual Antiques & Collectibles Fair will be held at LeBourget Park on the west bank of the Mississippi River. 320-632-5155
Northwest Minnesota
Aug. 25, Detroit Lakes
Music on the Mountain with Sawyer Brown
Enjoy an evening under the stars with special guest Sawyer Brown. Come early for great food and refreshments from a number of area food trucks. Detroit Mountain. 218-844-7669
Aug. 25-26, Barnesville
Barnesville Potato Days
Visitors from across the country head to Barnesville each year for zany potato activities, taste-tempting potato specialties and small town hospitality during the annual Potato Days celebration. Just some of the many highlights include mashed potato wrestling, the crowning of Miss Tator Tot, Potato Car races, barrel rides, amazing variety of unique potato foods, Potato Cook-off, National Lefse Competition, Spud Bowl, Golden Potato Scavenger Hunt, and potato-peeling, eating and sculpting contests. Complete details. 218-354-2888
Aug. 26, East Grand Forks/Grand Forks
Blues on the Red Music Fest
Party in downtown East Grand Forks and Grand Forks while enjoying an evening of great Blues music by top musicians around the country. Also enjoy amazing BBQ specialties and beverages from area food vendors. Town Square. 701-746-0444, 701-757-4051
Sept. 1, Moorhead
Bonnie Raitt and Indigo Girls: Honor the Earth
The Indigo Girls and Bonnie Raitt co-headline a concert for the non-profit indigenous environmental justice organization, Honor the Earth. These Grammyaward winning artists once again join forces to advance Honor the Earth’s mission to create awareness and support for Native environmental issues and sustainable Native communities. Bluestem Amphitheater. 866-300-8300
Sept. 1-4, Rollag
Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion
Every Labor Day weekend since 1954, generations of thresher men & women get together to relive the tradition of the good ol' days and bring the past to life for the enjoyment of young and old alike. Thousands of spectators and volunteers attend to see hundreds of demonstrations and exhibits spread out over 210 acres. Other highlights include parades, live music, Style Show, square dancing, and Sparks Shows. Emerson-Brantingham engines will be featured in 2017. Steamer Hill. 701-212-2034
Sept. 8-9, Walker
Ethnic Fest
The 25th Annual Ethnic Fest features ethnic music and performances on five stages, arts & crafts, parade and cuisine from around the world in downtown Walker. Many after-hours festivities will also be held at venues throughout town. 218-547-1313, 800-833-1118
Northeast Minnesota
Aug. 25-27, Embarrass
Embarrass Region Fair
This three day event is loaded with family fun including craft and food vendors, parade, Classic Field of Dreams Car & Truck Show, dog show, horse show, Mud Run, demolition derby, Flying Finn 10K Fun Run, inflatables, tournaments, and tons of exhibits in the Exhibit Barn. Timber Hall. 218-984-2009
Aug. 25-27, Duluth
The Tribute Fest
The Tribute Fest is a four day music festival centered around professional tribute bands that aims to raise money for and awareness of homeless veterans. Enjoy the songs of Pink Floyd, AC/DC, Lynard Skynyrd, Guns N Roses, REO Speedwagon, The Beetles, The Doors, and The Eagles on Friday and Saturday, with great county music songs by Toby Keith and Jason Aldean on Thursday! Come early for the cardboard boat races on Wednesday, Aug. 23. Bayfront Festival Park. 218-422-8210
Sept. 25-27, Askov
Askov Rutabaga Festival and Fair
The Askov Rutabaga Festival & Fair features arts & crafts, live music, wide array of food vendors, the Rutabaga 5K Run/Walk, exhibits, performances, parade, children's activities & prizes, interpretive hike to Rutabaga Falls, and more more. Find out how much fun a rutabaga can be! Corner of H.C. Andersen Alle & Brogade. 320-838-1561
Sept. 1-4, Crane Lake
Labor Day Weekend Festivities
Labor Day Weekend festivities include a fish fry, end-of-season discounts and sidewalk sales, pancake breakfast, guided hike, zip lining, evening dance, and the 4th annual Crane Lake 5K Walk/Run. Venues throughout Crane Lake. 218-993-2901
Sept. 2-3, Ely
Fest du Nord
Fest du Nord is a family-friendly music festival with concerts by many talented musicians. Also enjoy Bent Paddle beer and specialties from the Wilderness Wood Fire. YMCA Camp du Nord. 218-365-5677
Sept. 8-9, Hinckley
Grand RockTember V
RockTember, the loudest music festival returns with head-banging big hair metal bands performing outdoors in the Hinckley amphitheater. Grand Casino Hinckley. 800-745-3000
Subscribe here to receive any or all of Explore Minnesota Tourism's reports by email.
Be sure to visit the Deals section of ExploreMinnesota.com to learn of the latest discounts and specials!
|
