Your Guide to the Twin Cities in June

Goodbye school, hello mosquitos. It’s June in the Twin Cities and it’s time to have a real heart-to-heart with your calendar. Without proper planning, summer will come and go without you floating on the lake, watching a movie outside, or eating a hot dog in a park. Our advice to you is to find a couple non-negotiable, must-do events, write those in thick black ink on every calendar, and then start having fun.

Get Out of Town (At Least A Little!)

👟 Run a marathon and party in Duluth

There’s a reason that Grandma’s Marathon is the biggest marathon in Minnesota. My neighbor Michelle has run it many times and she says the big pull is the location and the parties. The marathon absolutely dominates the Twin Ports for the third weekend of June. Some of the biggest acts in Minnesota play at Bayfront Festival Park which is one of the most breathtaking places to see a live performance in Minnesota. With acts like Hippo Campus, Charlie Parr, The Music of Prince with members of the New Power Generation, and more, it’s worth going even if you don’t lace up your HOKAs. The route doesn’t permit many great spectator spots so our recommendation is to start training now. While you’re there, make sure to get a Cajun Finn “jean jacket style” from Northern Waters Smokehaus and grab a Bent Hop Golden IPA before you head back to the Twin Cities. –Sean

🌅 Walk around in the woods

There's some really excellent hiking to do and sights to see within an hour drive of the Twin Cities. Willow River State Park might be in Wisconsin, but it's only a 45-minute drive from my neighborhood in Northeast Minneapolis. There's an excellent 4-mile round-trip hike to the waterfall from the River Road Parking Lot and a quicker 1-mile round-trip from Willow Falls Parking lot. Whichever trail you pick, at the end of the hike you'll find multiple tiers of waterfalls cascading over three ledges nestled in a 200-foot gorge. Plus, this park holds a special place in my heart as the first place I saw a reptile after moving to Minnesota from Florida!

Pro-tip: Bring a swimsuit! There's plenty of shallow pools created by the multi-tiered waterfall, and the brisk water from the river is a great way to cool off before walking back up. Note that there won't be a lifeguard present as it's not an officially-designated swimming area, but the locals definitely treat it as such.

Another fantastic hike to try this month is at Interstate Park on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Here, you can tie together four short trails along the St. Croix River that each showcase different, beautiful parts of Minnesota's geological history for a ~4-mile total hike. Park at the southern campground entrance to get closer to the start of your hike and avoid the busier visitor center parking lot. Then, start your journey by walking through a cool tunnel under the highway to start the Sandstone Bluffs Trail. This trail leads right into the Railroad Trail, which leads into the Walter F. Mondale River Trail, which brings you by the Glacial Pothole Area before looping back to the parking lot.

Pro-tip: The Railroad Trail ends in the town of Taylors Falls. Take a one-block detour for some ice cream and a game of pinball at Schooney's Malt Shop before continuing onto the beautiful overlooks of the River Trail. –Adam

🚴 Bike camping

Not every camping trip in the Twin Cities has to start with a three-hour drive! There is plenty of camping within an hour’s drive of the Twin Cities. But why don’t you skip the car altogether? Three Rivers Park District provides amazing camping about 30 easy biking miles away from Minneapolis. My partner and I enthusiastically support Three Rivers because they have pristine, gorgeous parks, well-appointed bathrooms, and freshly paved trails perfect for biking. Getting to a campsite via bike can present some special challenges, but don’t worry, I’ve got some tips.

Pro-tips:

Borrow everything – Bicyclists and campers love to share. Before you drop a small fortune at REI, spend a little time on Facebook groups to see if you can borrow some of the specialty equipment you might want for your trip. After a couple shots in the dark and weird messages back, you could be borrowing an ultra-light tent and a slimmed down stove set up.

Those beers are heavy – There is no need to schlep a 24-pack of beers all the way from South Minneapolis. There is a Liquor Depot 2.2 miles away from the Baker Campground and most campgrounds in the Three Rivers District are relatively close to liquor stores and other amenities.

