11 essential summer festivals in the Twin Cities

It's peak festival season in the Twin Cities, and something big is happening every single weekend this summer.

• Not sure where to start? Here are our picks to add to your calendar.

June

🌙 Northern Spark Festival (June 11) — Stay up all night at the 9pm-5:30am art party in downtown St. Paul.

🏙 Stone Arch Bridge Festival (June 18-19) — This Minneapolis festival has entertainment on both sides of the river.

🏳️‍🌈 Twin Cities Pride (June 25 - 26) — Loring Park hosts live music, vendors and a Pride march for this festival at the end of Pride month.

July

🎇 Fourth of July celebrations (July 1-4) — Fireworks, block parties and more will take over the metro for the long weekend.

🚶‍♀️ Open Streets Franklin (July 10) — Franklin Avenue will be closed to cars for this one-day street festival.

🎸 Twin Cities Summer Jam (July 21-23) — Blake Shelton and Kane Brown headline the Twin Cities music festival at Canterbury Park.

🖼 Loring Park Art Festival (July 30-31) — Spend the weekend surrounded by art at this festival across the street from the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.

August

🎨 Uptown Art Fair (August 5-7) — This enormous art fair claims to be the second biggest event in Minnesota after the State Fair.

🇮🇪 Irish Fair (August 12-14) — Party Irish-style in St. Paul at this family-friendly fair and parade.

🎉 Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Wacipi (August 19-21) — Learn about indigenous culture and celebrate a PowWow at the Shakopee reservation.

🎡 The Minnesota State Fair (August 25-Sept. 5) — I mean...do we need to explain?