April festivals

This is one of the quieter months for festivals. But never fear--as spring fully arrives with the promise of summer ahead, the busiest festival time of the year is not far away.

Apple Valley
April 1-30
Farm Babies
All together now, let’s practice: “Awwwwwwwwww!” This annual event brings out the warm fuzzies in everyone. April 23-24 will have special kid activities and a visit from the Easter bunny (April 23 only).

Mt. Iron
April 9
Iron Range Earth Fest
This is a fairly new event for the Iron Range, and they’ve put together an impressive list of exhibitors, demonstration, and vendors, all in support of helping people live greener, more sustainable lives. Plus there’s food.

Owatonna
April 9-10
The Minnesota Alpaca Expo
Get your quota of cute and fuzzy at the Alpaca Expo. See the alpacas, shop, eat, watch demonstrations, and wish you owned an alpaca yourself.

Lanesboro
April 15-17
Ibsen Fest
The Commonweal Theatre in Lanesboro renews its commitment to Henrik Ibsen with this festival. You can see the pwoerful An Enemy of the People; attend lectures about it; watch Ibsen films; hear a type of music called “Norwegian Angst”; learn about period clothing; and, of course, try Scandinavian foods.

Minneapolis
April 15-30
The Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival
Two weeks of more than 100 films screened around the Twin Cities, including several entries by or about Minnesotans, as well as films from all over the world.

St. Paul
April 23
Easter Egg Hunt
What more festive place to hunt for Easter eggs than the James J. Hill House? Reservations recommended.

St. Paul
April 29-May 1
Minnesota Horse Expo
Don’t like alpacas? Here’s another animal event for you. Breed demonstrations, farrier demos, horse sales, even a rodeo.

Harmony
April 29-May 1
Bluff Country Studio Art Tour
It’s hard to imagine a more scenic art tour than this one, exploring the beautiful backroads of the southern Minnesota bluff region. Oh, and there’s art, too.

St. Paul
April 29-May 1
St. Paul Art Crawl
This biannual event gives you the chance to visit artists in their native setting.