The Gopher State is known for its vast quantities of shimmering and beautiful lakes, popular with millions of locals and travellers alike. It’s a fantastic destination for exploring the great outdoors, but also hosts some excellent and unusual festivals, with something on offer for everyone seeking some fun.
Grand Old Day is one of the largest one-day festivals in the Midwest of the USA and offers a particularly varied program, with areas dedicated to sport, arts, culture, family fun and entertainment. There are parades, marches, bands, gymnasts, dancers, regional musicians, local sports teams, bouncy castles, petting zoos, face painting, arts, crafts, performances and over 150 different food vendors. With 30 blocks of outdoor fun and an undefinably diverse program, you’ll find something you love, no matter your age. Minnesota State Fair also offers a similar selection of varied and traditional attractions each year, and the most recent event attracted almost two million attendees.
The Irish Fair of Minnesota is a great celebration of Irish heritage and history, and is packed to the rafters with shillelaghs, leprechauns and four-leaf clovers. The USA’s largest free Irish fair serves up plenty of hearty Irish food, with lots to gobble and slurp and ample opportunities to stuff your stomach. The festival’s cultural attractions include music workshops, speakers on Irish heritage, a cosy tea room and a literary corner with the very best of Irish prose and poems. The dulcet tones of Irish music are also on offer, with lots of high-tempo performances from famous names.
Minnesota Renaissance Festival is a unique and unusual event full of Medieval tradition, though luckily free of the plague. This interactive festival recreates the sights, smells and sounds of 16th Century England, with lots of themed entertainment, events and attractions alongside elements of fantasy. Feast like a king, joust like a knight, meet some mermaids and dance around the maypole. It’s a great taste of fictional historic fun, and it’s truly unlike anything else. Come and see it for yourself!
Lots of other Minnesota festivals are available throughout the year. Many are dedicated to gastronomic delights, from potatoes to beer, while others celebrate things as wide and wild as winter, fishing, Native Americans, dragons, Scandinavia, sports, blues and more. If you’re seeking a festival of any description, you’ll be sure to find it here!