Tag Archives: Festivals

Summer Solstice Celebrations Around the U.S.

It’s the day many of us have anxiously been awaiting since September of last year: the first day of summer 2016! Here in the Twin Cities, we can officially declare the new season has arrived at 5:34 PM CDT. Of course, the longest day of the year calls for some longstanding unique celebrations, many of which focus on local art and music, environmental awareness, and family festivities. Check out our list to see how people across the nation mark summer’s arrival.

Downtown Days & More (Anchorage, AK)

With over 22 hours of daylight on this special day, you know Alaska has to have plenty of fun planned. Activities include a parade, half marathon, concerts, sports – basically, anything you can think to do outside to soak in the sun is happening in Anchorage.

Santa Barbara Summer Solstice Event (Santa Barbara, CA)

This solstice celebration represents the largest, three-day arts event in Santa Barbara County, and draws crowds of over 100,000 people annually. Each year, the festival has a different theme, and 2016 has been designated the year of “Legends.” We don’t think there’s a more unique way to ring in the new season!

Solstice in Times Square (New York City, NY)

Are you a burgeoning yogi? Make sure to join this Times Square event anytime between sunrise to sunset (in person or via webcast). And since today has been dubbed the International Day of Yoga by the UN General Assembly, expect to see many more public yoga gatherings throughout the country (like this one in Russellville, AR).

Night at the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture (Cambridge, MA)

Countdown the minutes to the beginning of summer, while taking in some entertainment and education! Children of all ages can enjoy a fun evening with circus performers, music, dance, food trucks, and hands-on activities, with free evening admission to several local museums. Is there a better way to welcome summer? We think not.

Fremont Solstice Music Festival (Seattle, WA)

If your idea of greeting the summer sun involves a bit more free-spirited fun, then this is the event for you. Featuring more than 25 entertainers, along with shopping, art, and food, this fest will definitely get your summer off on the right foot.

How do you plan to say hello to summer? Let us know in the comments!

Photo Credit: “Santa Barbara 2007 Summer Solstice Parade” by William © 2007 (CC BY-ND 2.0)

125 Fun Things to Do in Minnesota this June

Festival, State Fair, Large Crowd

Festivals, concerts, and fairs – oh my! From ArtSoup to the Zumbrota Covered Bridge Music & Arts Festival, there’s an event for everyone happening this month. Offering tons of food, music, and good old-fashioned fun, here are some of June’s must-do events in Minnesota (and one in Wisconsin that’s definitely worth the trip).

The events are listed in chronological order. Click the links for more info.

