We come to this every year, and it's always a lot of fun. The MN Scottish Fair & Highland Games is…read moreheld outdoors in the field of a church in Eagan (although the location is changing for next year), and the nearby businesses allow parking in their lots. Think of it as the cute, mini version of the Irish Fair? They have heavy games (caber toss for the win), highland dancing, pipe bands, clan tents, celtic music, a Scottish marketplace, food and drink, and some classic (European) cars - including one previously owned and signed by the Spice Girls? I was all in. The food and drink selection aren't extensive, but they do the trick. As long as I can get a few pints from McCracken Pub - or a wee dram of scotch if I'm feeling feisty - I'm a happy fair-goer. There was also an ice cream truck (golf cart) cruising around! It was blazing hot today, but still glad we all went. Looking forward to see what next year's new venue has to offer.

Scottish Fest used to be one of my favorite festivals. But it has really gone downhill in the past…read morefew years. First of all, they keep moving the location and the date. This year was in some obscure church parking lot. And July is WAY too hot for people wearing wool. It used to be in May which was perfect. They've lost a lot of vendors over the years. There was ONE vendor selling anything resembling Scottish food. Hardly any merch vendors anymore, the few that were there are also at every local festival. The sheep herding demonstration that was advertised never happened, we waited until well after 4 for it. In general, unless you can get there in the morning when the highland dance competition is going on, there is little to see. We arrived shortly after noon and felt quite ripped off. There was an out-of-tune brass band (WTF) playing, the only dancing that was happening was the uninclusive Royal Scottish group, and we kept trying to find the heavy games, but all there was were a bunch of people standing around. ONE pipe band played the entire time we were there. Really, $17 per person is WAY too expensive for what we were able to see. They should really discount heavily the price of admission after 12pm, as there is nothing to see or do. We were very disappointed. There are other ethnic festivals that have FREE admission that you get to see and hear much more. Please, Scottish Fair, fix your festival!

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!

As far as I can remember, I have loved street festivals. Growing up in NYC I recall always being…read morepleasantly surprised while walking down a street with no specific intention to check out a street fair but would love the pleasant surprise of bumping into one. I loved the array of food, clothes, music, people. and whatever else would be available at these fairs because I always have fond memories of walking for blocks and blocks of city streets just taking it all in. As I got older I began to seek them out on my own. The NYC Bastille Fair was one of my favorites. Now that I am in Minnesota, I checked out the Bastille Day Block Party and although the size was limited they sure packed a lot into this block! Live performances, fries, ice cream, beer galore, food trucks, wine tasting vendors and more. I came curious and left happier and full. It is definitely a nice summer event to check out if you have the time! -After all, it's only once a year.

I want to support my neighborhood and last year was a five-star day, so that's why I went with four…read morestars rather than three. It has soooo much potential since it's not as enormous as the other summer block parties, but this year was more of a three-star experience. I hope they learn some things this year and really knock it out of the park next year. I don't clearly remember the first year of the Lyn Lake Fest, but last year, it was packed, it was easy-ish to get a beer, Har Mar Superstar killed it. This year (year three), it felt kind of empty and nothing grabbed my attention enough to stick around for very long. The beer "garden"/parking lot was full, but not the street, at least not when I was there around 4-5 p.m. Plenty of cute dogs though. The local lineup on the mainstage was awesome this year (Koo Koo Kangaroo, Black Blondie, Peter Wolf Crier, Haley Bonar, Heiruspecs headlining), but I think they could have done without the second stage. One band was playing on that northernmost stage with almost no people paying attention. I felt bad for them. The food options were improved this year, with the Chef Shack and Magic Bus Cafe on-site with the Lyn-Lake restaurants. Heidi's also had some burger specials specifically for the event. Summit had their beer truck out and I also saw someone with a to-go Bloody Mary. I never figured out where it came from though. Damn. Lots of other Lyn-Lake and local businesses had booths, like Nice Ride, Hair Police, The Loft Salon, some crafters selling cute jewelry and other odds and ends. Both salons were doing feather extensions. Maybe that should have been discussed among the salons before go-time, because they were just a couple of tents away from each other. And what was up with the poodles (with NEON-dyed fur, the poor things) being groomed right there in the middle of it all? There were little balls of pink dog fur blowing in the wind blocks away. Gross. Absurdly gross.

