Best Fourth of July Destinations in Minnesota

The Fourth of July is all about spending time with your family, enjoying the weather, eating hamburgers and hot dogs, and of course….watching fireworks! There are many firework shows that are sprinkled across the state of Minnesota. If you are looking for a change of scenery or want to see a different show, here are the best destinations!

Delano

Delano provides the oldest and largest Fourth of July celebration. There is a parade that starts at 10:30 in the morning to get your spirits up! Twelve hours later the real fun begins…the fireworks! Find a spot near Central Park and enjoy the free 30-minute firework show. With the excellent work of Northern Lighter Pyrotechnics, be prepared to be amazed!

Minneapolis

The Red, White and Boom Festival attracts over 60,000 people each year! The site is along the downtown Minneapolis riverfront, features live music, great food, fun activities for the whole family, and fireworks! On July 3^rd, there is the Hot Dam 5k and live music along with a movie at the Nicollet Island Amphitheater at 7pm. On the Fourth, the Red, White & Boom! TC Half Marathon takes place in the morning followed by a day filled with live music, family activities, and fireworks to cap it all off. The festival is a great time for people of all ages!

Brainerd Lakes Area

If you are all about fireworks, this is the area for you! There are multiple shows: July 2^nd at the Grand View Lodge in Nisswa, on the 4^th in Brainerd, and on the 5^th over the Sand Island in Cross Lake. You get a full slate of action and get to be in an area full of lakes!

St. Cloud Area

If you’re looking to stay around Central Minnesota, the St. Cloud area provides a great day of action too! The festivities all begin on July 3^rd in St. Joseph for the JoeTown Rocks Festival. The fun starts with bingo, games, food and refreshments at 5pm followed by fireworks! The next day, there is a parade in St. Joe as well at 10am. That night, head over to the banks of the Mississippi River in the heart of St. Cloud for an amazing firework show! Don’t forget to stop by our St. Joseph location for snacks and refreshments during the festival and our multiple St. Cloud locations before the firework show!

These are only a few of the festivities going on in Minnesota for the Fourth of July. We hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday! 

Things to do in Minnesota this summer!

Schools are out, the sun is shining, and there is no more snow is sight (we hope). It’s time to fill up that tank and explore the beautiful state of Minnesota! What events are going on this summer? Here is a fun list of events going on around the state and locally:

Play ball! Take in a baseball game.

Summertime and baseball go hand in hand! Check out the St. Cloud Rox play for some family fun at great prices. There creative in-game promotions and entertainment will keep your attention even if you’re not a baseball fan. If you are looking to hit the road, head to beautiful Target Field to watch the Minnesota Twins. They are hosting the MLB All-Star Game this summer on July 15^th. It is a huge event and is a great opportunity to watch the best players in the world. Of course, don’t forget to stop by our stores to stock up on all your ballgame needs!

Rock out at a concert.

The summer provides a full slate of concerts for music lovers! If you enjoy country music, Minnesota is host to two huge festivals. Winsted is host to Winstock Country Music Festival on June 13^th and 14^th! Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts, and Billy Currington are just a few names that are playing. We are proud to have given away some tickets to this great event. Another great country festival is WE Fest in Detroit Lakes which is August 7-9^th. That concert features some of the biggest names in country music including Jason Aldean! If you are looking to stay in Central Minnesota and still see some country music stars there is Firefest in Cold Spring. This concert is on July 26^th and features Jake Owen and Thomas Rhett. 

More music: Summertime by George.

Summertime by George! is a free concert and festival put on by the Rotary Club of St. Cloud at the newly renovated Lake George! The area will be transformed into a fun and active place every Wednesday with free live music from local and regional bands, local vendors, artisians, and a kid's zone for the entire family to enjoy. This free 12-week event will be held every Wednesday starting June 11^th, 2014 and running through August 27^th. Don’t forget to stop by our location nearby for refreshments and snacks!

More Central Minnesota fun.

There is so much to do in the summertime! There is the Art Crawl which has two events this summer and is downtown St. Cloud (June 13^th and August 22^nd). Granite City Days is a 4 day event (June 26^th-29^th) and features a Lemonade Concert, a block party, a parade, and much much more! In Sauk Rapids, they have Rapid River Days (June 26^th-28^th) and features a pageant, parade, and a food fest.

There is so much to do in Central Minnesota and beyond! We wish you safe travels this summer on your way to all these adventures.