The best things to do and see in Minnesota!
One of our favorite things about summer, so many festivals and parades to attend. Not to mention all of the county fairs around the state. Not enough hours in the day to make it to everything! The Blaine Festival takes place this weekend, June 22-24. three days packed full for fun for all ages.
Check out the full schedule of events here on the event page.
We’ve mentioned the Twin Cities River Rats: Free Water Ski Show! other summers but want to give a reminder. The show is fun to watch, it’s free and something a bit more unique to do on a Thursday evening in the summer. You can catch the show several upcoming Thursdays in North Minneapolis. Check out the schedule here as well as map of the location.
*Development show starting at 6:30 pm and main show at 7 pm
A friend recently told me about her visit to the Nature Play Area at Terrace Oaks Parks. Not a typical play area, the Nature Play Area is simply about nature, which of course is awesome. Not everyone has a woods to play in and this play area is a great substitute.
The park is located in Burnsville and just opened up recently, you can find more specifics about the park here on the city website. I would love to see more parks like this pop up in the metro area!
The Nature Play Area features natural elements that allow kids of all ages to climb, jump, build and explore. Features include painted animal tracks, tree cookies, climbing logs and rocks, building sticks and limestone block benches.
Now’s your chance to check out The Bakken Museum! We found a great deal on discount tickets for their upcoming event: Art in the Garden on Thursday, June 21st from 5:30 – 9 pm.
The Bakken is a hidden gem, located in a mostly residential area in South Minneapolis. On occasion they offer adult-only events like this one, a time to learn about science without the kids. There are half-price tickets available through Goldstar which will get you in for $6 (reg. $12), plus service fees.
The best party of the summer is coming up soon at The Bakken Museum. Head to Art in the Garden, an evening soiree that lets you discover the natural beauty of the museum’s distinct garden spaces.
Grab a drink and have your own picnic on the green roof as you create artsy items inspired by the flora on the Minneapolis museum’s grounds. There’ll be a Crop Art Station for those of you looking to practice your seed skills before the State Fair, a plant stamp postcard you can send to someone special and a community art studio where you can let the watercolors flow and make something unique.
MollieRae Miller will use her skills with acrylic paint and stenciling to help you create some native plant-inspired window art. Market Science will also be on-hand to share leaf pigment and chromatography science.
The Chalk Art Cars will be there for all of your automobile-arts needs and the Science Museum of Minnesota will have watercolor bots for that extra mechanical artsy feel.
With beer and wine to sip on and food from Gastrotruck and Olivia’s Organic Café, there will be plenty of fun for you and your crew to enjoy.
Get your discount tickets HERE!
We grab this Como Town deal from Star Tribune Steals every year! It’s a great way to plan ahead for a fun summer day at both Como Zoo AND Como Town! Right now you can get 2 all-day wristbands and 1 Pluck a Duck game for $23.45 ($46.90 Value).
Located adjacent to Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, Como Town Amusement Park is a family-fun amusement park for kids ages 2 to 12. Enjoy more than 18 rides and attractions including all-time favorites and new, interactive rides that can’t be found anywhere else in the upper Midwest.
Our family always has SO MUCH fun at Como Town. It’s a small park, but they pack a lot of fun into that small space. My favorite ride is the scrambler, but we all like the bumper cars too. Plus, once you’re done at Como Town (or before) you’re right next door to Como Zoo where you can spend a few hours exploring the animal exhibits.
Voucher is good through the end of the 2018 Season. ORDER HERE
This year for Father’s Day, why not gift Dad a home run? Order him some Minnesota Twins tickets, now available through Groupon!
You can easily filter by dates and/or opponent to find tickets for dates you’re sure you can make (and teams you want to see). You also can try out your seat virtually to see what the view from your seat will look like. Get your tickets HERE.
Also, don’t forget about our roundup of Father’s Day Gift Ideas for Minnesota Dads! Many of these would still work for last-minute gifts.
Yay! I’m so excited to share with you that the new Great Wolf Lodge in Bloomington is now available on Groupon for discounted stays! With this Groupon, you and your family will be able to stay overnight with daily water park passes for as low as $99 per night!
Options include:
Note that these are the starting prices; your price may vary depending on which night you choose. Select dates are available from June 15th to July 31st.
