Spring and summer are good in St. Paul.
Parades, art crawls and activities by the lakes are always on our calendars. Some beloved events are back — looking at you, International Festival of Minnesota, nee Festival of Nations — and others have changed names. The long-running Irish cultural festival at Harriet Island Regional Park is now called Twin Cities Irish Fest.
At the same time, some events are not happening as communities find the most effective ways to direct resources to local businesses and neighbors following this winter’s federal immigration surge. We’ll miss annual favorites like Little Africa Fest and the Native Nations Fashion Night; as of press time, Minnesota Songkran Festival organizers have not definitively announced whether the Thai new year celebration will take place.
Here are some fun family-friendly festivals to add to your summer calendar:
April
April 10 and 11 — International Festival of Minnesota, RiverCentre: The onetime Festival of Nations is set to be resurrected under a new name for the first time since 2019, with participants from 67 nations and ethnic communities. Tickets are $21 for ages 15 and older, $10 for ages 8–14 and free for children 7 and younger, available at ifestmn.org; 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul.
April 10–12 — The St. Paul Art Crawl, various locations: The spring edition of this twice-yearly extravaganza takes place across three weekends, and slightly earlier this year. Plenty of open studios, live music, food and more across town. Venues this weekend are in Wards 1, 3 and 4, aka an area stretching from Frogtown over to the Midway and Creative Enterprise Zone, then down through Mac-Groveland into Highland Park. Studio guides and other info will be available at stpaulartcollective.org.
April 17–19 — The St. Paul Art Crawl, various locations: Venues this weekend are in Ward 2, which encompasses downtown, Lowertown, West Seventh, Summit Hill and the West Side.
This is, of course, Lowertown’s weekend to shine; it’s always fun to see the neighborhood come alive. Don’t miss artists at the Schmidt Artist Lofts on West Seventh, though: They’re giving free artist-designed tote bags to the first 25 visitors per day who spend more than $100.
April 18 — The Great MinnSect Show, UMN St. Paul: The University of Minnesota’s entomology department is bringing us into the wide world of bugs, with games, crafts, educational opportunities and, yes, live insects. Free at the University of Minnesota St. Paul Student Center; 2017 Buford Ave., St. Paul.
April 24–26 — The St. Paul Art Crawl, various locations: Venues this weekend are in Wards 5, 6 and 7, which include the North End, Payne-Phelan, Dayton’s Bluff and Battle Creek, among others.
Be sure to head to Urban Roots (1110 Payne Ave.) from noon to 4 p.m. on April 25, where the organization will be showcasing socioenvironmental justice art, music, and other activities, including a food sale to support its youth council.
May
May 2 — Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, West Side: The day kicks off with a 10 a.m. parade on Cesar Chavez Street, then from 12 to 6 p.m., there’ll be live music entertainment across two stages and more than 100 community vendors. Free; centered at 179 E. Robie St., St. Paul
May 2 — Fraser Festival, RiverCentre: This fun event brings together music, games and sports, STEM activities, gardening and food in ways that are inclusive for those with sensory processing differences. The annual festival is also a fundraiser for the nonprofit Fraser. Attendance is free, with donations accepted at fraser.org. The event runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at RiverCentre in downtown St. Paul.
May 10 — Minnesota Qeej and Hmong Arts Festival, Union Depot: This fifth annual festival is one of few, if not the only, event in the country focusing on the traditional Hmong qeej instrument. Enjoy a variety of Hmong music, dance, food vendors, crafts and family-friendly cultural activities. Free; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 214 E. Fourth St., St. Paul.
May 10 — Stars on Ice, Grand Casino Arena: Team USA’s figure skating stars, including gold medalist Alysa Liu, are coming to St. Paul ice. Tickets range from about $43 to $120 at starsonice.com.
May 16 and 17 — Hmong American Day Festival, Pan Asian Center: In honor of more than five decades of the Hmong diaspora in the U.S., a two-day festival with cultural performances, food vendors, beer garden, cornhole tournament and more activities. Free; 3001 White Bear Ave., Maplewood.
May 21–24 — Kickoff to Summer at the Fair, Minnesota State Fairgrounds: The early summer Fair preview is back with food, beer, vendors, the Milk Run 5K race and the Hunter & Jumper Horse Show in the newly renovated Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum, among other events. And maybe the best perk: free parking. Attendance is limited per day, and tickets go on sale soon at mnstatefair.org.
