A closer look at flyover land

July festivals

This is just the tip of the iceberg for festivals and events in Minnesota in July. I’ve avoided the more routine festivals, Crazy Days, Fourth of July celebrations and city parties. You can find more information about those over at Explore Minnesota. What follows is a list of the more unique possibilities this month. If there’s something I’ve missed, please let me know. And be sure to check the Minnesota Historical Society’s event page (assuming they don’t get shut down as part of the state government stalemate); they’ve always got something interesting going on.

Walnut Grove
Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant
July 8-9, 15-16, 22-23
If I have to explain who Laura Ingalls Wilder is and why there’s a pageant, this probably isn’t for you. But for you Little House on the Prairie fans (and that includes me), here’s your chance to experience an outdoor theatrical representation of the Ingalls family’s life on the shores of Plum Creek.

Minneapolis
July 8-9
Cities 97 Basilica Block Party
In an odd but (mostly) amiable pairing, the Basilica of St. Mary and local radio stalwart Cities 97 present this “ticket to redemption.” Performers this year include Ray LaMontagne, Michael Franti and Spearhead, and David Gray. 

Grand Marais
Grand Marais Arts Festival
July 9-10
There are many arts festivals throughout the state, but not many of them get to boast about being located on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Juried art, live music, food and fun.

St. Paul
Dragon Festival
July 9-10
The ancient Dragon Boat tradition is the foundation for this Lake Phalen festival, which also offers martial arts exhibitions, music, makeup tips for Asian women, and food—lots and lots of food.

Sauk Centre
Sinclair Lewis Days
July 10-16
A celebration of the community’s most cantankerous resident. Events include food, fireworks, live music, lots of tournaments (softball, disc golf), a treasure hunt, and turtle races.

Walker
Moondance Jam
July 14-16
It’s the 20th anniversary of this central Minnesota rock fest. If you haven’t already gotten tickets, better hurry up—only general admission was still left at the time of this writing. This year’s lineup includes Kiss, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and 3 Doors down.

Minneapolis
Minneapolis Aquatennial
July 15-23
This annual celebration has a huge variety of events. Downtown tennis tournaments, block parties, milk carton boat races, live music, Twin Cities River Rats water-ski show, classic car show, a torchlight parade, recycled metal sculpture art contest, and fireworks.

Grand Rapids
The Great Minnesota Pie Extravaganza
July 16
Located at the Forest History Center in Grand Rapids, this one-day event gives participants a hands-on 1900s baking experience.

Duluth
Annual Bayfront Reggae Festival
July 16-17
Two days of reggae, right on the waterfront. Musicians include Maria Isa, Dubtonic Kru, and Taj Weekes.

Bemidji
Art in the Park
July 16-17
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This is Bemidji’s 43nd year offering a juried art program on the shores of Lake Bemidji.

St. Joseph
Tour of Saints
July 17
As the organizers say, this isn’t a race, it’s a heavenly little ride. Choose between a 35-mile and 50-mile course; the courses begin and end at the College of St. Benedict and includes stops at St. John’s Parish Center and the Cold Spring Bakery—because of course you need carbs for this.

Rice
Half-Way Jam
July 21-23
Midway between the Twin Cities and Brainerd Lakes is this annual festival. This year’s bands include Cinderella, Lita Ford, and Skid Row.

Minneapolis
Bicycle Film Festival
July 21-24
Exactly what it says—a film (and art and music) festival celebrating bicycles.

Stillwater
Lumberjack Days
July 21-24
Traditional festival activities (food, music, parade, treasure hunt, fireworks) combined with events from the region’s lumber baron history (lumberjack exhibitions).

Ely
Blueberry Arts Festival
July 29-31
This year marks the 30th year of this festival. Arts, crafts, ethnic foods, and live music, all in beautiful Ely on the edge of the Boundary Waters.

Hastings
Little Log House Pioneer Village Antique Power Show
July 29-31
This annual event offers the only public access to this historical site each year.  A thorough re-creation of Minnesota history, this festival offers quilting and spinning demonstrations, functioning lumber and shingle sawmills, tractor and truck pull, threshing demonstrations, and a hand printing press.

Blackduck
Woodcarver’s Festival
July 30
Annual festival by one of the two big black ducks, this event is a celebration of woodcarving as a past and present tradition. Don’t forget to try an Uffda Taco.