Plus, you can save an extra 10% off these prices with coupon code SALE3 through June 13th! Note that there is a $30 maximum discount with the extra 10% off code.
The heart and soul of Great Wolf Lodge Bloomington is its 75,000-square-foot indoor water park. Splashy rides such as River Canyon Run—a four-story raft water slide—and a zero-depth-entry wave pool with 3-foot swells surround the park’s iconic hub: a four-story treehouse with a 1,000-gallon tipping bucket. Younger kids will have a blast with the gentle spray features of Cub Paw Pool.
The water park, which hovers around 84 degrees all year long, isn’t the resort’s only family-friendly activity. You’ll also find an arcade with more than 100 games and Scooops Boutique, where visitors can get fun nail polish and glitter tattoos.
- Extended and exclusive water park access: You can enter the water park at 1 pm on the day you check in and stay until close on the day you check out (essentially 2 days’ water park admission). And since there are no day passes for outside visitors, resort guests have exclusive access and won’t get stuck in long lines.
- Family-friendly fun: The resort has games and activities for kids of all ages. Explore options by age group here.
- Hands-on crafts and activities such as face painting and balloon twisting during the Lunch Time Lineup can keep kids entertained when they want a break from the water park action.
- Roomy suites comfortably sleep up to six guests. Some suites offer extra privacy with enclosed bunk beds.
- Fuel up with food and drinks at eight restaurants and snack bars.
- Add a Paw Pass or Pup Pass to your stay to enjoy kid-friendly activities and sweets at Creation Station, Oliver’s Mining Co., and more at a discounted rate. See everything that’s included—as well as other available packages—here (additional fees apply).
- Safety first: Complimentary life jackets in multiple sizes and trained lifeguards help keep families safe and secure.
- Distance from Minneapolis: 10 miles
Besides the water park, don’t forget that there is plenty of dry fun, too! Great Wolf Adventure Park is filled with activities and experiences that are fun for the whole family. There are lots of active experiences to work off that never-ending kid energy and ways for them to put their thinking caps on, too. Check out our crew’s experience with Great Wolf Adventure Park in Bloomington to see what they have to offer!
This offer is only available for a limited time, so get your Groupon HERE!
You have a few opportunities for a free ride on the Cafesjian Carousel at Como Park. The following dates are free this season:
June 18th
July 16th
August 13th
September 17th
If you can’t make any of those days, it’s still quite a reasonable ride at only $2 a person. It’s a great activity the whole family can enjoy. You can find more information about the hours as well as the history of the carousel here their website.
Did you go the Chalkfest at Arbor Lakes last year? If not, you have another chance. It takes place this weekend June 9th-10th. The free event is more than just amazing chalk art, there’s food, family fun and entertainment as well. The Maple Grove event offers something for everyone. You can observe the art or participate in some of the art, your choice.
The Chalkfest at Arbor Lakes is featuring sidewalk chalk art by professionals, amateurs & art enthusiasts from across the world! The event will occur on June 9-10, 2018 (10-5 both days) and is located on Main Street in Arbor Lakes. The Fountains at Arbor Lakes is also to display amazing murals by our artist-in-residence, Shawn McCann and visiting artists prior to the event.
Planning a trip to Como Town this summer? Right now you can get 2 unlimited-ride wristbands, 2 Soaring Eagle zip rides, 2 temporary tattoos, and 2 Pluck-A-Duck games for $40.25 ($57.90 value) through Groupon! (PS – We saw a similar deal last month for less, but that deal is no longer available.)
Plus, through 6/13 you can save an extra 20% with coupon code SALE3 – that drops the price to just $32.20!
Located adjacent to Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, Como Town Amusement Park is a family-fun amusement park for kids ages 2 to 12. Enjoy more than 18 rides and attractions including all-time favorites and new, interactive rides that can’t be found anywhere else in the upper Midwest.
Our family always has SO MUCH fun at Como Town. It’s a small park, but they pack a lot of fun into that small space. My favorite ride is the scrambler, but we all like the bumper cars too. Plus, once you’re done at Como Town (or before) you’re right next door to Como Zoo where you can spend a few hours exploring the animal exhibits.
Voucher is good through the end of the 2018 Season. ORDER HERE
