I've only been here once, and what an event it was!! It…read moretruly does capture the atmosphere of Jazz music. The location is perfect, while it can be hectic getting into downtown and parking, I would suggest going green and spend an all day visit. Taking the rail or bus either way you'll be greeted with GREAT music! They have several stages, played at different times in which you walk from one block to another should you feel the need to explore. Food is wonderful! Plenty of FOODTRUCKS and local eatery. BIGRIVER pizza near CHS and farmers market is AWESOME! Not to mention too, there will Art booths set up from local artist. Including myself :-)) Http://DeMeglioart.com I'll be there FRI-SAT It's a place to come and it's FREE, not the food of course!

Love it! Well organized, Talented Musicians, Great Security, and just a fun Summer Festival!…read more I normally stay at the Mears Stage because I live right there but many other venues around like Black Dog, Amsterdam, and Union Depot Stage, have acts playing at the same time. I think the bigger name bands play at the Main Stages however. Thursday night is a perfect night, not too busy. Friday night is still great but Saturday does get really really crowded so get your spots saved early on that day. I must applaud the Security Team this year. Last year I had a few pesty drunks bugging me, since I am a magnet for that type but this year, while sitting with my friend Ron, a drunk started bothering him, and within a minute, Security was right on it! Bam! Get out of here! It really made me feel good that they were very visible this year!! Thank you to the organizers who arranged this fine security group!

What a grand idea! This place had it all. Plenty of food options and music to entertain. Not…read moresure if this is a regular event but certainly one that you should keep on your calendar. The variety was nice. The lines were long so plan to wait for your food. Mear park was full of people and parking was surprisingly plentiful despite being the weekend and a Saints game going on. Highly recommend.

This year marked my second consecutive year of attending this festival and I have to say...it gets…read morebetter every year! The variety of trucks is great (even for gluten free vegan!) And the park is beautiful. Everyone seemed to be having a blast! My only issue is that with such a popular event the lines can be quite long and the park can be very crowded. Can't be shy; push your way through and get a little rough!

Yes, the fair is small but it's free (besides parking). There's animals, rides, food, and shops…read more It's worth checking out if you're looking for some outdoor activities with your family and eating some fair food.

It's a fun little fair that grows a bit every year. Admission is free, and there is plenty of free…read moreparking nearby. Or pay in the main lot for $2 per car. There are two building with commercial exhibits - similar to the modern living building at the Minnesota State Fair. There's a stage with live entertainment playing all day long. There are the typical fair foods and vendors selling all the typical things, even with the headsets and entertaining demonstrations! The main "barn" also features local 4-H exhibits as well as agricultural stuff. There's a small petting zoo as well. It's a fun little local fair. Not too big and not too small. Great for an afternoon with a friend!

I'm glad we went later in the evening. There were a lot more places to park on the side streets. I…read moreguess they do have a shuttle bus if you don't want to drive. Nice little neighborhood festival set up along Ford Parkway. Booths, vendors and carnival fair type food. -Midway area -Half Price Book Tent Sale- Lots of great deals and steals here, plus the store is open. -People watching -Lots of families -Food area had cheese curds, corn dogs, mini donuts- all the typical fair stuff. Big Mangoes on a stick. Its a nice little neighborhood get together in St. Paul. Something do to.

Its fine. Its a nice distraction. I miss that the beer dabbler event is no longer associated with…read morethis, and the new rides area this year was almost entirely inflatables, and I find them to be gross. Especially on hot days - all the stink and sweat...horror. Its a great way to kill an afternoon, but expect to spend way more money than you'd like, especially if you have kids and end up in the rides area. Fireworks are decent.

The pro's: A portion of the profits from this event goes towards the upkeep of the Basilica of St…read moreMary. 3 stages of live music and a silent disco. The view of downtown Minneapolis from the Great Clips stage was pretty. Portapotties galore. The con's: The event was only from 5-10:30p yet tickets were $70+ticketing fees-expensive! Food & drinks were pricey too, as they tend to be at festival events. The crowd vibe just wasn't there for what you would expect from a music festival. Most folks seemed interested in roaming about and conversating vs jamming out to the music. A free bus pass was offered for everyone attending the event, but I didn't see a single bus on my 15 min walk back to my hotel. That's not necessarily BBP's fault but you'd think there'd be better coordination of public transportation between event planners and the city. Overall, if you go, you'll probably have some high-priced fun on a beautiful summer day in downtown Minneapolis.