Friday food

Earlier this week, I wrote about visiting the Clemens Munsinger Gardens in St. Cloud. While I was in town, I stopped for a bit of lunch.

Val's Hamburgers. I'd heard of this place; apparently it's a local institution, been there for years, and not much has changed, except for the addition of several touch-screen ordering system. No tables, no place to rest, just a bunch of touch screens where you tell the cook what you want, and a few minutes later, you get it.

I was alone, so this is sort of a burger quest, although I had no Teen input. Look at that bag! It's huge! And greasy! And only $5!

People! Seriously! This was a small order of fries! There's enough in here for my entire family! I couldn't finish them! And they were good fries, simultaneously crispy and greasy, and nice and hot.

Sorry for the craptastic picture. I drive a VW Beetle, and when I have no choice but to eat in the car, there's not a lot of room for photography. The burger was also nice and hot, the cheese all melty and gooey, the bun soft.

Best burger I've ever had? No; but darn good and a great bargain, and a burger I'd go back for? Absolutely.

Time to use your imagination

But first, thanks for all the comments and emails about my book! I'm very excited to have it out there in the world!

Now, I'm going to make you work a little bit for this post. You need to use your imagination. When you do, you'll want to take a little car ride to central Minnesota, to visit this place:

The Munsinger Clemens Gardens in St. Cloud.I visited this lovely oasis last month, but as we all know, spring has been late in Minnesota, so it wasn't anywhere near full glory. But just imagine it, full of flowers and colors, later this summer.

The Munsinger Clemens Gardens are two separate but adjacent gardens on the banks of the Mississippi. The upper garden (the Clemens), are much more formal and grand, and is the newer of the two, having been developed in the last 20 years.

The tulips were just barely out when I was there.

But they were beautiful.

The lower part of the gardens (the Munsinger) is right on the river banks and was created back in the 1930s as a WPA project. The grounds are much less formal, with paths that meander around grass "islands" meant to simulate the river itself.

The Munsinger Gardens have numerous spots to stop and enjoy the view, like this gazebo.

Or this swing, overlooking the river.

Right across the river is St. Cloud State University.

 

And more little flowers.

Apparently the residents across the street approve of the gardens, because they've done their own complementary work.

So--imagine what you might see, and then travel there to see if you're right.

 

We interrupt our regularly scheduled broadcast

I know it's Friday, and that's supposed to be about food, but today, it's all about this:

Namely: Backroads & Byways of Minnesota, by yours truly, now available at fine booksellers everywhere. Well, at least in the Midwest, and definitely online.

Won't you support a toiling travel writer and buy her witty, charming book?

 

El Taco Riendo

So recently I was running around northeast Minneapolis attending a bunch of meetings, and got cocky in that "yeah I know my way around I don't need a map I'm cool like that" kind of way. And of course, instead of returning to Minneapolis and finding Highway 394 to take me home, I ended up in Columbia Heights. One would hope that I have learned my lesson, but I fear a similar scenario will take place over and over again, because--ahem--this is not the first time such self-assurance has dragged me off-track.

No matter. It brought me back to northeast Minneapolis around dinner time, and I was hungry, but didn't want to spend a lot of time or $$ on something to eat. Then I spied this:

El Taco Riendo, at 2416 Central Ave NE. It looked like it would fit the bill just fine. Very casual, with counter service. In fact, in some ways it reminded me of Chipotle Mexican Grill. But: this is like Chipotle on steroids. You go up to the counter, and the array of items to choose from is larger and more exotic than anything Chipotle has to offer. You can get tacos and burritos, of course, and quesadillas, but you can also get chiles rellenos, tortas, and chimichangas. Menudo? No problem. And why just have chicken, pork, and beef when you can have chorizo, tongue, tripe, and shrimp? Oh, yeah. I was in heaven. But how to make a decision with so many great options!

It took a lot of hemming and hawing, but I finally chose a chorizo and potato burrito. It was, not surprisingly, enormous, with plenty to take home for the next day's lunch.

Plus I got to try some new-to-me hot sauces:

Nicely spicy.

The service was friendly and fast, the prices more than reasonable given the portion size, and the burrito was delicious. See? Getting lost isn't always a bad thing.