5/30 – 6/7 Lake Fest Forest Lake
5/31 – 6/7 Hawley Rodeo Fest Hawley
5/31 – 6/7 I Love Burnsville Week Burnsville
6/1 Grand Old Day 2014 St. Paul
6/5 – 6/8 Tower Days Spring Lake Park
6/6 – 6/8 Bullhead Days Waterville
6/6 – 6/8 Cyrus Days Cyrus
6/6 Dairy Day Celebration Hutchinson
6/6 – 6/8 Edina Art Fair Edina
6/6 – 6/8 Father Hennepin Festival Champlin
6/6 – 6/7 Nisswa-Stamman Scandinavian Folk Festival Nisswa
6/6 – 6/8 Pine Island Cheese Festival Pine Island
6/6 – 6/20 Spring Art Expo Cook
6/6 Twin Cities Electric Run St. Paul
6/7 – 6/8 Annual Fountain Trail Days Fountain
6/7 Art in the Hollow Swede Hollow Park, St. Paul
6/7 St. Paul Summer Beerfest St. Paul
6/7 Explore your Parks Day Lake Elmo
6/7 Frazee Crazy Daze Frazee
6/7 Greyfest 2014 Shoreview
6/7 – 6/8 June Bloom Wine Event Great River Road
6/7 OtterJam 2014 Ottertail
6/7 Rhubarb Festival Lanesboro
6/7 St. Anthony Park Arts Festival St. Paul
6/8 – 6/15 Buffalo Days Buffalo
6/8 Lyn Lake Street Festival Minneapolis
6/9 – 6/15 Hutchinson Jaycee Water Carnival Hutchinson
6/10 – 6/15 2014 Wizard of Oz Festival Grand Rapids
6/11 – 6/15 Albertville Friendly City Days Albertville
6/11 Friends of Ramsey Park Jamboree Redwood Falls
6/11 – 6/14 Kick’n Up Kountry Music Festival Karlstad
6/11 – 6/16 Steamboat Days Winona Winona
6/12 – 8/3 2014 Minnesota Biennial St. Paul
6/12 – 6/15 50th Annual Tater Daze Brooklyn Park
6/12 – 6/15 Barnum Spring Fever Days Barnum
6/12 – 6/15 Mapleton Town & Country Days Mapleton
6/12 – 6/15 Parktacular Celebration St. Louis Park
6/13 – 6/15 Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Festival Crosby
6/13 – 6/18 Foley Fun Days Foley
6/13 – 6/15 Gammel Dag Fest Peterson
6/13 – 6/14 Interlaken Heritage Days Fairmont
6/13 – 6/14 Lake Crystal Duck Days Celebration Lake Crystal
6/13 – 6/15 Onamia Days Onamia
6/13 – 6/14 Fergus Falls Summer Fest Fergus Falls
6/13 – 6/14 Wannigan Days Taylor Falls
6/13 – 6/14 Winstock Festival Winsted
6/14 3rd Annual Northeast Ride Northeast Minneapolis
6/14 – 6/15 Art on the Lake Excelsior
6/14 Bigfork Wilderness Days Bigfork
6/14 Finnish-American Summer Festival Embarrass
6/14 Japanese Garden Festival Bloomington
6/14 Juneteenth Minneapolis
6/14 Midsommar Celebration Minneapolis
6/14 National Get Outdoors Day Multiple locations
6/14 Northern Spark Minneapolis
6/14 – 6/22 Perham Turtle Fest Perham
6/14 – 6/15 Solstice Outdoor Music Festival Mankato
6/14 – 6/15 Stone Arch Bridge Festival Minneapolis
6/14 Twin Cities World Refugee Day St. Paul
6/15 Chocolate, Shakespeare, & Champagne Winona
6/15 Falls Festival on Foot Little Falls
6/15 Lanesboro Art in the Park Lanesboro
6/17 – 6/21 Farmington Dew Days Farmington
6/17 Fourth Summer Food Fest Blaine
6/17 – 6/22 Willmar Fest Willmar
6/18 – 6/19 Faribault Heritage Celebration Faribault
6/18 – 6/22 Rockin’ Rogers Days Rogers
6/19 – 6/22 Cottage Grove Strawberry Fest Cottage Grove
6/19 – 6/22 Dan Patch Days Savage
6/19 – 6/22 Howard Lake Good Neighbor Days Howard Lake
6/19 – 6/22 Hennepin County Fair Corcoran
6/19 – 6/21 June Jubilee Family Fun Day Wadena
6/19 – 7/4 Manitou Days White Bear Lake
6/19 – 6/22 Zumbrota Covered Bridge Music & Arts Festival Zumbrota
6/20 – 6/22 150th Sesquicentennial Celebration of Redwood Falls Redwood Falls
6/20 – 6/22 Prairie Fest Long Prairie
6/20 Redwood Falls Community Parade Redwood Falls
6/20 – 6/29 Rochesterfest Rochester
6/20 – 6/21 Roseau Scandinavian Festival Roseau
6/20 – 6/22 Sherburn Holiday Festival Sherburn
6/21 3rd Annual Summer Party in New Ulm New Ulm
6/21 50th & Bryant Street Fest Minneapolis
6/21 – 6/22 Afton Strawberry Fest Afton
6/21 Freedom Days of Becker Becker
6/21 – 6/22 GermanFest St. Paul
6/21 – 6/22 Rock the Garden Minneapolis
6/21 Solstice Music and Arts Fair Clearwater
6/21 Walk Around the World International Festival Rochester
6/23 – 6/28 Plein Air Art and Music Festival Red Wing
6/25 – 6/29 58th Annual Columbia Heights Jamboree Columbia Heights
6/25 – 6/28 Norman County Fair Ada
6/25 – 6/29 Summerfest Milwaukee, WI
6/26 – 6/29 Cass County Fair Pine River
6/26 Walker Crazy Days Walker
6/26 – 6/29 Dawson Riverfest Dawson
6/26 – 6/28 Earle Brown Days Brooklyn Center
6/26 – 6/29 Fridley ’49er Days Festival Fridley
6/26 – 6/28 Jazz Festival St. Paul
6/26 – 6/29 Riverside Days Springfield
6/26 – 6/30 Rosefest Roseville
6/26 – 6/28 Watertower Festival Pipestone
6/27 – 6/29 Blaine Festival Blaine
6/27 – 6/29 Browerville Heritage Days Browerville
6/27 – 6/28 Ethnic Dance Theatre: 40th Anniversary Minneapolis
6/27 – 6/29 Kaposia Days St. Paul
6/27 – 6/29 Meadowfest 2014 Grand Meadow
6/27 – 6/28 Melrose Riverfest Melrose
6/27 – 6/28 Midwest Viking Festival and Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival Moorhead
6/27 – 6/29 Pine River Summerfest Pine River
6/27 – 6/29 Red Lake County Fair Oklee
6/27 Special Olympics Minnesota Summer Games 5k Oak Park Heights
6/28 ArtSoup in Elk River Elk River
6/28 Burwell Art Fair Minnetonka
6/28 Burwell House Festival Minnetonka
6/28 – 6/29 Eagan Art Festival Eagan
6/28 – 7/4 Freedom Days in Apple Valley Apple Valley
6/28 – 6/30 Paul Bunyan Days Akeley
6/28 Pet-A-Palooza St. Paul
6/28 St. Boni Spass-Tagen Fun Days St. Bonifacius
6/28 – 6/29 Twin Cities Pride Festival Loring Park, Minneapolis
6/28 – 6/29 Wayzata Art Experience Wayzata
6/29 MN Food Truck Fair Uptown Minneapolis
6/29 Svenskarnas Dag Minnehaha Park
6/29 Vikingland Band Festival Alexandria
6/30 – 7/6 Military Family Week at the Minnesota Zoo Apple Valley