July will happily remind you that summer is a marathon and a sprint. There’s a lot to do and you can’t do it all. Heed the advice of my co-worker Tiffany and remember that sometimes doing nothing and taking a weekend to recharge is absolutely the right move.
When you are properly recharged, we’ve got some great recommendations for the month. Paddle the Minnehaha Creek, take in a backyard show, pick a berry, and ride the light rail to a buzzy brewery. That and more is waiting for you in our July guide!
🏡🎸 James’s Guide to Backyard Shows
Dua Saleh at the Grand Oak Opry on June 22, 2019 (James Napoli)
One of my favorite things about summer in the Twin Cities is the DIY backyard show scene. Not a bar, not a club – someone's actual yard, with a PA, a crowd of neighbors, and music that punches way above what you'd expect from a residential block. Here’s a few series worth knowing about in July.
The Grand Oak Opry on Goodhue Street in St. Paul has been hosting backyard concerts since 2014. Shows start at 7:30 p.m., you bring your own chair and drinks, and 100% of the gate ($15 per person suggested) goes directly to the artists. In July they're featuring Obi Original (July 11) and Quietchild (July 18), and City Cast is a proud media sponsor. Kids are welcome!
Over in Northeast Minneapolis, California Street Farm – a queer, sister-run urban farm – is hosting a free "Music on the Farm" residency with LAAMAR and special guests on Thursday evenings. The July 16 show features LAAMAR and friends, with a food truck rolling in at 5:30 p.m. and music from 6 to 7:30 p.m. It's family-friendly, it's free, and you're literally sitting in a vegetable farm watching live music. Hard to beat that.
And The Mess, a music collective in Minneapolis, is running a stacked slate of $15 shows throughout the month – four dates in July alone, each with deep lineups of local acts. Check July 10, 17, 18, and 24 for bands you'll be glad you caught early.
Pro tip: The Grand Oak Opry and California Street Farm are both BYOB, so make sure to pack a cooler. All three series sell out or fill up fast through word of mouth, so follow them on Instagram for announcements. –James
🫐 Anna’s Guide to Surviving Berry Season
My family is working so hard to grow our own berries. This is about a day’s yield; a fraction of what my kids will eat! (Anna Weggel | City Cast Twin Cities)
When you find out you’re going to have kids – you worry about all the wrong stuff. What if they puke on me? (Not a big deal.) I might not like changing diapers! (It’s actually kind of cute.) What if they don’t like me? (HA! I’m like Beyoncé to them.) What I could not see coming … not from a million miles away … was the BERRY BUDGET. I shiver to think about the amount of money we’ve spent on berries for these children. This summer, we’re trying to take matters into our own hands by planting a berry garden on the side of our house, and it’s been educational, but it only yields a small fraction of what these kids can eat. And I’m not alone.
The Washington Post recently reported on parents nationwide who feel like they're going broke buying berries for their kids. Strawberry prices have climbed from roughly three times the cost of bananas in 1990 to about five times as much today, and at a pound a week, that adds up to around $182 a year, before a single blueberry enters the picture. One mom told the Post she watched her twins demolish ~$30 of fruit in a single day. That has absolutely happened in my house.
Last week, contributor Kirstie Kimball hopped on our podcast to talk about berry picking in our area this summer. Pick-your-own berry farms let your kids eat their weight in fruit for a flat admission fee instead of a per-carton markup, and you get a fun family outing out of the deal too. Here's where to go!
For Families Who Want the Full Experience
Consider Afton Apple Orchard in Hastings if your kids need more incentive than "we're going to pick berries now." The farm offers picnic tables and a small petting farm, plus the Berry Barn has snacks, ice cream, and shady areas for when little legs get tired. Strawberry season typically runs through mid-July, with picking open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. or until the fields are picked clean. Since hours are weather-dependent, it's worth a quick call ahead before you load up the car.
