Enjoyed walking around looking at all of the art. There is so much talent in the Twin Cities!…read moreJumped in on some Zumba too! And of course what's a festival without food. I stuck with the basics of corn, corn dog and churro. Prices seemed high but sadly food costs are on the rise. Can't wait until next year!

6.21.26 If I liked snow and brutally freezing weather, I would move here. All the green spaces…read moreencourages you to get up and move, get outside, smell the roses and get your vitamin D on. From the music to art festivals, everything is FREE. Though....parking is a bit challenging. Nonetheless, I would do it again and again. Weather was perfect 73 degrees People, hmmm...I am impressed on so many levels. For 1 they support the Somalian community and they stand for what is just and fair. Its funny, my friend of 52 years asked me, what are we doing this year, I said Cruise, Jamaica, Mexico...she said how about Minnesota. I said what's in Minnesota? And that's when I went down the rabbit hole and did my research. I can honestly say, I'm glad I was too busy to plan our annual trip this year. She did it all, I just had to send my money. From a ferry down the Mississippi river, to several lakes, downtown Minneapolis, Paisley Park, Mall of America to sooo much more. I would like to come back, but there is so much more on my bucket list to double back. Cheers to Minnesota and all its fabulousness!

Oh my. This was truly the best night of 2016 so far. And…read moreit's going to be tough to top. How does one convey in words such high levels of epicness? I will press on. If you have a deep appreciation for heritage pork, then you should be at this venue. If you don't, then you clearly do not belong in such a place with this kind of zeal and squeal. Nothing less than 5-stars, my friends; nothing less. First, I have history with pigs (aren't reviews really just a way to tell the stories of our lives?). I grew up loving pigs. Miss Piggy was my favorite. In 6th grade, I begged my parents to get a pot-bellied pig (one day I'll give them the kudos for sticking to their guns on not letting that happen). Also in 6th grade, I ate too much candy and started to resemble a pig, so I decided to stay quiet about my love of pigs until I got my waistline under control about a decade later (phew). While loving pigs, pork did nothing for me...until I learned of heritage breeds back in 2008. The color! The flavor! The texture! There was no going back. And just to show off ('cause that's fun to do from time-to-time), I discovered & tried, at a fundraiser dinner back in 2011 for the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund, Mangalitsa pork belly for my first time, and knew right then there could be no other. And this is where the Cochon555 story begins... My sweet Mangalitsa was here in many culinary creations (and other breeds, too). And many of its dear relatives were here. It was a big family reunion and I was on cloud nine. Out of sheer randomness (& a reminder from God that He loves me), I won 2 VIP tickets from Yelp to this event! I wasn't even aware of what Cochon555 until I saw the contest (HOW did I MISS THIS?). When I read up on it, I realized that this evening was scripted for me and soon enough I found that I won! The joy! The rapture! The tears! Thank you, Yelp! The machine bots that chose my name were Divinely guided! I will write reviews for you until I perish from this earth. I invited a foodie friend that gets as excited about sustainably raised heritage piggies, from our beloved local farmers, as I do. Our tickets were thoroughly redeemed with every delicious, lovingly prepared, & creatively presented piece of pork. People talk about how drugs have altered their mind and enhanced their experience. I can't speak to that. But I can speak to what THIS pork did to me. There were top notch, sustainably & creatively-based restaurants, competing & representing at this event, including: Travail Kitchen & Amusements Spoon & Stable Chef Shack Ranch Surly Brewing (who won the MN Pork King title) Zen Box My favorite food delivery mode was a man, from Travail Kitchen, scuffing around the room on his knees in a sombrero. The sombrero contained a delicious & subtly sweet pate in the center of the hat and the rim of the hat contained chicharrones broken up from a large hide they fried late the night before. The server was on his knees so that people could just grab from his hat at standing height...it was brilliant. There was prociutto-like bacon (I know, it's either one or the other...but in this case, it wasn't!) "skewered" in waves on a thin crispy bread stick (no, it wasn't a pretzel ;-). There were also sweet lard-filled chocolates (I could have eaten those all night!). I was blown away by Spoon & Stable's creation of marshmallows made out of pork blood (same whipping properties as egg whites; who knew?!) and so much more. There was also the whole hog butchery going on right after the votes were taken. This is something IMPORTANT! We're a society that is detached from where our food comes from. Majority of us aren't going to be able to tell others what portion of an animal that a particular cut comes from, so this was valuable, precious, AND educational. All parts of the animal were put out for sale! Loved that feature, too! For as much gushing as I'm doing, I will say there were a few items that I thought were boring and uncreative for it being at an event like this: wonton-type items (wrapping pork in pasta is most likely what all of us would have thought of doing...just wasn't a "wow" (not that it has to be). Another item is that this is NOT a gluten-free friendly event. Considering the focus on sustainability and that wheat is an overcropped item (which is overshadowed by those who have gluten allergies & sensitivities). While I CAN consume wheat, I choose not to, because of past wheat sensitivities. I was truly surprised that at this day and age how many chefs went with the bland wheat berry. There was even a separate pie outfit that came in as a pop-up towards the end that didn't offer gluten-free options. Wha? Yes, one can consume the filling if they must, but one can also create a stellar gluten-free pie crust. Regardless, I would go to this event again & again. Oh, and ladies, 3 out of 4 attendees (or more) are men. If you're looking for a piggy-partner-in-crime, you may find your match here ;-)

