October festivals

October
Fall foliage, apples and pumpkins, Halloween—the weather is changing, and so is the nature of the festivals. There’s a lot happening around the state in October. It’s a prime time for art festivals, many of which are in scenic towns sure to be surrounded by fall colors. I covered those in last week’s column on WCCO. Don’t forget to check the Minnesota Historical Society’s event page; they’ve always got something interesting going on.

Shakopee
ValleySCARE
Fri-Sun each weekend in October, also Oct. 14-18 (MEA weekend)
Valleyfair turns into ValleySCARE in October. During the daylight hours, gentle attractions the Trick or Treat Trails and coloring contests are appropriate for young children, while the evening hours ramps up the terror with seven haunted attractions and—perhaps most terrifying of all—the Wild Thing rollercoaster.

Duluth
Haunted Ship Tours
Weekends and MEA, Oct. 2-31
For October, the William A. Irvin isn’t just a historical ship—it’s a haunted ship, complete with its own Maze of Terror.

Bloomington
Fall Color Chairlift Rides
Oct. 2-3
View fall colors and the rise of the full moon by enjoying a scenic ride on the chairlifts at Hyland Ski Reserve. Live music and food available as well.

New Ulm
Oktoberfest
Oct. 2-3, 9-10
This little town with rich German heritage celebrates each October with tons of good German food and music, including the Bock Fest Ya Sure Ya Betcha Band, and open-house tours of the Schell Brewery, the Wanda Gag House, the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame, and the Morgan Creek Winery.

Albert Lea
Big Island Rendezvous and Festival
Oct. 3-4
An enormous re-enactment of life in early America, including food, music, and demonstrations of early American crafts.

Twin Cities
Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon
Oct. 4
A true Twin Cities event, this starts at the Metrodome in Minneapolis and finishes near the State Capitol in St. Paul. Inspiring to watch and cheer on, if you’re not already enrolled as a marathoner.

Minneapolis
Twin Cities Book Festival
Oct. 10
Book readings and signings, book sales, and vendors selling all things book. This year’s authors include Ruth Reichl, Lorrie Moore, Nicholson Baker, and Diane Ackerman. It also marks the opening day of the first-ever Twin Cities literary scavenger hunt. http://twincitieslit.wordpress.com/ Bring a big, durable totebag for your purchases. Maybe I’ll see you there.

Anoka
Halloween Capital of the World
Oct. 14-31
Is Anoka really the Halloween capital of the world? Does it matter? With parades, costume contests, bingo, wine tastings, an Orange Tie Ball, medallion hunt, pumpkin-carving and house-decorating contests, the city of Anoka does get into the spirit.

St. Paul
Shadows and Spirits of the Capitol
Oct. 15-17, 22-24
Pre-Halloween evening tours of the Capitol, which will be lit similarly to its early days, where “ghosts” of the past tell visitors stories about the Capitol’s history.

Grand Marais
Moose Madness
Oct. 16-18
Moose poetry contests, moose comic contests, a moose medallion hunt, scavenger hunts, arts activities for the young and old, food, music, and of course one of the most scenic spots in Minnesota.

Apple Valley
HallZOOween
Oct. 24-25, 31
Music, crafts, treats, Scarecrow Alley—a jolly good way for the little ones to ease into trick-or-treating routines.

Comments

[Miss T]

I am SO ready for the Book Fest. Just wait till you see my tote bag...

[melanie]

Oh, I wish I could go to that book signing - Diane Ackerman is one of my favorite authors!