Minnesota State Fair's Corn Roast stand
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7 Mouthwatering Summer Food Festivals

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Minnesota State Fair's iconic Corn Roast stand  / Paul Vincent
Festivals & Events // Food & Drink // Minneapolis-St. Paul Area // Minneapolis-St. Paul // Northeast Minnesota // Duluth // Northwest Minnesota // List

7 Mouthwatering Summer Food Festivals

By Explore Minnesota

Minnesota summers are special and 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 the greatest food festival on earth is the Minnesota State Fair but you can't miss these other culinary celebrations around the state.​

  1. Minnesota Food Truck Festival, Multiple Locations
    Burrito held up at festival

    The "Indurrito" from Hot Indian is a Indian burrito wrapped with house-made roti / @amyfoodadventures

    Minnesota Food Truck Festival, Multiple Locations

    A fleet of food trucks combines forces at this festival, which has showcased everything from green papaya salad to mini doughnuts in the past. Not to mention loads of locally brewed craft beer and multi-faceted live music.

    This popular event has now expanded to events in Anoka, St. Paul, and Hopkins throughout the summer. Check out the roaming festival's current schedule here, and be sure to 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!),There’s no better place to celebrate this fermented food than at Henderson’s Sauerkraut Days. It’s got small-town charm in spades — 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, will be celebrating 75 years in 2024! 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.

     

  4. All Pints North, Duluth
    Beer and Aerial Lift Bridge

    All Pints North is Duluth's hugely popular summer beer festival on the shore of Lake Superior / Minnesota Brewers Guild

    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; past vendors have included Tilia, 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
    People making lefse on a cast iron griddle in a kitchen.

    Delicious fresh lefse is one of the many treats served up during Barnesville's Potato Days Festival.

    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
    Chocolate chip cookie cone from Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar at the Minnesota State Fair

    Nothing says "summer" like a heaping cone of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies from Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar at the Minnesota State Fair. / @hazel_starlene

    Minnesota State Fair, St. Paul

    The iconic Minnesota State Fair is 12 days of fun, food, animals, live entertainment, and more. Every year there’s a list of new food booths to try. Don't miss the classics like 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?

    FInd more places to eat or events and festivals in Minnesota.