I had never been to an event like this so I knew very little about what to expect. It ended up…read morebeing awesome! There is a wide selection of local wine and other beverages to try. It was a great opportunity to learn more about some of Minnesota's local food and wine producers! There were many different variations of pork as well as other dishes to try. The seafood bar was phenomenal! Overall, great experience. I highly recommend d for those who love pork or are just looking for a unique food experience!

The pro's: A portion of the profits from this event goes towards the upkeep of the Basilica of St…read moreMary. 3 stages of live music and a silent disco. The view of downtown Minneapolis from the Great Clips stage was pretty. Portapotties galore. The con's: The event was only from 5-10:30p yet tickets were $70+ticketing fees-expensive! Food & drinks were pricey too, as they tend to be at festival events. The crowd vibe just wasn't there for what you would expect from a music festival. Most folks seemed interested in roaming about and conversating vs jamming out to the music. A free bus pass was offered for everyone attending the event, but I didn't see a single bus on my 15 min walk back to my hotel. That's not necessarily BBP's fault but you'd think there'd be better coordination of public transportation between event planners and the city. Overall, if you go, you'll probably have some high-priced fun on a beautiful summer day in downtown Minneapolis.

Over the weekend, well Friday and Saturday Evening, I had signed up to Volunteer for the Basilica…read moreBlock Party for the first time ever. Even when I lived around there, and was a member of the church, I avoided the area during the Block Party because of how crazy it got. Parking was crazy, the first night I had a friend drop me off and pick me up, because I didn't want to deal with all of the extra cars on top of the construction that was happening on Hennepin Ave. The second night because of other events that I was attending over the weekend, I parked in the Target Center Ramp Parking. Since no other events were happening, it was only $5 for parking on the weekend, and it was far enough away from all of the busy part of downtown that it made the exit super easy. I volunteered at the Coke Tent 1, which was by the Main Stage. It was so much fun! I could hear the music well and see the acts, along with working. It was 4 tickets for a beverage. At our tent we had Sodas, Lemonades, and Water. People loved the water, they did get a little fussy when they realized we couldn't give them the caps, but most got over it quickly. One gentleman who was there the first night, and came back the second night actually brought a cap with him the next evening. It was kind of funny, but very smart and resourceful on his part. The other volunteers were nice and friendly, and even the main staff that instructed the volunteers what the different tasks were. After this experience, I couldn't believe I waited this long to participate in this event. We got free T-shirts, and the colors were a pretty Teal. I believe they change each year, and I can't wait to see what the color is next year.

Had not been to the renaissance festival in a few years but decided to give it a try. We took the…read morebus from one of multiple park and ride locations, I would highly recommend it was so easy and they drop you off close to the entrance. Once to the festival you can bring your tickets or purchase them ahead of time we had tickets but still the lines were very long we waited about 20-25 minutes to get into the festival. Once inside the festival the crowds can be a lot, I definitely think there could be a better flow or more organization once inside. One thing to make sure you bring is your patience everything from people to shops to food is great but there are long lines for most things. The shows and entertainment are great we watched a fire show that the kids loved then walked through never land. This was a super fun family friendly festival I would recommend!

