Twin Cities weekend: Minnesota Garlic Festival, Stone Arch Bridge celebration
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Some of the garlic-themed entertainment. Photo: Courtesy of Minnesota Garlic Festival
In search of a festival that's fun, family-friendly and fragrant? Look no further than the Minnesota Garlic Festival, a day entirely devoted to the delicious plant and those who grow it.
Driving the news: Garlic lovers can watch a variety of food demonstrations from local chefs, shop from 16 Minnesota growers, chat with experts and try an absurd amount of garlic-focused food — including garlic soft serve, garlic cotton candy and garlic ginger lemonade.
- The event will kick off at 10am Saturday with a "bulb toss" (like a first pitch in a baseball game, per organizers). Stick around for the Peculiar Pragmatic Promenade at 1:37pm, where garlic-themed costumes are encouraged.
🧄 Details: 10am-5pm Saturday at the McLeod County Fairgrounds in Hutchinson. $10 ages 13 and up, kids 12 and under free.
- Proceeds help fund the Sustainable Farming Association, which supports traditional, specialty and niche local farmers west of the metro.
More things to do ...
🌭 Competitive eater Joey Chestnut is coming to Friday night's St. Paul Saints game with an important mission: eating the six-foot-long, 10,000-calorie hot dog at CHS Field (with help from Minnesota-based eater Bandana Eats).
- Splurge on the $50 VIP ticket for an outfield seat in a special viewing area and a 90-minute buffet that includes footlong hot dogs. $50 VIP, other tickets start at $15.19
🇮🇪 Break out the bagpipes — the Irish Fair of Minnesota returns to St. Paul Friday-Sunday. Harriet Island will host six stages with cultural programming, a sports field for Gaelic football, sheepherding demonstrations and musical performances. One-day adult passes are $25, or $60 for the weekend
☀️ Honor a Minneapolis icon at the Stone Arch Bridge Community Celebration Saturday afternoon. The city-hosted event will have historical information, a demonstration with construction materials, food trucks and entertainment. Free
🥦 Bike and feast on the best vegan eats at Sunday's 2025 Twin Cities Plant-Based Bike Crawl, an 18-mile ride through St. Paul that stops at nine local eateries.
- The crawl goes at a "relaxed pace" and tickets include one free food item at each spot, with proceeds supporting Twin Cities Veg Fest. $80.11
🎨 Check out mind-bending chalk art at the annual Downtown Minneapolis Street Art Festival Saturday-Sunday. This year's festivities will take over Nicollet Mall and include chalk and spray art, murals, a vendor market with over 100 artisans and street performances. Free