Perhaps a bit campy but this water ski team / local theatre troop puts on a family friendly show…read morethat's great fun. Punctuated by a rocking sound track this up beat show follows (loosely) the story of Peter Pan interspersed with some very talented skiing. Show starts at 7 on summer Thursdays right on the Mississippi River with plenty of space on the river bank to spread out a blanket or set up a couple of camp chairs. Free street parking is available but you may walk a bit to the main site. Tip: best viewing is near the sound booth. Cost? Zero!! But they do take up an offering at halftime to defray some expenses so bring some cash along. There's a small concession stand selling hot dogs drinks chips and candy. Highly recommended outing on a summer night in Minneapolis.

Saw the River Rats show during Aquatennial, through they also have shows other times…read more The waterskiing tricks and formations were impressive. Multiple pyramids, large groups of skiers in tandem, and flips and tricks. The performers are talented, athletic, and obviously spend a lot of time practicing. They all looked like they were having fun. Sure, there are a few misses, but that's bound to happen, and it just shows how difficult what they do is. What isn't great is the plot and show they try to build around the waterskiing. It fell flat and was overly cheesy. I also didn't understand the dance numbers. Other than the ballet ski team, I kept wondering why they wanted the water skiers to dance. Let them perform as waterskiers - this is where they shine!

May 22 through September 11 the National Sports Center Cycling Velodrome hosts weekly bicycle…read moreracing events called Thursday Night Lights. They are only $2/person and children under the age of 12 are free. There is ample free parking available and only a few concessions. When we went there were microwaved hotdogs, pretzels, and Cold Stone ice cream; however, folks brought their own food and drinks (including alcohol). The velodrome itself is a cone-shaped wooden track for bicycle racing. The bikes are similar to road bikes except that they don't have breaks and have only a single gear. The races are insanely fast and sometimes have accidents where the racers totally wipe out. Here's a video of a women's race: http://youtu.be/OVCuexONMks There were several different kinds of races including one that involved 80 loops around the track (12 miles), 40 loops (6 miles), and many that were only a few loops. My favorite was the race where the slowest rider was eliminated every two laps. There were men and women riders and sometimes they competed in the same races. There were two sets of bleachers - one on each side of the velodrome. An announcer played music and kept us informed about points, laps, and racers. Kids walked around with buckets collecting free bets. The winners of the bets won things like gift certificates to Chili's restaurant. The Thursday Night Lights was tons of fun. It was an extremely laid back event. For example, we put our $2 into a slot in a box and nobody was monitoring if we put it in or not (we did). The bathrooms were porta potties. The races were quick and easy enough to understand. Sometimes our eyes were glued to the races and sometimes we felt comfortable making new friends and chatting amongst ourselves.

We had an enjoyable afternoon watching the Polo matches. With the exception of special events,…read morewatching polo here is FREE. People were very friendly and we were able to park close to the polo field which was great for taking photos of horses and riders. Bring a picnic lunch and some folding chairs, or sit on the back of your vehicle, it's pretty relaxed. Definitely worth trying!

Friday night family party. Good times for the kiddos. Family friendly stands. Bring thick…read moreblankets to sit on. Keep an eye on special events.

First time checking out the local Jordan baseball team, The Brewers. Admission is cash but…read moreridiculously cheap. $3 per person or $15 for season pass. They have concessions like hot dogs, popcorn, soda and beer. Wonderfully maintained field with beautiful small town setting. Old fashioned bleachers and dug outs. You can bring chairs or a blanket to sit in the grass. You can also bring your family dog to the game. Highly recommend for good family fun.

Super fun time! Haven't been in a couple years so it was nice to be back and watch! Sat on the…read morefloor for the first time but I think the upper level gives a better view. Merch selection is pretty good and the halftime entertainment is fun and kid friendly. Exciting and budget friendly activity in the Twin Cities!

There's no doubt the MN Roller Girls are a five star group, even if I have a few minor quibbles…read morewith my night out. I really think pretty much everyone in Minnesota should at tend at least once. They do a good job of explaining the rules so first timers know what is going on. *Five stars for being a first class organization, good for families, supportive of lots of cool community stuff (like the Anne Bancroft Foundation and Project for Pride in Living) *Five stars for showcasing quality woman athletes of all sizes. *Five stars for the live band dance party during halftime. *Five stars for $11 tickets plus kids 9 and under are FREE. *Five stars for beer. (Ok, I'm not a big beer drinker, but I fully support beer sales at any event. I just do. The rest of the concessions were just a bit above average in the pricey but tasty popcorn style) (I brought in my own water and snacks, they were checking bags but not closely.) But. BUT. And I wouldn't dare take away a star, but I'm old. And my kids are young. Could you turn down the volume just a tad so I can have a conversation that doesn't involve yelling?. And maybe start the main bout just a half hour earlier? I don't mean to nit pick, and I didn't for one second think about taking away a star.

This area is a unique night spot and a sanctuary for photography. One of my all time favorite…read moreplaces!