Any art fair without a cover automatically gets five stars. Plus this particular one is massive,…read more second biggest to Minnesota state fair. It's also by lake of the Isles / up town area, which one can argue is the nicest part of town. Modern art is often a minimalist canvas that I'm supposed to draw meaning- 99% of the time, I don't get it. The Art here is easier to consume. Nothing to interpret for the most part. It's less snooty. Also food truck are present here and there. The fair also has food and drink give aways - it's a great way to spend your August - folks soon enough Winter is coming!

I love art. Stopped…read moreby to check out some art & get some inspiration!!! In the past I feel like the uptown art fair was much bigger & crowded. I went on the first day (Friday) and there was a lot of empty space on Hennepin. The fair did extend down a street going closer down to the lake. Friday was gloomy & had rain in the forecast, might be the reason people didn't come out. Back to the art. Seen a lot of dope pieces by a lot of dope artist from all over the US. It was amazing to see the things people come up with. Hopefully someday I'll be able to afford a nice 2k-3k piece. This year they had a really cool vendor, Studio Ink (Hallmark) where you could pick out greeting cards, fill them out, address them & they send them out! I love writing to people. Not as popular these days. Glad they are attempting to make a comeback. Indeed brewery was the drink vendor for this years event. They had 3 or 4 options to offer. I'm not wild about wheat juice (beer) but it's uptown, bars & restaurants everywhere which is nice. They also had a few familiar food trucks like Fro Yo Soul- Yum.

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.

Super friendly and a great deal. Nice selection, really helpful. And free warm up drinks!read more

Tis the season! This tree lot is friendly, festive and charming! What a beautiful way to shop local…read moreand help support the school and church by purchasing a tree or wreath. This is my second year and I plan on making this a tradition because the volunteers here are extremely supportive and knowledgeable. This lot will cut your tree down to the size you need and help bundle it into or onto your vehicle, has complimentary hot chocolate inside the trailer warming house, contains a crackling fire pit, accepts credit cards, and is such a joyous experience. Come see for yourself. Merry Christmas!

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!

Luckily I happened to be perusing the internet for things to do with the little one and came across…read moreBooFest. I knew that they did it yearly, but didn't know that it was so soon. I thought it would be a little closer to Halloween. This years was on Oct. 10th. Nice event with: Pony Rides Face Painting Trick or Treating and other stuff.... We parked by Red Balloon who was having some root beer fest, but they ran out by the time we arrived which wasn't that late. A number of businesses participate, not all, but a fair number giving out candy to the little trick and treaters. There are maps (we couldn't find where they were giving the maps out) that say which indicate who is a participant. Park Dental in my opinion had the greatest treats. Light up rings, highlighters, candy and other freebies. Nice local free event put on by the businesses of Grand Ave.

I saw this event on Yelp and decided to check it out. This Winter Block Party's intent is to…read morewelcome in Winter while showcasing arts and local businesses along Lake Street. This event literally occupied a block at East Lake Street and Chicago Avenue. Yesterday, I parked a few steps away on Chicago Avenue. Street parking is free. If you buy something at a local business along East Lake Street and your purchase is at least $25, you get a $25 gift card and a free mug. I hadn't made any purchase anywhere. I ended up getting stickers, a hand warmer, and a fabric mask. There was live entertaining by a female singer and her guitarist. They were great. I listened to them perform four songs before they took a break. It was nice seeing a decent number of folks show up. It was warm that they didn't really need a fire, but it made the event cozy. The event started at 4 pm. I got there just after that, which is a perk ending my workday at 3:30 pm. There was a Habanero Tacos food truck. The food looked amazing, but the lineup was long by the time I felt like dinner. It was a fun event. I'm so glad that I came and checked it out. Normally, I cut through the area. It was nice to stop and take things in for a change. (438)