Pack light, eat light, and pig out when you’re back – When you are packing light you’ll end up eating a lot of freeze dried meals. These are great, compact ways to get you the calories you need while bicycling through the majesty of nature. But what about the cheeseburger? Save it. Once you are back in the Twin Cities, point your two-wheeler to Bull’s Horn in South Minneapolis for a delicious entry back into society. –Em

🌳 Snag Some Nature at Afton State Park

Afton State Park is only 20 miles from downtown St. Paul, but it feels like you drove three hours north. Tucked along the St. Croix River in Washington County, this 1,600-acre park sits on a glacial moraine carved with deep ravines that drop 300 feet from the blufftops down to the water. There are over 20 miles of hiking trails winding through restored prairies, oak savannas, and wooded ravines, and the views from the bluffs overlooking the St. Croix are stunning. There's a swimming beach on the river and picnic areas. The best part? There's no vehicle access to the beach or campground. You hike in. That was a deliberate design choice when the park opened in 1982, meant to keep the place from getting overrun, and it works. The park feels genuinely remote despite being a 30-minute drive from either downtown.

Pro-tip: If you want to turn this into an overnight adventure, book one of the park's four camper cabins or a yurt – they have electricity and save you from hauling a tent up the infamous "campground hill," a strenuous three-quarter-mile climb to the backpack campsites on the blufftop. –James

Laugh out Loud

🎨 Improv Comedy

I can’t talk about improv without mentioning one of my favorite theater groups in the world – ComedySportz. You can see their family-friendly shows at Strike Theater June 26 and 27. Also at Strike is the legendary Improv A Go-Go every Sunday where you pay what you like and get to see multiple groups a night, with the quality of each group wildly varying! And The Brave New Workshop has been doing this longer than any other theater in the country, and June is a good month to catch them with their special all improvised show Battle of the Improv All-Stars which runs June 12, 13, and 20 at the Dudley Riggs Theatre.

🎨 Stand Up Comedy

June is a big month at Acme, with Sean Patton (of The English Teacher and Hacks) (June 4-6), David Cross, Tracey Ashley, and Jackie Kashian all making appearances. The Cedar is bringing in Mohanad Elshieky. And The Hive Collaborative in St. Paul has a one-night local show on June 7 – “Stand Up, Stand Out Comedy” with Mary Rowles and Jason Schommer.

🎨 Clown

Cahoot?! Physical Theatre has an Open Studio series which covers clown technique and is free and open to adults of all skill levels. Their next workshop is June 11 and focuses on rediscovering freedom in dance. –Anna

Celebrate Prince, Pride, Jazz, Grand, and the Season in General

🎤 Sing-Along to Prince (June 6)

Though Prince had virtuoso skills on multiple instruments and held a choir in his vocal cords, the hits are actually pretty fun to sing along with. When someone picks Prince on a karaoke night the bar lights up. Who doesn’t love to sing along to “1999”, “When Doves Cry” or, if it’s after 10 p.m., “Sexy MF”? The only thing more inarguable than the joy of Prince’s music is the pain of his untimely passing. It’s been ten years since his passing and his absence is still a massive gaping hole in the way we understand the Twin Cities. I’m personally elated that his estate, Paisley Park, First Avenue and the city of Minneapolis are orienting the celebrations towards the anniversary of his birth, rather than his death. Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis on June 7, 1958 and he changed the world. He changed my world and he probably changed yours. Celebrate, witness, dance, honor and sing-a-long too! The revered bandleader and arranger Sanford Moore will lead the city through a cathartic sing-along on Saturday June 6 in downtown Minneapolis. Wear your purple, bring your tissues and get ready to celebrate.

Pro-tip: There is a measure of 2/4 right before the chorus of Purple Rain. No one ever gets that right. Let’s change that. –Sean

😄 Go to Grand Old Day (June 7)

For a kid from St. Paul, it doesn’t get better than Grand Old Day. On the first Sunday of June, hoards of people around the Twin Cities make tracks to Grand to enjoy one of the Midwest’s largest free street festivals. It is a high-volume event: lots of food, lots of stages, lots of energy. Most festivals live and die by the quality of the music and Grand Old Day is no exception. Some years the music lineup is pure guano, and some years it is a perfect list of bands everyone is dying to see. For the past couple years MPR’s The Current has played a large role in scheduling up and down Grand Ave. and they’ve done an exemplary job. This year the lineup at the Live and Local stage is can’t miss: Tabah, Obi Original, and Lasalle! All on one stage? Incredible. And all the music is free to watch (wristband required to drink). Wowza. That’s a lineup. The big stage down towards Dale features the biggest names of the day including Gully Boys, The Plastic Constellations, and Thomas Sticha.

Pro-tips:

Buy the wristband in advance: You’re going to end up wanting to buy a beer, or your friends are. And if you buy the wristband in advance, it’s one less thing to worry about the day of. Plus the price goes up on the day of the event.

If you’ve got kids, west is best: Bringing a little bambino to Grand? Your best bet is to start at Snelling and enjoy that side of things. It gets more debaucherous as you head towards Dale. I wouldn’t want a stroller in the thick of Grand and Dale unless it was filled with beer and ice cubes.

