Twin Cities Celebrations
Everyone looks forward to the Minneapolis Aquatennial, a ten-day "party on the water" that is held every year in mid-July. The celebration includes a block party, plenty of food, live concerts, parades, water sports, and a spectacular fireworks show.
The country's oldest and largest winter festival is the Saint Paul Winter Carnival. This ten-day long annual celebration is steeped in tradition and includes parades, legend re-enactments, races, and more. You can also try out your skills at the ice-carving competition.
On select nights between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Nicollet Mall hosts the annual Holidazzle Parade. Children and adults alike gather on the streets to watch the marvelous costumed characters and parade floats.
In the Hispanic cultural center of Saint Paul, the District del Sol puts on a fabulous fiesta each year in honor of Cinco de Mayo. Come celebrate this Latino tradition with live music, a parade, craft vendors, a history area, and more. Of course, there is plenty of authentic food to delight your palate. The salsa eating contest is perhaps the most popular event.
For over 25 summers, the annual Taste of Minnesota event has enchanted the taste buds of locals and visitors alike. Great food, music, and fun are the name of the game at this festival. Local businesses sponsor events and fireworks while the stages entertain with live music and kids shows. Families will appreciate the amusement rides, petting zoo, and inflatable jumpers. And the food vendors are everywhere offering a taste of anything from old-fashioned American hot dogs to wok-fried soba noodles to scrumptious chocolate mousse puffs and fresh fruit smoothies.
The Minnesota State Fair in Saint Paul is held toward the end of August each year and offers all kinds of fun for kids and adults. Eat your favorite foods on a stick. Tour the vendor exhibits and enjoy a full schedule of events from grandstand concerts to western-style horse shows.
Great local bands display their musical talent as they rock the stages in the two-day party of the Cities 97 Basilica Block Party. This Battle of the Bands is a fierce contest of local talent, and supporters can come to celebrate great music, good food, and summer fun. Sponsored by the historic Basilica of Saint Mary parish, the party is a fundraiser of sorts to support the efforts of the church to provide a refuge for the poor and a center for the arts.
Of course, nothing beats the year-round event of cheering on the local sports teams. From Vikings Football to the U of M Gopher teams to Twins Baseball, the spirited fans in Twin Cities know what it means to root for the team.