Explore 7 Must-See Summer Food Festivals in Minnesota

Minnesota summers may be short, but we never take a sunny day for granted. We jam-pack June-September with events celebrating the food, drink, art and music that make Minnesota an amazing place to live.

You might already know that my favorite food festival on earth is the Minnesota State Fair. But there are several other culinary celebrations around the state that are worth checking out.​

1. Uptown Food Truck Festival, Minneapolis Uptown Food Truck Festival, Minneapolis

   Over 60 food trucks combine forces at this festival, showcasing all styles of food from green papaya salad to mini doughnuts. This free event not only features your favorite food trucks and craft beer, but also has two stages for live music and games and giveaways to top it off. Discover the craze that these portable food heroes are all about while taking in the ambiance of the artful Uptown neighborhood.

   Pro tip: Go with a group—that way, you can try a bite of something from tons of vendors without stuffing yourself.

2. Sauerkraut Days, Henderson Sauerkraut Days, Henderson

   Old world, and yet so of the times (probiotics!), I adore sauerkraut. There’s no better place to celebrate this fermented food than at Henderson’s Sauerkraut Days. It’s got that small-town festival charm—a parade, kraut royalty, tractor rides—but with a few unexpected extras, like wiener dog races and a kraut-eating contest

3. Wild Rice Festival, Deer River Wild Rice Festival, Deer River

   Minnesota—the Land of 10,000 Lakes, loons, Paul Bunyan and, of course, wild rice. Deer River hosts the world’s biggest wild rice celebration that’s been going strong for over 70 years! There’s a pow-wow presented by the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, carnival rides, and a wild rice dinner hosted at the local Methodist church. It doesn’t get more Minnesotan than that.

   While wild rice takes center stage, you’d be remiss to skip the annual turtle feed, hosted by the local Sportsman’s Club. No, you don’t feed turtles. They feed you. Snapping turtle stew. Really.

4. All Pints North, Duluth All Pints North, Duluth

   With its stunning Lake Superior views, amazing hiking and laid-back culture, you barely need an excuse to head up to Duluth. But in case you’re looking for one, check out All Pints North, the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild’s hugely popular summer beer festival. Unlimited craft beer samples, local food vendors and live music are all conveniently located at Bayfront Festival Park.

5. Minnesota Garlic Festival, Hutchinson Minnesota Garlic Festival, Hutchinson

   Garlic evangelists flock to Hutchinson every August to indulge in their favorite stinky ingredient. Sample garlic-infused cuisine from big names in Twin Cities dining, like Tilia, Birchwood Cafe, Alma and Common Roots.

   The best part? This is a zero-waste event, meaning if you can’t take it home, it’s recycled, reused or composted.

6. Potato Days, Barnesville Potato Days, Barnesville

   A zany mix of fun events, tasty food and an overall ode to the potato. Start with a potato favorite and enjoy Norwegian lefse, potato sausage, potato dumplings and, of course, French fries. Then, take part in the festivities by entering the potato-peeling contest, watching a mashed potato wrestling match, or cheering on the contestants in a competitive sew and sack competition. Can you say "spud"-riffic?

7. Minnesota State Fair, St. Paul Minnesota State Fair, St. Paul

   My favorite Minnesota food celebration, hands down. I adore the Minnesota State Fair so much that I try to go all 12 days. Every year there’s a list of new food booths, but I dig on the classics. Sweet Martha’s Cookies, Speedy’s About a Foot Long Hot Dog, the Gizmo (an Italian torpedo sandwich), Original Cheese Curds, Kiwanis malts, frozen cider pops in the horticulture building and deep fried pickles … you simply cannot go wrong.

   Is it August yet?