Over the weekend, well Friday and Saturday Evening, I had signed up to Volunteer for the Basilica…read moreBlock Party for the first time ever. Even when I lived around there, and was a member of the church, I avoided the area during the Block Party because of how crazy it got. Parking was crazy, the first night I had a friend drop me off and pick me up, because I didn't want to deal with all of the extra cars on top of the construction that was happening on Hennepin Ave. The second night because of other events that I was attending over the weekend, I parked in the Target Center Ramp Parking. Since no other events were happening, it was only $5 for parking on the weekend, and it was far enough away from all of the busy part of downtown that it made the exit super easy. I volunteered at the Coke Tent 1, which was by the Main Stage. It was so much fun! I could hear the music well and see the acts, along with working. It was 4 tickets for a beverage. At our tent we had Sodas, Lemonades, and Water. People loved the water, they did get a little fussy when they realized we couldn't give them the caps, but most got over it quickly. One gentleman who was there the first night, and came back the second night actually brought a cap with him the next evening. It was kind of funny, but very smart and resourceful on his part. The other volunteers were nice and friendly, and even the main staff that instructed the volunteers what the different tasks were. After this experience, I couldn't believe I waited this long to participate in this event. We got free T-shirts, and the colors were a pretty Teal. I believe they change each year, and I can't wait to see what the color is next year.

Oktoberfest in St. Paul at the historic Schmidt Brewery grounds. How can you NOT love it? German…read morefoods, Summit brews on tap, German music. There is a $5.00 fee for the wristband to buy alcohol ($6 for a Summit brew). Food available in tents outside. Portapotties are available.

Don't waste your money! If you have a small child, then sure go. Your child will like the lights…read more As an adult, there is nothing to do or see. The lights aren't even as big as you might imagine they would be. Just don't go.

Burger battle was such a filling experience literally and figuratively. 3 hours of all can you eat…read moreburgers and drinking beer. This year I went. It was rainy and having an umbrella was more of a burden than useful as you need all the hands to hold your burger and beer. Having a ponchos was the smartest choice we made that day. TIP - Come early! After a while some places run out of food if they are not out of food the lines become a 20 - 30 minute wait. Instead of a under 5 minute wait. If you have friends, divide and conquer and you will be able to try every single burger. So the food, yes. The burgers were great overall! If you love bacon, you will love this place as many of these places had bacon on their burger. Which is personally not ideal for me as I do not eat bacon. Crazy I know right!?!?! But there are many burgers that do not have bacon. Overall the burgers and beers are great. This event is fun and worth it, to do it once in your life.

I absolutely love the idea of this event, and only wish it had slightly better execution. The deal…read moreis that you pay $55 for a ticket and get unlimited burgers and beer for three hours. It's a bit on the expensive side, but hey, all the proceeds go to charity. This year featured 25 local restaurants serving 2500 attendees. Some quick math with probably have you asking, "Wait, does that mean that 100 people are waiting for burgers from each restaurant at any given time?" Herein lies the problem. Allow me to set the scene. I attended the event with my fiance. Both of us were keenly aware of our meat consumption limitations going into this, so we came armed with a plan. Most of the burgers that are served here are sliders, with the rest being full-sized burgers that are cut into halves or quarters. Our plan was to only get one burger at each tent, which we'd then split, thereby allowing us to sample all 25 burgers without puking halfway through. We made sure to arrive early before the gates had opened, and there was already a long line to get in. Still, we were probably among the first couple hundred of people to enter, and we quickly grabbed our first pair of burgers from two adjacent tents. We each ate half, then traded burgers. Things were off to a good start. What we didn't realize was that while we were busy savoring those first few bites, the rest of the 2500 attendees had arrived, and each tent suddenly grew a very long line. We got into separate lines, following our agreed upon divide and conquer strategy, and about 15 minutes later had another pair of burgers to sample. Sadly, the wait times only increased from there. We decided that waiting in line for the super popular places (Red Cow, 5-8) just wasn't worth it, and instead got into some of the (comparably) shorter lines for the less well-known restaurants. This proved to be a pretty good strategy. We tasted some really good burgers, and some pretty disappointing ones. Now, the event touted itself as having unlimited beer in addition to unlimited burgers. We each managed to snag a beer right at the beginning, before the line got out of control. For the rest of the time, the beer line was consistently about four times long than any of the individual burger lines. This just didn't seem worth it to us, so we resorted to just getting bottled water, which had no line for the entire duration. This thing was supposed to last for three hours, which is how we were timing our burgers, but in actuality most of the tents ran out of something about two hours in and started packing up. I think the two hour mark was when the official judging started, so after that they didn't really have an incentive to keep handing out burgers. In the end, we ended up trying 13 different burgers, and truth be told we were super full at around the 9 burger mark, but thought we should at least pass the halfway point. This didn't end up being as fun as I would have expected, but after interviewing some fellow burger aficionados, we realized that we just didn't have the right battle plan going in. Here is the winning strategy, which we may yet implement in future years: 1. Come with a large group of friends. Eight people seems to be the ideal number. 2. As soon as you arrive, split up and have six people get in line at different tents, while the two remaining people get in the beer line (this ratio can of course be altered depending on if your group wants more burgers on more beer). 3. Each person in line at a burger tent takes two burgers when they reach the front. Each person in the beer line grabs as many beers as they can carry. 4. Meet up a one of the picnic tables. Cut each burger into fourths, and split the beer as you see fit. Everyone eats their six burger pieces, and has some beer. 5. Send your party out once more, this time to a new set of tents. 6. Repeat until everyone is full of burger and beer goodness. We actually encountered a couple of groups that were using this or a similar strategy. The general consensus seemed to be that this was a good way to taste all 25 burgers without feeling sick afterwards.

