Summer vacation is the best time to get out, enjoy the sun, play with the kids and see all of Minnesota! Not sure about where to start? Start reading this list for 61 ways to enjoy your Minnesota summer- You can never start planning too early in the season!

When the weather warms up in Minnesota so does everything else, from daily festivals, music, and events in the Twin Cities to weekly county fairs and town celebrations there is always something more to do. Here’s a list to help get you started, but don’t stop there, check your local city website or Facebook for more ideas for making the most of your Minnesota Summer.

61 Ways to Enjoy Minnesota Summer

Northern Minnesota Summer Activities

1. Check out Minnesota’s highest waterfall in Grand Portage.

2. Head up to Lake of the Woods and visit the Angle Inlet School– the northernmost school in the continental US.

3. Hike up to Devil’s Kettle.

4. Grab High Tea at Naniboujou Lodge.

5. Hunt Agates along Lake Superior.

6. Spend the night living like a lighthouse keeper on Lake Superior.

7. Watch the sun set from a boat in the middle of the lake.

8. Listen to the call of loon’s on the water.

9. Find a bald eagle’s nest.

10. Take in the natural beauty of Minnesota at Voyageurs National Park.

11. Learn something new at North House Folk School in Grand Marais.

12. Visit the wolves in Ely.

13. Go mountain biking or Paddle boarding on Cuyuna Lake trails.

14. Attend a graduation party. Grilling, potato salad, mosquitoes, family, friends and fun- nothing says Minnesota better!

15. Take a River Cruise along the St. Croix River.

16. Picture the past and hike out to the Joyce Estate in the Chippewa National Forest.

17. Walk across the beginning of the Mississippi River at Itasca State Park.

18. Canoe in the Boundary Waters.

19. Metro Twin Cities Minnesota Summer Activities

20. Kayak on the Minnesota River.

21. Take a selfie in front of all the ‘Peanuts’ characters spread throughout St Paul.

22. Paddleboard on Lake Calhoun.

23. Attend at least one day of the Twin Cities Jazz Festival.

24. Find all the Saint Paul dinosaurs.

25. Take a River Cruise along the St. Croix River.

26. Visit the Franconia Sculpture Park.

27. Take a rowing class in St. Paul with the Minnesota Boat Club.

28. Join Instagram and attend a Minnstameet.

29. Make your own fried cheese curds in preparation for eating at the State Fair.

30. Eat cheese curds at the Minnesota State Fair.

31. Take the Summit Avenue Walking Tour to learn the history of St. Paul’s oldest families.

32. Shop at the Farmer’s Market.

33. Explore the Historic Fort Snelling grounds.

34. Watch Minneapolis’s Aquatennial Fireworks.

35. Listen to live music in the Lake Harriet Bandshell.

36. Enjoy the fireworks after a home run at a Twins Game.

37. Race a boat in the Dragon Boat Festival on Lake Phalen.

Southern Minnesota summer activities for the whole family

1. Pick Blueberries at a pick-your-own farm in Northfield.

2. Join a CSA (Community Support Agriculture) to enjoy weekly fresh vegetables.

3. Stop and shop at Jim’s Big Yellow Apple Barn in Jordan.

4. Visit a rural community and eat at their town diner.

5. Kayak on the Minnesota River.

6. Engorge yourself on sauerkraut at Henderson’s Sauerkraut Days.

7. Drink beer at the second-oldest, family-owned brewery in the nation.

8. Attend the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant in Walnut Grove.

9. Attend a Classic Car Roll-In.

10. Get a plot of soil at your community garden and plant your favorite vegetable.

11. Watch a food demonstration at your local county fair.

    

12. Drink wine by the light of the fire at Morgan Creek Vineyards.

13. Golf at a different course each week.

14. Drive the entire length of highway 61 in Minnesota.

15. Feed the hummingbirds and watch them swoop past one another.

16. See how your feet measure up next to the giant Red Wing Boot at the Red Wing Shoe store.

17. Grab a lunch (or two) from one of the delicious food trucks that are popping up.

18. Window shop through the quaint town of Lanesboro.

19. Pick your own raspberries from a Minnesota Grown farmer.

20. Volunteer your time at a local community supported or local farm.

21. Explore all the MN State Parks.

22. Drink craft beer on the patio at a local brewery.

23. Watch the horse racing at Canterbury Downs and enjoy the food truck festival.

24. Get off the beaten path and drive through the rolling hills of the Cannon River valley.

Do you love Minnesota as much as I do?

Join me on Instagram and share your summer loves with me.