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.

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!

What a bummer to see low ratings for such a fun place!! I have been coming to Severs since I was a…read morekid, and have always enjoyed it! The parking is free and I highly recommend doing no the cheaper presale tickets or get the online core you go! You get a discount and don't have to wait in line. When you get there, they do have a free program booklet/map. There are apples, honey and pumpkins for purchase and plenty of spots for you to take your fall photos. There is a north and south food area! Highly recommend the roasted corn! There are also classics like kettle corn, beer, alcoholic ciders, mini doughnuts and more! This year they added a BMX bike show and my boys REALLY like that! (Free) The maze is free and takes just under an hour for us to normally complete it. The petting zoo is also free unless you want to feed the animals. Then it's a few bucks for a cup of food. There is a giant slide, little train ride that goes around the grounds,hayride, pumpkin blaster, pony rides, and more that all have a small extra fee to them. I suspect this is why the ratings are lower. There are also large jumping pillows (adults can go on these too), shows, pig races, picture opportunities, small play ground areas, a large tire climbing area, zip line, hay maze, corn pit and more that are free. So plenty to do without having to shell out more money if you do not want to! This is a fall staple in my house! And we enjoy it every year!

If you're frugal family, I can NOT recommend this place at all. Don't get too excited by the…read morepictures and do your research before coming on how much everything cost. You pay 25 plus something dollars per person over 3 yrs to get in the door and a majority of the stuff inside still has an extra charge. That's $100+ for a family of four to just walk into the place!? Did I miss discounted tickets somewhere? - just make sure you digest all of the website so nothing gives your wallet a shock when you get there. BUT, however, if you have the extra expendable income - you should have a okay time and a extra price tags for most extras doesn't faze you for extras - it should be a decent time had by you and your little one's. Note: NO dogs. There is ample parking and you'll need it on the weekend as it for crowded VERY quick. It does have some cute gimmicky things instagram photo moments - that were luckily free. Everything on the grounds likes cash. Make sure you bring plenty of small bills to make vendors happy. It's a meh from me and I'll gamble on somewhere else next time.

I was SO looking forward to this festival as I love Asian food. The quality of the food was very…read moregood and the ViP bag & pin were cute but tickets at $85 for two was high. But the food prices were through roof. When your only options for wontons is one for $4.00 and $18.00 for 8 is unreasonable. Can I get 2 for $7.00, so I can have other small tastes of other food? $21.00 for a cup of beef ramen (commemorative noodle cup which is very cute-see photo)? The drinks were also pretty highly priced. Mt other feedback was the security check. We paid for VIP tickets and expecting a VIP entrance. Nope, everyone goes through the same line which OK, I get it, it's police policy. However, the officer went way too far in searching. Not only did he pull my wallet out, he started opening up my wallet and looking though the compartments. What was he thinking he'd find? No wonder the line was long and we were there right at 4:00 pm. And I wasn't the only one, another guest commented on the extra security needed because she had never had her wallet inspected either. Probably won't return, unless, it can become a "tasting menu" vs. $70 for 3 dishes.

