Waconia Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau 

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Come lift your spirits in Waconia! Home to three wineries, two breweries and a distillery all within a three mile radius just 30 minutes west of Minneapolis. Locally grown, produced and served, our libation destinations are truly farm-to-glass. If your spirits get a lift from extreme sports along the lines of kiteboarding, flyboarding or snowkiting—Lake Waconia has excellent seasonal winds and is a popular high-wind lake, hosting windsurfing competitions and sailing regattas. 

Escape from the daily same-old, same-old. Getting outside with your kids is a blast in Waconia. Visit our orchards, parks, llamas, lakes, bike trails, parks and beaches. Waconia has a lot of room for families to play and have fun inside and outside—year-round. Unique to Waconia is Carlson’s Llovable Llamas. Rick Carlson and his llamas are a beloved family attraction and a bonafide big kid – little kid favorite. There are no set farm hours so it is best to call ahead to schedule a farm visit. 

Another favorite, Deardorff Orchards, has over 3,000 apple trees made up of more than ten varieties including Honeycrisp and Sweet Tango. Apple picking season at the orchard is spectacular and includes the sales barn, tractor-pulled wagons, horses, rabbits, and miniature goats. 

With 3,200 acres of freshwater, (second largest lake in the metro area) Lake Waconia provides a natural habit for fish and wildlife and year-around recreational opportunities. The maple-basswood trees surrounding Lake Waconia create a fall landscape second to none. Lake Waconia becomes a city unto itself in the winter with thousands of ice-fishing houses forming a community of anglers enjoying a Minnesota winter. Pike, bass, walleye, muskie and bluegill are favorites among anglers. Birders can see bald eagles, egrets and blue herons nesting on Coney Island, a 33-acre island in the center of the lake. 

Bring a friend and discover Waconia’s downtown fashion-forward, artisan-retailer ingenuity. Our downtown shops are one-of-a-kind and parking is easy and available. Date night in Waconia offers something for every couple. Waconia’s newly renovated Garage Bar
and Bowl and Emagine Movie Theater are a great start to unwinding together. 

Enjoy inspired menus and patio seating at one of our many restaurants, tap room or bars all located just thirty miles southwest of the Twin Cities on the south shore of Lake Waconia.