For the Adventurous Pickers
If your family doesn't mind a slightly longer drive, Rod's Berry Farm in North Branch has been family-run since 1981 and is known for some of the sweetest strawberries around. Their season runs roughly mid-June through mid-July, Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. U-pick strawberries run $3.60/lb, and they take cash, check, and card. This year's cold spring means crops came in lighter than usual, so call their berry report line before you drive out as fields have been known to sell out by early afternoon.
For something a little different, Little Hill Berry Farm in Northfield is one of the only certified-organic u-pick operations in the state. What they're known for is blueberries: they grow 14 different varieties across 4.5 acres, with picking typically running July into early August. Hours shift week to week depending on ripeness, so sign up for their email list or check their site morning-of.
Closer to Home
Some berry farms also sell young berry bushes and starter kits if your kids get inspired to grow their own. Little Hill is a good source for this, or my family’s favorite – Pletschers Greenhouse. Raspberries and blackberries are the easiest entry point since they're hardy and will spread readily (you’re welcome, neighbors!). Blueberries are trickier and need specific soil conditions, so they're more of a next-level project.
Pro-tip
Pick-your-own season is short and weather-dependent, so the best strategy is to call ahead, bring your own buckets if you have them, and build in a snack break. A little ice cream goes a long way toward turning "berry picking was fine" into your kids begging to go back next weekend, and your wallet will thank you compared to another co-op grocery run. –Anna
💦 Adam’s Guide to Getting Out On the Water
If you float down the Apple River in a cattle tank, also make sure to rent a tube or two so you can dip in and out of the water along the route. (Adam Sage / City Cast Twin Cities)
Something about Minnesota that blows my mind every summer is that there's not really anything in our rivers and lakes that wants to kill you (I grew up in Florida). July is my favorite month of the year to take advantage of our wonderful, nonlethal waterways and go paddle or just float down a river. There are plenty of options just a short drive away, or right in the Twin Cities.
The Party: Apple River, WI
Slowly float down three miles of the Apple River in Somerset, Wisconsin in either a tube or a cattle tank and get picked up by a shuttle at the end of your journey courtesy of River's Edge campground. The cattle tanks are 500-gallon tubs that were designed for cows to drink water out of, but they also work as clumsy boats to get four to six people down the river. They know exactly what they're selling at River's Edge, as they rent custom tubes designed to hold your cooler.
The Scenic Route: Cannon River
The stretch of Cannon River served by Welch Mill Canoeing, Tubing, & Kayaking sits in Minnesota's driftless area – the southeastern part of the state that wasn't flattened by glaciers thousands of years ago. As you float through the beautiful Cannon River Valley, you'll be surrounded by rolling hills and sandstone bluffs. Rent a tube through Welch Mill and they'll take care of shuttling you up the river so you float back to where you parked your car.
The DIY: Minnehaha Creek
Minnehaha Creek flows 22 miles from Lake Minnetonka to Minnehaha Falls, and you can paddle all of it in a six to nine hour stretch if conditions are right and you're up for the challenge. There are many spots along the creek to get in and out, so you can do a shorter stretch as well. A popular two to three hour route involves putting in at Utley Park Dam in Edina and paddling until Longfellow Lagoon in Minneapolis. You're on your own if you're paddling the Minnehaha Creek though – so bring your own tubes or canoe, be prepared to portage, and check the flow rate of the creek on the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District website to make sure conditions are safe.
The Hometown Paddle: Chain of Lakes
You really can't go wrong with paddling the chain of lakes in Minneapolis. You don't need to book ahead of time as they never have a long wait for rentals at Bde Maka Ska (I walked up and rented a kayak with no wait time on Memorial Day). It's a really great day to paddle from Bde Maka Ska, through Lake of the Isles, through a gorgeous canal that connects to Cedar Lake, to land your boats and hang out at Hidden Beach for a while before heading back. If you've never done it, or just haven't done it in a while, get out there!
Pro tip: They don't really keep track of how long you're out paddling on a busy day, so that $15 per hour rental price is more like a $15 flat fee to be out on the lakes for hours.