Ah, Panda Festival 2026 at the Mall of America. I believe this is the second year they have had…read morethis in Minnesota. We missed out last year because the tickets sold out (my fault), but we made sure to attend it this year. Here is the good, bad, and the ugly from our adventure. We, as in me, my wife, and 11 year old daughter, made it our mission to make it this year. I got the 1000 am check in time, and paid for 4 tickets to PANDA FEST 2026! This was the earliest check in time for day 2, Saturday, August 1st. Luckily we didn't get tickets to day 1 on Friday, because it rained almost all day. Saturday was rain free, but a bit warm. The temp was in the high 80's. The 4th ticket went unused because my daughter's friend didn't make it. We made sure we arrived about 20 minutes early, because I had no idea where to park. The event was in the far north parking lot of the MOA (Mall of America). I was happy to see that there was plenty of parking about 2 blocks from the festivities, and the parking lot was enormous. We walked to the entrance, and there was already a long line that had formed, and it was pretty regulated with the typical cattle guard fences and MOA security overlooking everything. We didn't have to wait long, and the MC of the event got on her "toy" bull horn and welcomed everyone to the second annual Panda Festival. The countdown started, and everyone shuffled through the security checkpoint that was manned by MOA personnel, and Bloomington Police Officers. This was a pretty secure checkpoint that looked like Terminal One of the MSP airport. Yes, they even had metal detectors, and all bags/purses were checked. No vapes, lighters, guns, or weapons, outside beverages or food were allowed in. But no worries, it looked like a few vapes were tossed on the ground before the check in. Confession time. I'm a retired copper of 30 years, and always carry a knife on me. Today was no exception. I figured my chances were about 50/50 on whether my very expensive knife was going to trigger the metal detectors. But I decided to play the odds, and then flash my Police ID if the detector went off. I'd hand over the knife, but return later to get it after we left the venue. However, I passed through the metal detectors no problem, despite having my cell phone, and a janitor sized keychain on my belt loop. Read that as you may, but methinks the sensitivity of the metal detectors were set a bit too low. Anyway, we passed the checkpoint, got our collectable panda pins, and the inflatable panda headbands. It was a nice touch that the headband station had hand pumps to pump up the headbands. My daughter loved the headbands. Now, it was time to eat! If you are a foodie, this was the place to be. Evidently there were over 80 food vendors here, and the variety was enough to satisfy almost everyone. We started off with 2 fruit juices since it was pretty hot out. The two juices were okay, and set us back about $10 a piece. We then decided to get something to eat. My daughter (who took all the pictures, thanks Dixi!) got some fresh fruit that was caramelized in a sugar shell. I got a marinated steak skewer that was about 14 inches long that was pretty fatty (very fatty) but tasted pretty good. The wife abstained from eating but got a potato tornado drenched in blue Taqui dust later (didn't like it). We then proceeded to check the rest of the place out, and I won a trivia contest that yielded a bamboo Vietnamese rice hat for the daughter. Then we ate more food. The highlight was a weird concoction of an ice cream cone that was shaped like a question mark that my daughter had seen on YouTube. It was messy, but tasted pretty good. She also had a conversation with the YouTube influencer that was there, so she was happy about that. We lasted about 2 1/2 hours due to the heat, but managed to visit the entire venue, albeit about $150.00 lighter, much to my chagrin. We had fun, ate a lot, but it was not cheap. Case in point: a panda container of fresh watermelon juice set us back $25. The average cost of a single item was around $15. With that said, the best deal was a Thai style papaya salad made to order for $10. It was very good, and was good for about 3 servings. All in all, we had a good time, but it was expensive. Will we go next year if Panda Festival comes back? Probably. This place made bank, and it was a huge crowd. A word of advice: Don't do the VIP treatment. It's not worth it, and basically gets you a slightly shorter line on entrance, a small swag bag, and more access to the port a potties. Shell out for the general admin tickets. The line goes quick. All in all we had a good time. Thanks to the kiddo for the pictures taken, and she got interviewed by a reporter from the Star Tribune on camera. Expensive, but it was an experience.

They have to be doing a good job this festival is the best in the state! Keep up the great work…read moreyall.

Wanted to play pull tabs for your association at Wild Boar in Hopkins was told 15 minutes for…read moreshift change 1 hour later still waiting... attitudes and service was horrible!! Very disappointed

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!