Recharge at a full service restaurant: Grand Old Day involves a lot of walking. How ‘bout you take a load off and enjoy a bite or a drink in air-conditioned heaven? I recommend Green Mill, Red Rabbit or eM Que Viet. Also, if you make it down to the area by Macalester, get a slice of carrot cake from Shish – it may be the very best carrot cake in the Twin Cities. –Sean

🎷 See the Twin Cities Jazz Festival (June 19-20)

Mears Park is one of the gems of the St. Paul parks system year round, but it takes on a special significance when the Twin Cities Jazz festival takes over Lowertown for the third weekend of June. This free festival has been running for 28 years and its genesis was inspired by a visit to the French Quarter Fest in New Orleans. The festival is in the able hands of Executive Director Dayna Martinez and she and her team craft a weekend of stellar mainstage performances as well as hundreds of satellite performances in venues and makeshift venues all across St. Paul. For us jazz lovers in the upper Midwest, this festival is the Super Bowl and it looks like this year is going to be another one to remember with sets from Michael Mayo and the JazzMN Orchestra, Yellowjackets, The Sullivan Fortner Trio, The Yogev Shetrit Trio, and more.

Pro-tip: After the outdoor festivities wrap each night, the young players from town congregate at a late-night jam session. If you want to see an awkward 14-year-old who learned “Satin Doll” ten minutes ago on her iPhone play next to a seasoned pro who has been sitting behind kits in the Twin Cities since the 1980s, this is your event. Watch as the musicians of the Twin Cities find their way across generations and subgenres to churn out some of the most compelling performances of the festival. The whole affair is ably handled by bassist and jam session host extraordinaire Graydon Peterson. This year the jam sessions are at Zamboni’s on 7th. –Sean

🏳️‍🌈 Celebrate Pride

St. Paul kicks things off June 13-14 with STP Pride at Dual Citizen Brewing. Two days of festivities, food, and fun.

Twin Cities Pride Festival at Loring Park runs June 27-28, with three stages, 650+ vendors, and a Youth Night on Friday.

The Pride Parade on Sunday, June 28 – one of the largest in the country – starts at 3rd & Hennepin at 11 a.m. and rolls down to Spruce. –Anna

Pride Weekend Stand Up is June 26-27 featuring local queer comics. It’s hosted by Sam Schedler who you may know from TikTok. See them at Sisyphus Brewing, and make sure to get your tickets in advance!

Watch queer cinema at the Parkway. “The Watermelon Woman” is playing June 11 and “Kinky Boots” is playing June 25. Both nights will feature a pre-movie burlesque show!

Uproar Comedy open mic nights at Bryant Lake Theater are a real IYKYK event. They feature POC and trans comics, and they will have all-queer headliners throughout June. Yours truly (Denzel Belin) will be headlining June 15!

On June 6, the Turf Club is hosting GRINDHOUSE – A Drag and Burlesque Tribute show to EXXXploitation Cinema and Quentin Tarantino films. Dance to DJ sets and see go-go dancers do their thing! –Denzel

🏳️‍🌈 Go to People’s Pride

Minneapolis People’s Pride in Powderhorn Park is billed as an alternative to what organizers critique as more corporate-backed celebrations. There are no big business sponsors and no cops acting as security. Compared to the bustle of the Loring Park parade, I’d say this is like a lowkey outdoor hang – just with lots and lots of people. If you take an amble through Powderhorn on June 27 from 12-4 p.m., you’ll find people grilling food for free, lots of great art by local queer artists, the occasional clothing swap, and live music. – Tiffany

👊🏾 Celebrate Juneteenth (June 19)

Though Juneteenth celebrations have certainly received more coverage since it became a federal holiday in 2021, the Twin Cities have been celebrating Juneteenth for decades and this year is no exception. Our favorite is the Soul of the Southside festival at the corner of East Lake and Minnehaha. iLLism, the celebrated hip-hop duo who helped launch the festival, have the Midas touch with events in the Twin Cities. In their promotional materials, the Soul of the Southside crew points out that this is much more than a festival: “for many, Soul of the Southside feels like a family reunion, a block party, and a moment of grounding all at once – a place where Black joy is centered and shared.” It’s worth a visit to see that spirit in motion, it’s a thing of beauty. Soul of the Southside is far from the only Juneteenth offering in the Twin Cities. The Northside Juneteenth celebration stretches out across the whole weekend and features appearances from celebrated Twin Cities icons including some of the radio royalty that work at KMOJ. –Sean

