Had a group of friends who all wanted to go this season to Miracle at Big Rock…read more Frankly though, I wouldn't refer to it as a miracle... $22/per person entry fee definitely felt steep for what it was... a small RV campsite dressed up in holiday lights with the occasional firepit burning low-grade wood and hot beverage cups. (I watched as countless guests discarded their cups on the ground rather than in appropriate trash bins... despite there being plenty of trashbins around for use... if they'd been willing to carry their empty cups just a few more feet... like seriously, are you teaching your children to litter? Then I watched as employees took those cups, plastic covers and all, and tossed them into the fire... Idk about you, but breathing burning plastic into my lungs doesn't sound too wonderful to me. Maybe we could teach our employees proper disposal of materials too?) The campgrounds were loosely divided up into themed zones, such as Frozen and Whoville and Ice Age (did they have the rights to use these characters? I'm guessing not from the low-budget costumed characters they had roving about... To be clear, I'm not against copyright infringement of large corporations that have too much money already, but frankly, I'd like to have seen more creativity in creation of zones that didn't rely on the crutch of media that's overpopularized... doesn't risk a lawsuit that way, and is way more unique and special). One of the themed zones was a military zone that felt... cultish and made me distinctly uncomfortable. Using the holidays to celebrate war and death with lit up displays of tanks and guns is a big no-thanks, imo. We've got holidays like Memorial Day and Labor Day to celebrate these things... it doesn't need to be dragged into winter festivities too. The string light covered fire truck was cool though. I did like that they had a free-for-all style sledding area (nothing too steep) that you could enjoy without paying extra. It was a little too chaotic with tiny bodies for me to partake in though. I also appreciated the port-a-johns available around the site. There's a food court area with trucks serving stuff like sausage, BBQ, pizza, mini donuts, kettle korn, and shaved ice. In addition to the several hot beverage stands across the park serving up hot cider, hot cocoa, and various hot alcoholic beverages. Prices were actually what I would consider reasonable, taking into account their location (where the rules are no outside food or beverages). There's a big heated "barn" where you can browse vendors; none of them caught my fancy, but it's stuff like candles, ornaments, apparel, bread, and randomly, all-terrain wheelchairs. There are toilets available in the barn too, which had an insane line because everyone was being really prissy about doing their business not out in the 9° weather with the outhouses, LOL. Reasonable number of photo-op worthy light displays, so I got a few pictures as we ambled around. It was all okay, just not really up to the hype they gave it, y'know?

This was a REALLY fun experience! I was skeptical at first, but as we walked down the hill into the…read moreforest of lights, it was really neat! There are wood burning fires all over so you have the opportunity to warm up along the way, and half way through the mile and a half walk you come to the beautiful barn that contains an event center, with food, crafts and good drinks!! Bring the kids, let them enjoy while you enjoy too!!

Well, I'll start out that I'm not a huge fan of outdoor fairs in swampy, humid Minnesota in the…read moresummer, but I also end up going to a lot of them. Anoka's county fair is a good one... maybe not the best, but a good one. (My favorite so far is the Steele county fair.) Better than the Ramsey county fair. You get the same feel of the State Fair on a smaller and more manageable scale: the smelly animals, the greasy, overpriced food, Midway rides and rigged carnival games, and plenty of crap for sale. Plus, if you go on the right (or wrong) day and time, you'll hear the loud sounds of a demo derby or tractor pull. The upside is that if you're not into roaring engine sounds and the aroma of diesel fuel, the grounds are actually big enough to get a bit away from that. So it sounds like I'm not a fan, but yet somehow I am. I do like this stuff in limited doses. There are also some musical acts as well-- we saw a good rock band, and I wish I could remember their name. Good story! Pro tip: word on the street (and their website) is that you need to get a seat right away for the demo derby. Pro tip 2: you probably won't find me there. Free parking is the in the giant lot across from the main entrance. From the south, turn left at the lights after the bend. From the north, turn right at the lights. Look for people in bright vests and throngs of people waiting to cross the street. There are probably better mappy app directions, but I'll leave those almost rural style directions for now (and forever). Have fun!!! PS: Holiday in Lights in early December is a better way to experience the Anoka fairgrounds, in my opinion, plus it's free admission / free parking, and nachos / popcorn / cider for free or for a donation. That is, if you can tolerate Santa, Jesus, inflatable Minions, and Christmas music at distorted levels over the PA system. I can. It has a small-town winter wonderland feel to it, somewhat vintage as well. Plus it's not 90 freakin' degrees out.

Went to the fair this year it was OK but the seating was not very good for the derby and a couple…read moreof the guys got out a hand and attacked the security people which I didn't find very respectful but other than that great food and they had a lot of old tractors and stuff that were nice to look at you rarely see things like that.