At the end of September, I dropped by Lighthouse Artspace in Minneapolis after work to take in the…read moreDisney immersive experience. I had booked my ticket online a couple of weeks before I was in town. I ended up with a packaged deal that was discounted. I got to get a bracelet to wear during the immersive show that lit up, flashed during specific projected screens, and prompted you to make a wish at some stage. I also got a poster to take home and a cushion to sit on during the show. It was my first time getting a cushion. It was fine and felt fancy. You don't really need one, though. The downside was trying to find parking. There was a business next to Lighthouse Artspace on the left that clearly said that you couldn't park there. Around the corner on the right, there was another business that had signs everywhere that said don't park if you're coming for Disney. I figured out that there is parking for those with a disability pass in front of the entrance. Otherwise, you park on either side of a lane. I parked closer to the road. If I had parked horribly, there would have been a three-foot drop. Thank goodness I did not experience an immersive rental car drop. I had a lovely woman greet me when I walked through the door. She scanned my ticket that I had on my phone. She was great letting me know where to go and where the washrooms were. This experience was awesome. There was so much history to absorb. I loved seeing Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse and learning about Walt Disney. I loved seeing figurines of various Disney characters, from Sebastian, to Elsa. It was cool reading up on each character, especially from a character legend. The immersive experience was excellent. It was beautiful and moving. I loved when bubbles were blowing everywhere. It was joyful seeing little kids running around, trying to catch them. It made me appreciate Disney and my love for various characters. There isn't a bad seat in the house. If you love taking photos, you have plenty of opportunities there. The downside was that you couldn't linger around to see the show again. You had to vacate, which was a bummer. You can typically stay longer at other locations, such as Toronto and Nashville. I hit the gift shop afterwards. Some things were super expensive, such as a full-zip Mickey Mouse hoodie for $80. I ended up getting a Mickey Mouse bag that came in handy as my personal item on the plane. It was bigger than my purse and was durable. I also got a Mickey Mouse plush. The staff at the gift shop were nice. I got my goodies in a paper bag. I paid with a credit card. Done! Other than the limited, weird parking situation, I had a wonderful time. I took in this Disney immersive experience a week before it closed for good. I used the washroom before I left. It was clean. No complaints. The coolest part was picking up Van Gogh magnets for free before I left. Nice! I look forward to returning with whatever immersive experience is next. I hope that parking improves by then. (417)

Disney Immersive…read more There is much to see including a photo op with Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse, a gift shop and a museum-like area showing how Disney films are made. In addition, there are tables where adults and older kids can give illustrating Disney-style a try. There are the light-up wristbands (an add-on) that are functional as a flashlight and fun as a personal strobe light that illuminates to match projected scenes. In addition, a few times during the experience the mirrored center of the room brings forth a cascade of bubbles. This got the smallest of patrons racing to the center, giggling gleefully and jumping up to pop and catch the shiny treasures. The show may be best suited for elementary-aged children and older ones as some of the younger kids will have trouble sitting still. It's about an hour of immersive plus additional time in the ante chamber. Encourage the littles to move and dance during the show. Also note that the floor projections have moving stars and other images that anyone can "chase" around the room. Little ones should become part of the music around them, reacting to fluttery butterflies, sizable snakes and favorite characters they recognize. Others watching quietly from one spot seemed unbothered by younger viewers who couldn't sit still. My husband and I both enjoyed the immersive experience. Good to know about Disney Animation Immersive Experience: * There is plenty of free parking in the ground lot behind the venue. It's a hike if you're bringing small children. * You can keep your light-up wristband or leave it to be recycled. * Beware overpriced concessions. 2 waters $8.62

We went to check out the ice festival in Eagan that has the longest ice maze. This festival runs…read morefrom January 10 to February 16, depending on the weather of course. Tickets can be purchased online or the box office. We had purchased a deal online and waited for someone to come to the box office in order to redeem the voucher. After waiting for 10 minutes, the guard let us through the gate to talk to the ladies that works for the event. Ice maze was fun, for all ages. There's a warming house that sells hot and cold beverages and alcohol. Variety of food trucks, ice skating rink, and slide made from ice. The maze has a scavenger hunt throughout, there's 12 names to look for and you'll get a prize at the hut near the skating rink. Definitely recommend to check out.

The Minnesota Ice Festival is an absolute must-see for anyone who loves winter, art, and outdoor…read morefun! From the moment we arrived, we were blown away by the stunning ice sculptures-each one more intricate and breathtaking than the last. The level of detail and creativity that goes into these frozen masterpieces is truly incredible. Beyond the sculptures, the festival had so much to offer. We enjoyed the ice slides (so much fun for both kids and adults!), sipped on delicious hot cocoa, and even tried our hand at ice carving. The atmosphere was lively, with twinkling lights, live music, and cozy fire pits where you can make s'mores and it easy to warm up when needed. They also have games made out of ice shuffle board, ping pong, air hockey and they also have ice skating The staff and volunteers were friendly and helpful, and despite the crowds, everything was well organized. Dress warmly-it gets chilly, especially at night-but that's all part of the magical winter experience.If you're looking for a unique and festive way to celebrate winter in Minnesota, this festival is well worth it. We went on a pretty warm day so unfortunately the maze was very wet lots of puddles We'll definitely be back next year!