This is the 3rd year we've cut our own Christmas tree at Nelson's. I grew up next to 2 Christmas…read moretree farms, so this is a special tradition for me. I'm also familiar with Nelson's, my sister used to work there when she was in high school (some time ago). To get a tree - they have both cut your own and precut (on the side of the building) , they also deliver within 30 miles their website says. To cut your own - 1. Go to the main building, get a map, a saw (if you don't have your own), and twine. They will tell you where to go, as does the map. 2. Follow the map to your desired type of tree. 3. Cut away! 4. Kinda tie the tree to some part of your vehicle, and gingerly drive back to the building. 5. Pay, return the map and/or saw, and buy anything else that your heart desires. 6. Someone will help to securely tie your tree to your vehicle if you need it (yes, please!). 7. Drive away! The Nelson people are friendly and helpful - even helping get your vehicle unstuck when driving in the snow (happened to us last year).

We found it. Kind of by accident but we found our new favorite orchard! And let me tell you, its a…read moreDANDY! After visiting another orchard in the area, we were craving some doughnuts which we were not able to get. We happened to notice a sign for Nelson Apple Farm and figured we would stop by and check them out as it was only a few minutes away. As we pulled in we noticed the apple trees, a little area where you can see some animals and a shop with their sign. There were a few people inside. As we walked through their shop we couldn't help but do some shopping. Homemade salsa's, jams and preserves, syrup, and all sorts of goodies. Oh and of course a nice table of apples. Some people had what looked like a tray of State Fair apple doughnuts. We were told that they were not doughnuts, they were apple dandy's. I don't know what an apple dandy is but we ordered some with our purchase. We also had to get a caramel apple as those are some of our favs. Within a few minutes our fresh fried apple dandy's came out. Oh my! This will ruin your craving for an apple doughnut. Light and crispy on the outside. The inside was airy, almost like a popover. But wait, there is a thin slice of apple inside. This adds some freshness and even more flavor. Cinnamon and sugar on top makes this such a tasty treat. We enjoyed these so much we made another trip south a few weeks later. This time we were there earlier and watched as they made the batter and cooked our apple dandy's. So divine! We did get some more apples and goodies but it's those apple dandy's that we were craving. Reading more about Nelson Apple Farm we love that they are family owned. They have been in business for almost 50 years and Veteran owned. Thank you for your service and thank you for those apple dandy's! We have found our new favorite orchard and will be back again soon. If nothing else, just to get more apple dandy's!

This is a really nice "U-pick"" farm. It is located in a beautiful rural setting that offers a…read morespectacular view of nature. With a large variety of pumpkins and great prices to match, it is worth the drive to the country to buy your Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin here. Guests have the option to pick their own or choose a pumpkin from the store's stock that lines the building and parking lot. The store also has other items for sale too. Tomatoes, canned goods, miscellaneous supplies, fresh fruits and veggies.

Longhouse Feast: I believe I found their event on Facebook…read moreand was able to secure a ticket via Eventbrite. I am happy that I had the opportunity to go to their Longhouse Feast. As I saw some comments complaining that the ticket prices are steep for this feast, but I think it is worth it. It is a 2-hour event. The event took place at Asfolk, a Viking martial art facility. When I entered Asfolk, I felt like I have transported to historic Viking times. The staff members at Viking Festival Minnesota are very friendly, approachable, knowledgeable, and professional. Per their Facebook event page and eventbrite, guests can choose to wear Viking clothes, which I dressed as a shield-maiden, so that was fun and received positive compliments. The food offered at the Longhouse Feast was delicious and a lot of food were given! It was a 4-course dinner and we had drink tokens to redeem mead, beer, or wine. I never like to drink alcohol in my life, but that Acerglyn (maple mead) was delicious!!! I really enjoy the stories about Thor, Loki, Freyja, Heimdall, and Odin. I also enjoyed watching the fighting demonstration with swords, axes, and spears. I also had the opportunity to speak to the members at Viking Festival and learned more about Viking culture.... and held a sword! I look forward to what Viking Fest of Minnesota will continue to offer. I definitely look forward to their festival in October - I already bought my tickets!

Amazing experience and so much to do! I loved the crafting tent and my husband loved the axe…read morethrowing.

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 loved walking around the farm with my parents as a kid. There's a convenient parking lot nearby…read more When there's special events sometimes they let cars park on the baseball field or dirt road leading to the farm. The playground nearby isn't huge but it has the main staples of swings, monkey bars and slides. I really like the flowers and chickens vokunteers maintain at the farm. There's also a community garden.

I've been coming to the Dakota County Fair for a few years now, and it always feels like the…read moreperfect prep for the Great Minnesota Get-Together! One thing I really appreciate is that general admission is free... a nice change compared to other county fairs. There's also free street parking available, or you can pay to park in the lot. The fair has all the staples: lots of food vendors, barns with animals, non-food vendor booths, live music on multiple stages, and a ride/game area. Classic fair fun! The night I went was a bit warm, so we didn't try as many foods as usual. We started with cheese curds (served hot and super tasty), then a slice of spicy pickle pizza-- not bad, but not the best either. We ended the evening with a chocolatey whoopie pie, and that was seriously yummmOOO! One area that could use some improvement, though, is the bathrooms. They definitely need a bit more attention-- updating, cleanliness and upkeep could make a big difference in the overall experience. Suggestion: Please highly consider adding a water fountain/refill station for water bottles. Still, it's always a fun time, and I'm sure I'll be back next year!

Family always goes to fair to check out the new hot items. Love the food items and animals. Very…read morerelaxing atmosphere and cool set up with the old city buildings to explore. Never see the same thing twice when we go. Highly recommend.

We had our two children (a creative 10 year old and an all sports 8 year old) go to art camp for a…read moreweek. They had a GREAT time! I knew my 10 year old would really like it, but I was surprised how much our eight year old liked it. I asked him he would like to go again, he said absolutely. They made soap, made and painted sculptures, worked with clay, water colors, drawings and collages, paper flowers, woven llamas and even had a llama visit and had ice cream at the neighboring parlor. I asked what our son would like others to know, and he said: you may not make what I made, but you'll get to do something awesome. Mrs Ross knows how to run a classroom too. I HIGHLY recommend art camps and sessions with Mrs Ross.

Kudos! We were there today to see our grand daughter as she took lessons in riding as part of a…read moregroup of other girls. I could not have been more impressed with how that was done. The girls were involved with getting their horses ready to ride, including scrapping the dirt from out of their hooves. It was clear that the staff were teaching little girls how to be around the animals, how to care for them and how to respect them. The instructions were simple and clear; the number of staff in the ring to provide any necessary attention was amazing. The look on the faces of the little girls was priceless!

this stable does not take proper care of their horses. the horses are often very tired from being…read moreover worked. the adults there do not pay attention to the horses safety or yours.