Nice little neighborhood parade and festival. Attended our first parade in Blaine. I don't think I…read morehave ever attended a parade in an actual neighborhood. This was on a nice residential street with not an over abundance of people. It was a very nice parade, decent length and nice people and even the weather held out before the down pour. After that we headed over to Acquatore Park where there were lots of rides; Ferris Wheel, Merry Go round, Slides and more... Carnival food and lots of booths. Too bad the rain ruined that part, but we got in a few rides and a few greasy food items before ducking into a tent and then heading out. Nice set up and a nice festival to attend in the summer!

Local parade along a tree lined (shady) street. Always well attended but not mass of people.read more

What a fantastic hidden gem! To spend a nice spring day, my family decided to drive to the little…read moretown of Scandia and spend the afternoon. Since we hadn't been to Scandia before, we didn't have anywhere particular in mind to go. When arriving at a park, we noticed it shared a space with Gammelgarden. When we had parked to go to the playground, we had actually parked in front of a Swedish historical museum. We were so pleasantly surprised! Visiting cultural and history sites is our favorite thing to do, so we couldn't believe our luck. To top it off, they were open on a Sunday for a guided tour! Our guide, named Reese, was in costume and was knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. Finding a museum open for business on a Sunday in a small town was an unexpected pleasure. For the next couple of hours, we experienced the buildings and artifacts that make up this wonderfully historic little complex, including the oldest Lutheran church inthe state of Minnesota! Each house, called "hus", was filled with original artifacts from the people who lived in Sweden or Scandia as it was first blossoming as a settlement. The museum gave us information on upcoming events and classes that each member of my family would be interested in - including an event thus summer where participants roll "meatballs" made from painted golf balls down to Gammelgarden from a shop on the main street. We will definitely be coming back!

It was kids night and they had all the cars out on the track, then let everyone walk on the track…read moreand interact with the drivers who were giving out candy and autographed pictures of themselves. Fun! I knew the track was mud, but how cool to actually walk on it! Kids under 16 were free and everyone was was $15 to get in for hours and hours (we were done around 9:30/10 of entertainment. They even threw out candy to the people in the stands at one point! I can't quite explain the cars, but there were four "classes" who raised 20 laps around the track, stopping when there were crack ups. Some of the bleachers had backs to them, which was nice. There was an indoor bar and food area with typical fast food style food and fairly cheap drinks ($6 for a mixed drink.) Parking was free and they left us with a schedule for the rest of the season to hang up in our house. Bring your ear protection, it's loud! Also bring your eye protection, it's dusty! Bring layers as it gets cold when the sun goes down. Otherwise, stop by and try out something new!

The website said that coolers were allowed, and that nobody will be turned away. These were good…read moreto know, as we were able to get tickets right at the gate and came stocked with bug spray, sunscreen, and some snacks and sodas. This place is very popular. There's parking on both sides, and since we arrived a little late, we were waved towards the back side and then had to go all the way to the back of that lot. It was a good five minute walk from our car to the ticket booth. There are grandstands on both sides, and bathroom/concession facilities. It's open seating. I recommend going far away from the gate because it's less crowded the further you go. The racing was really well-run. They have the next round lined up and ready to go as soon as the previous one finishes. There's a winner's interview, which is nice because it helps give you an idea of who everyone is and what they thought of that race. The caution procedures are very clear and orderly. I've been to other places where it takes ten minutes to get everything reset. There's a big screen with the camera feed and a lap count, and another screen with scoreboard and lap times. I couldn't read the scoreboard too well until the sun went down. I was way over on the other side by turn 3, though. Speaking of the sun, it was still up for an hour or so once they start, and the backstretch is directly into the sun. I would've brought some hats in retrospect.

A great fall spot for families. Admission is $6 per person and includes a hayride, access to see…read morethe animals, and time to explore the farm. There's plenty of space for kids to play, and it never feels too crowded. The coffee cart was a pleasant surprise. In addition to pumpkins, the farm sells fall décor like gourds, straw bales, and Indian corn. Everything is well kept, parking is easy, and the staff are friendly. Simple, relaxed, and worth the visit if you want a low-key fall outing close to the city.

What a really cool place to hold an event! We had a graduation party here today and couldn't have…read morebeen more pleased with the entire experience. From the llamas, sheep, donkeys, goats and miniature horses in the barn. To the roomy event space. It was a beautiful space to hold any event you are having!!!

A wonderful place for an intimate show. We heard Hornicopia and they were wonderful. This is a…read morechurch sponsored venue and no alcohol on the premises.

Wonderful place. Wonderful people…read more We were new to the nudist/naturist experience, but within 5 minutes of our first visit, we were hooked! . Cannot wait for the season to begin!

Beautiful grounds, very friendly people, fun activities all season. There are 4 cute cabins for…read morerent, tentsites with grill and picnic tables, RV sites.modern well kept community kitchen, a large pool, hot tub, sauna, kiddie pool. Pickle ball and petanque, very welcoming!! Once you check it out, you will want to come back. When we visited we immediately decided to apply for membership. It is member owned and managed, everyone volunteers to make it a welcoming environment. Oh and on Saturdays there is a lunch grill for 5.00!