🧺 Tiffany’s Guide to Picnics
The view of the Minneapolis from Ridgway Parkway Park (Adam Sage / City Cast Twin Cities)
If you want to take lunchtime outside, I highly recommend buying a huge picnic blanket. Bigger than you think you’ll actually need; bonus points if it’s waterproof. (This one is mine, yes it’s from Amazon and I’m sorry.) It feels luxurious to have tons of room to spread out your dishes and even lay down!
Where to go: Picnicking under the beating July sun is no fun, so I like to find wide open spaces with generous, shade-sharing trees. My go-to is by the Lyndale Flower Gardens; take a right out of the parking lot past the zen garden, where you’ll find towering trees to fit the whole family or friend group. You can traipse over the flower garden after. The Lyndale Farmstead Park is a hidden gem with perfectly shaded rolling hills. It’s usually fairly empty and quiet, which also makes the park perfect for reading.
Pro-tip: If you’re looking for a picnic with a view, check out Ridgway Parkway Park, aka the Minneapolis Lookout. The sunset over the Minneapolis skyline is gorgeous here, but don’t be surprised if you’re surrounded by idling cars of teens. Over in St. Paul, Summit Lookout Park promises a view of the city skyline normally obscured by other people’s homes. The tucked-away triangular park really feels like a good secret.
Pack your basket: It’s not summer without fresh-squeezed orange juice. The Wedge Co-op sells it for a respectable price and it’s actually freshly made. If you’re in the mood to graze, consider a charcuterie board from South Lyndale Liquors and Market or Surdyk’s.
Get nerdy: Wikipedia is hosting the Minnesota Wiknic on July 18 on the State Capitol lawn. “This is your chance to connect with other Wikipedia editors and Wikimedia enthusiasts and maybe have a little potato salad,” the all-knowing backbone of the Internet tells us. Organizers do make the caveat that “in case of rain or mass civil uprising and protest”, the event will be rescheduled to August. You gotta plan for anything, I guess. –Tiffany
🚆 Sean’s Poetic Guide to a Light Rail Brewery Crawl
Behold! Five ounces of a Double Hazy Mystery Beer … the location we got it will soon be quite clear. (Sean McPherson / City Cast Twin Cities)
It’s tear-in-the-beer time for breweries all over the Twin Cities. Late last month Bauhaus closed their doors and they are just one of many breweries that have made the decision to close up shop. Why are breweries closing? Pick a reason! The impacts of Operation Metro Surge, the declining popularity of drinking alcohol, rising rents. Suffice to say, there are a bunch of reasons to hang up the hops and can the cannery. But many breweries are still fighting the good fight and slinging celebrated brews. Let’s make sure the lager glass is at least halfway full and enjoy a Green Line-enabled brewery crawl. All the spots referenced are within a 15 minute walk of a Green Line station. We’ll be traveling from East to West starting in downtown Saint Paul, and the answers will be upside down at the bottom! –Sean
Stop 1!
Drink these words in,
They’re a hint if you’re needing it
Most breweries are for wasting time
This one is for keeping it.
Stop 2!
At the Western edge of the Capital city,
You’ll find a tap room that’s spacious and pretty,
With world class brews, they are certainly brimming
Try the Mayhem & Mischief, it’s award-winning!
Stop 3!
When making a list of iconic Minnesota breweries
It’s a name you’re sure to be saving
Make time to sip a brew on the patio
And enjoy pizza inspired by those made in New Haven.
Stop 4!
Given the food and the accolades,
Why you’d skip this place remains a mystery
Of course they’re doing something right
They have a 29-year history!
Stop 5!
For our final stop,
we’ve picked a North Loop destination,
The Detroit-style pizza is worth a drive
But don’t take the train to their Burnsville location.
Grab a slice and a brew,
You’ve certainly earned it,
To celebrate these wonderful local spots,
We hope it was worth it!
ANSWERS:
