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Minnesota's Best Summer Music Festivals

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Basilica Block Party 2021 / Ryan Taylor

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 nine bills worth seeking out this season.

WINSTOCK

Winstead, June 14-15

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 Cole Swindell and Jason Aldean.

TWIN CITIES JAZZ FESTIVAL

St. Paul, June 21-23

This festival centers on the delightful Mears Park in Lowertown St. Paul. That’s where you’ll see its biggest names, including 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.

LAKES JAM

Brainerd, June 26-29

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 Live, Jake Owen, and Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line, 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.

TASTE OF MINNESOTA

Minneapolis, July 6-7

This festival celebrated food and music for 20 years in St. Paul before calling it quits. But last summer Taste of Minnesota was reborn, relocating to Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis and attracting 100,000 people over the weekend. This year’s Saturday headliners are the Wallflowers and Martina McBride, while Sunday’s lineup showcases Minneapolis Sound architects Morris Day & the Time and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Hungry? There will be 60 food vendors on site.

Local band Gully Boys performs in Philadelphia

MINNESOTA YACHT CLUB

St. Paul, July 19-20

The debut installment of this two-day festival hits Harriet Island this summer with the help of major concert promoters C3 Presents (Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo). Gwen Stefani and Alanis Morrissette headline day one; day two belongs to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But don’t sleep on the down bill action, which includes hot locals Durry, Gully Boys, and Soul Asylum, as well as former Minnesotans The Hold Steady.

BAYFRONT REGGAE & WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL

Duluth, July 20

Reggae gets top billing here for good reason. This summer’s performers include Jamaican-Americans Gramps Morgan, Alaine, and dancehall duo Tanto Metro and Devonte. This fest is committed to a truly global groove; headliner Nigerian-American Rotimi (of the Starz hit “Power”) introduces hot West African dance styles amapiano and Afrobeats to the mix this time around. There may be no prettier vantage point for enjoying a concert in the state than the Duluth waterfront, too. If you can't make it to this festival in 2024, save the date for July 19, 2025.

Concert stage at dusk — WE Fest in Detroit Lakes is America's biggest country music and camping festival / Keith Griner

WE FEST

Detroit Lakes, August 1-3

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 Jelly Roll, Parker McCollum, and Eric Church.

BASILICA BLOCK PARTY

Minneapolis, August 2 & 3

This festival began in 1995 as a fundraiser for the Basilica of St. Mary in downtown Minneapolis. After two years off, it returns in 2024 with a new location: Boom Island Park. The Goo Goo Dolls and Counting Crows will headline, but don’t overlook the local stage, with a lineup that Includes veteran rockers Run Westy Run and up-and-coming rapper Nur-D.

BOATS AND BLUEGRASS

Winona, Sept. 26-29

Summer may technically be over, but late September is one of the most gorgeous times 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 last year 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.

Minnesota's Best Summer Music Festivals

Minnesota's Best Summer Music Festivals