I had a great first time at the MN Renaissance Festival! It was truly an immersive experience. Most…read moreattendees were in costume which was so much fun! Planning ahead can definitely help improve your day. I didn't mind the dirt so much but plan for very uneven ground as it is located in a remote field with a bit of tree covering. The festival leans into the theme so so facilities aren't the most modern. Someone mentioned to bring some rubber bands or hair ties for the privies (out houses) if you are wearing long flowy sleeves and this saved my costume. Luckily there are drinking water stations next to the privy sinks because many lines got very long, especially the beverage lines. Bring a fan as it can get very hot and layer on the sunscreen. Lastly, lean into the experience and embrace the fantasy of the renaissance festival. It is a unique experience in the BEST way!

One of the many things I love about the state fair is that you can either go and have the same…read moreexact experience or each time can be completely new. From the food to performances, you can stick with the staples or mix things up entirely. I'm forever in awe of the logistics of the fair. Starting with the park and rides. One of my drivers lives in Missouri and comes to Minnesota ever August for two weeks to work the fair. To the different buildings, like the creative arts competitions. To all the animals and the logistics of keeping both the FFA/4Hers and animals feed and happy is no small feat. Through the rain to blazing temperatures. I absolutely love the fair and all the grandstand, roast corn, and new food vendors have to offer.

The Minnesota State Fair has become an annual tradition for our family for the last few years…read more My two little guys love going to the Minnesota State Fair for the food and variety of activities. Our food favorites include: roasted corn, pickle pizza, cheese curds, fried pickles, bacon on a stick, Sweet Martha Cookies,... A new FAVORITE this year is Peachy's Donuts - lines are long but definitely worth the wait. Highly recommend the Minnesota State Fair for a fun Summer family and friends activity!

Great little community event at Island Lake Park. It was super hot out yesterday, but still…read morebearable. Plenty of parking at Deluxe Check or the surrounding lots. Attractions: Smallish carnival- most of the rides are for younger kids which is nice for us. Fun Slide, mini cars, spinning dragons etc. Lake Johannah Fire Station open house with lots of freebies, fire tucks, water hoses, education etc. Nice little open house. Parade Vendors Food Vendors Jump Station for the kids- $5 Some of the prices are ridiculous for things. $7 for a lemonade and $3 for a refill. Good turn out. Nice community event.

Fun free event for the whole family...I was there yesterday and they had an AMAZING band playing…read morecalled THE POWER OF 10. I had so much fun dancing! Loses one star from me because of the expensive food truck items and lemonade...also everything is cash only...so bring cash! There is an ATM on the ground but there's a $3 fee!

Pretty cool brewery! Lots of open seating and bartender was very friendly. He let us taste a few…read moreoptions to help us decide which beer we wanted. Very clean and spacious seating. No complaints, decent beer selection.

Came to Inbound for the first time for a lord of the rings themed event and it was so so fun! I had…read moreno idea what to expect but they did a great job of engaging with the community by having a costume contest, bringing in various vendors, and having a band play live music. They also had LOTR themed drink items which was super fun. Their menu is vast with lots of different alcoholic options besides beer as well as some N/A options. They also had a food truck parked outside which was really nice. There is mostly street parking nearby so be prepared to parallel park but we had no problems finding a spot despite it being a busy event and a twins game happening the same day! Definitely worth checking out for good vibes.

amazing venue no line to get out. No line to get in. Parking is fantastic cause it's free no issues…read morenever in line. Perfect venue great acoustics plenty of space. Plenty of room to breathe fantastic.

I can't believe it took me all summer to make it to the brand new Mystic Lake amphitheater for a…read moreshow! We had tickets for the general admission lawn, and brought an outdoor blanket to sit on. First things first: the sound was incredible throughout the venue, and even in the parking lot. The parking was seamless, in and out. Amenities are nice, including tons of wide open spaces to gather before the show, tons of areas to buy merch, drinks, and food. We started out in the GA lawn and enjoyed the openers and a beautiful sunset. There was plenty of space for people to gather in groups, or lay out a blanket for two. Even though you're at the back of the amphitheater, you still don't feel too far from the stage and performers. The large screens make it still feel like an intimate venue. We then decided to meet up with a couple of friends. They were sitting in section 201, there were a lot of open seats this night. On the way down, we also opted for some two dollar hotdogs. Before the concert wrapped up, we walked around a little bit to get a feel for other areas at the amphitheater. Overall, I can't wait to come back for another show!