🏞️ Enjoy our park programming

Our parks are No. 1 in my heart, I don’t care what anyone else has to say. That’s because the parks host a seemingly endless list of FREE things to do (you pay in blood to the mosquitoes, though). You can enjoy live music in a park somewhere pretty much every day of summer (check here for Minneapolis, here for St. Paul). I loved seeing Kiss the Tiger perform at Lowertown Sounds at Mears Park; it’s a fantastic venue to get up close to your favorite local acts. If you want fresh air and a film, check out this year’s line-up of movies in the park for Minneapolis and St. Paul. – Tiffany

Pro tip: On July 20, you can even watch Finding Dory while floating in a pool at Jim Lupient Water Park.

Dad Wants a Buffet for Father’s Day

The dad in your life wants a buffet. He probably told you he’s just happy to be a dad. He probably said he doesn’t want anything in particular. He lied. He wants a buffet. Take him to a buffet. Take him to Q.cumbers. Take him to Akita Sushi. Take him to Great Moon. Tell him he’s doing a great job, but also tell him he doesn’t have to do much of anything after that buffet. Take it easy Dad, you’ve earned it. –Sean

Watch women’s sports

🏀 Watch a Lynx game at Target Center

I’m on the record as believing that the Lynx are the best ticket in Minnesota sports. The family and I went to the season opener and we had a great time. Why did we have a great time? Even without Napheesa Collier, the Lynx are still a force to be reckoned with in the league. And it’s great to see how a coach responds when her most trusted player is riding pine for the first chunk of a season. That’s the basketball part. Here’s the life part: Lynx games attract a couple key demographics – people who love basketball, people comfortable going to downtown Minneapolis, and people who are comfortable with women kicking ass in a sports setting. These demographics point towards fun-loving, enthusiastic people who want to support a league on the rise. In five years, even the jerks will come to Lynx games. Everyone will come to the Lynx games. But right now it’s an oasis of awesome people watching an awesome team. Come join us.

Pro-tip: My genius wife says you can save $4 per popcorn bucket if you buy it at the Jack Links Wildside booth. Saving $4 on popcorn was much more exciting to my wife than seeing Olivia Miles play her first WNBA game and I think that’s a totally reasonable opinion because I’d like to stay married! –Sean

Watch the Minnesota Aurora and the TC Gemini at TCO Stadium

When we had Saara Hassoun, the President of the Minnesota Aurora, on the podcast we asked her if Minnesota was the number one metro area for women athletes in the country. She agreed it was definitely in the running and she even offered a couple changes that could make us even stronger in recruiting the best talent. TLDR: A training facility designed for women athletes from all sports and a campaign to communicate to newcomers that the winters are survivable!

I think an impressive part about the Twin Cities is that the Vikings open up their practice facility as a venue for other events throughout the year. That means that the Aurora, our wildly successful women’s soccer team, and the Gemini, our upstart rugby team, both compete on a world class field that has all the bells and whistles and parking that a major NFL destination requires. On top of that, both teams have rabid fanbases that turn every game into a sonic boom that communicates to the home team that their cities love them and warns the visiting team that they are colossally screwed.

I asked my neighbor and Aurora season ticket holder Melissa what she loves about seeing the Aurora and she mentioned the joy of taking in a game from the grassy lawn, the bevy of local orgs raising awareness about their causes out front, and the availability of local beer and food options throughout the stadium.

Pro-tip: This one comes from Minnesota Aurora President Saara Hassoun. Her favorite food on game day is the Los Ocampo food truck that parks on the concourse for all the Minnesota Aurora games. We here at City Cast Twin Cities adore Los Ocampo and always make sure to order some al pastor when we’re there. –Sean

The Pro-est Pro-tip: Be Responsible and Buy a Jacket Now

Why would I buy a jacket now, you ask. Well, do you like money? In the off season you can get a heavily discounted jacket from businesses trying to shed their inventory before the next season rolls in. Our suburbs like Eagan, Albertville, and Woodbury are peppered with outlet stores that drop their winter gear prices even further in the heat of summer. Now pretend like your mother still controls your every move and go buy a jacket on a 30% discount and get a root beer float afterwards.

Also, if you are new to the Twin Cities, this is not the type of town for you to risk it on an iffy brand. June is a great time to buy a $300 coat for $200. Don’t buy a $100 coat for $75 instead. You’ll be freezing your butt off all winter wishing you had just sprung for a nicer jacket. –Sean