May 29 and 30 — Flint Hills Family Festival, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts: The annual creative festival returns to downtown St. Paul with performances of Cirque Mechanics: TILT!, baby-oriented opera “Nooma,” “Click, Clack, Moo” and a performance by Sons of Mystro, plus other activities. Festival runs 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 29, and 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 30. Specific schedules available at ordway.org/festival/.
May 30 — WaterFest, Lake Phalen Park: From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., celebrate our clean lakes and waterways with kayaking, art projects, performances and food trucks at Lake Phalen Park; 1530 Phalen Blvd., St. Paul.
June
June 6 — St. Anthony Park Arts Festival: Centered on the St. Anthony Park Branch Library (2245 Como Ave., St. Paul), this long-running neighborhood art festival also includes a beer and mead garden, food and music. Free; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
June 6 and 7 — Train Days, Union Depot: Calling those who root for railways and live for locomotion! Check out train equipment, see model trains, participate in family activities and shop vendors and food trucks. Runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. More info will be shared at uniondepot.org/series/train-days-2026.
June 7 — Grand Old Day, across Grand Avenue: A parade! Food! Live music and street performances! Car shows and wiener dog races! Supporting local businesses on Grand Avenue! What more could you ask for? More info on specific events at grandave.com/events/grandoldday.
June 13 and 14 — STP Pride Festival, Dual Citizen Brewery: This event, dedicated to building opportunity for queer youth in St. Paul, is returning to Dual Citizen for a two-day festival with live music, family activities, art vendors and local food. There’ll also be a parade through the neighborhood. More info at stppride.org.
June 13 and 14 — Deutsche Tage, Germanic American Institute: The long-running annual German cultural festival returns with food, beer, music, dancing and more. A full list of vendors and performers is still in the works, but hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. June 13 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 14. The event is free and open to all ages; 301 Summit Ave., St. Paul.
June 19 and 20 — Twin Cities Jazz Festival, Mears Park: This popular public jazz celebration features a variety of performances, including Yellowjackets, JazzMN Orchestra with Michael Mayo, Yogev Shetrit Trio, Sullivan Fortner Trio, the Selby Avenue Brass Band with Thomasina Petrus, Lucia Sarmiento and the Zacc Harris Group. More details forthcoming at twincitiesjazzfestival.com.
June 20 — 30th Annual Community Peace Celebration, Carty Park: This event was founded in 1996 by Melvin Giles, a lifelong Rondo activist who seemingly brought garden beds, symbolic “peace poles” and bubbles wherever he went, and who died last summer. This year’s celebration is set to feature live music and dance performances, a community meal and a memorial tribute to Giles. Free; 705 Iglehart Ave., St. Paul.
June 26–28 — Kaposia Days, South St. Paul: This community celebration has been going strong for more than five decades. The event schedule is still being finalized, but the weekend is set to kick off with the annual parade at 6:30 on June 26. Keep an eye on kaposiadays.org/site/events for updates.
July
July 18 — Minnesota Scottish Fair & Highland Games, Macalester College: Find Celtic music, athletics and music competitions, highland dancing, Scottish vendors, kids’ crafts and storytelling and info to help you find your Scottish ancestry. Admission is $20; free for kids under 12. Info at mnscottishfair.org.
August
August 1 — Rondo Block Party: The 4th annual neighborhood festival, celebrating St. Paul’s Black community, returns with music, art, dance crews and youth activities. The fun goes from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. centered around the Rondo Commemorative Plaza; 820 Rondo Ave., St. Paul. The full schedule will be announced closer to the event at rondoblockparty.com.
August 7–9 — Twin Cities Irish Fest, Harriet Island Regional Park: Yes, the state’s largest Irish festival has a new name, but as always, it still includes plenty of food, dance, music, cultural programming and a marketplace. Single-day tickets run $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and teens and free for kids; weekend passes are $75 for adults, $60 for seniors and teens and free for kids. Visit twincitiesirishfest.com.
Aug. 27–Sept. 7, Minnesota State Fair: Already counting down the days — fewer than 150 till the Great Minnesota Get-Together! Five out of the 12 Grandstand shows have been announced as of this writing: Bonnie Raitt, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Sierra Ferrell, Tommy James & The Shondells and Rod Stewart. We’ll have all the info you need later in the summer, but for now, visit mnstatefair.org.