My first year attending the Stone Arch Bridge Fest. Due to the bridge being under construction on…read morethe Mill City side you cannot access the festival (via the stone arch bridge) from the north loop side. You have to find parking dt/near mill city. This festival was bigger than I thought it would be. It felt like it went on forever, the more you walked down the river parkway. Towards the Guthrie they had a vintage pop up shop (which was the starting point for us). We adventured all the way towards the north loop side where they had a car show going on. They had plenty of vendors, food trucks, ports potty's and things to do along the way. They had live music going on, a dance class, areas to sit and people watch. Also the views of the river! For sure a fun fest to checkout even if it's just to look at the art vendors, so many creative pieces of art & art styles.

It was hot on Sunday and the festival was packed. It was fun to walk around and see the cool…read morebooths. My only complaint is food was very far away. It also would have been nice to know what trucks were on each side. So glad Johnny Pops was there to provide a cold treat. We had to park my Surdyks

I recently moved to MN and quickly learned from colleagues about how popular the MN State Fair is…read more I followed Nextdoor posts discussing whether the state fair was worth the crowds and money. Normally those factors would steer me away but as a recent MN transplant, I wanted to experience the fair firsthand. I met up with some new friends ~9:30 am yesterday (Labor Day, 9/1/2025). Knowing that parking would be difficult and expensive, I took a Lyft to one of the Park & Ride stations where I was able to take the bus for $6. When I got off the bus, I was offered a discounted ticket for $15 (normally $20) by a fair goer who had an extra ticket he didn't use. Once I got into the fairgrounds, we explored the livestock and agricultural exhibits. We loved the baby animals (especially the goats!) and the colorful dahlias. In addition to these exhibits, we also saw a lumberjack show. Fun! Now onto one of the most important - and highly debated - parts of the fair. The food! We shared the following: Cheese curds - first time trying them. Deliciously cheesy! Cream cheese wontons - average but came with a good dipping sauce Corn fritters - loved these. Perfect balance of sweet and savory Fried green tomatoes - not overly greasy despite "fried" in the name. Some people thought the tomatoes were too sour but I thought they were good Falawaffle - very tasty. I'd never seen a waffle using falafel batter elsewhere. Would love to pay Baba's in mpls a visit Three people in our group had the hot honey pizza balls, which I did not partake in as I don't eat meat (pepperoni). I wish they made a non-meat version but I plan to find a recipe online. The line was very long and though my friends enjoyed them, they didn't feel the wait was worth it. I got a frozen lemonade ($12) and frozen affogato ($10). Both yummy and perfect for a warm day! Of all the foods we tried, the cheese curds and corn fritters were my fave (and worth deviating from avoiding fried foods to keep my cholesterol in check). Weather was not too hot (60s/70s) and the crowds were manageable other than the very long line at the pizza place. The verdict: I'm glad I went and had the opportunity to experience a popular event in MN! I do agree with some folks on Nextdoor that the food is overpriced. I think the fair is worth checking out once but I'm not sure if I'd go again unless someone wants to go. Tips: 1) go with a group if possible as sharing food can cut down on costs. 2) take Lyft/Uber to/from the park and ride so you don't have to stress over parking!

The Great Minnesota Get-Together is what many, if not most, Minnesotans think about when August…read morerolls around. And why not? Twelve days of food, rides in the Mighty Midway, the U of M marching band, parades, animal barns and contests, beauty queens' likenesses sculpted from fresh butter, the dairy barn, Sweet Martha's chocolate chip cookies, adult drinks, Machinery Hill, the big yellow slide, pronto pups, concerts, deep fried ranch dressing (new in '24), and so much more! Close to 2 million people in total (or about 1/3 of the total population of Minnesota) visit during the course of the fair each year, according to attendance records. I've enjoyed all of my experiences over the course of 33 years. Most recently, I enjoyed a return to THE fair after a two decade absence and loved every minute of the crowd-packed, food-filled day. My favorites: fried pickles, the dairy barn, bacon-wrapped jalapeños, the yellow slide, and hanging out with family from Minnesota. The Fair has something for everyone. I look forward to returning again in the future, on a hot or cool August day or Labor Day weekend. Parking: You'll find plenty of parking choices. Some will cost you a premium, some are reasonable, and some are free. We chose a Park-n-Ride lot, where parking was free and a shuttle drove us within a short walk of the main entrance. Tickets: Look online ahead of time. Cub Foods also offers discount tickets up to a certain day. State Fair apps: I used the "MN on a stick" app and it suited my needs. Other apps are also available. Quite a help from what was available two decades ago.