Minnesota's Best Summer Music Festivals
Minnesota's Best Summer Music Festivals
By Keith Harris
By the time summer rolls around, Minnesotans are ready to take full advantage of it. When it comes to live music, that means outdoor festivals that revolve around everything from reggae to rock to country.
Here are eight bills worth seeking out this season.
A shot from the stage at Winstock
WINSTOCK
Winstead, June 20-21
For three decades now, this country festival, held less than an hour’s drive from the Twin Cities, has been the unofficial start of the summer festival season. Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert, Willie Nelson… you name ’em; if they’re twangy and famous, they’ve probably played Winstock. This year’s headliners are Jordan Davis and Thomas Rhett.
Credit: Twin Cities Jazz Fest
TWIN CITIES JAZZ FESTIVAL
St. Paul, June 20-21
This festival centers on the delightful Mears Park in Lowertown St. Paul. That’s where you’ll see big names like vibraphonist Stefon Harris and his band Blackout, veteran saxman Joe Lovano, and vocalists Karrin Allyson and Kandace Springs. (Prince once said her voice “could melt snow.”) The shows spread out from there, from Crooners Supper Club in the northern suburb Fridley to the Dakota in downtown Minneapolis. Truly a Twin Cities-wide event.
Spend three days listening to music and camping out at Lakes Jam in Brainerd
LAKES JAM
Brainerd, June 26-28
For just over 20 years, Lakes Jam has brought live music up to Brainerd, with the weekend divided up by musical styles; one day is given over to rock and two are for country music. This year’s headliners are Daughtry, Riley Green and Gary Allan, but the music is only the start of a festival that takes advantage of its rural setting, offering plenty of outdoor activities, including mud trucks and watercross.
Minneapolis' own Motion City Soundtrack at Taste of Minnesota 2023
TASTE OF MINNESOTA
Minneapolis, July 5-6
After a 20-year run in St. Paul and a brief break, the Taste of Minnesota was reborn in downtown Minneapolis, attracting 100,000 people to Nicolett Mall over its first weekend. To give you an idea of what to expect, last year's headliners were the Wallflowers, Martina McBride, and Minneapolis Sound architects Morris Day & the Time and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Hungry? There will be 60 food vendors on site.
Hometown heroes The Hold Steady at Minnesota Yacht Club 2024
MINNESOTA YACHT CLUB
St. Paul, July 18-20
The debut installment of the Minnesota Yacht Club festival hit Harriet Island last summer with the help of major concert promoters C3 Presents (Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo). Its debut was so strong — more than 60,000 gleeful fans watching everyone from Alanis Morissette to Gwen Stefani — C3 decided to add a third day to its second annual soiree and such major draws as Fall Out Boy, Hozier, Green Day, Weezer, and the Prince-approved Alabama Shakes.
Bayfront Reggae & World Music Festival
BAYFRONT REGGAE & WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL
Duluth, July 19
Reggae gets top billing at Bayfront for good reason. Last summer’s performers included Jamaican-Americans Gramps Morgan, Alaine, and dancehall duo Tanto Metro and Devonte. Headliner Nigerian-American Rotimi (of the Starz hit “Power”) also introduced hot West African dance styles amapiano and Afrobeats to the mix. There may be no prettier vantage point for enjoying a concert in the state than the Duluth waterfront, too.
WE Fest in Detroit Lakes is America's biggest country music and camping festival / Keith Griner
WE FEST
Detroit Lakes, August 7-9
This three-day event bills itself as “America’s biggest country music and camping festival,” and with 2023 attendance back up over 100,000 after a pandemic-related dip, it may well be. Camping options abound, from quiet areas where you can actually sleep to rowdier spots for those who came to party. There’s even a glamping site. And of course, there’s music: This year’s headliners are Hardy, Jon Pardi, and Cody Johnson.
Credit: Boats and Bluegrass
BOATS AND BLUEGRASS
Winona, Sept. 25-28
Summer may technically be over in late September, but it's arguably the most gorgeous time of the year to spend outdoors in Minnesota. Why not spend it on Prairie Island, on the banks of the Mississippi, in Winona? This year’s Boats and Bluegrass lineup hasn’t been announced yet, but previous bills drew performers of the caliber of Charlie Parr and Pert Near Sandstone. And if you want to get your summer concert season started early, head back to Winona in May for the Mid West Music Fest.
Keith Harris is a co-founder and co-editor of the Minneapolis-based news and arts website Racket, He has written about music for more than 25 years, and has been published in City Pages, the Star Tribune, Rolling Stone, and Pitchfork.