Twin Cities weekend guide: Yacht Club festival, Aquatennial, Minnehaha Falls Art Fair and more
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Organizers expect some 35,000 concertgoers daily at the three-day Minnesota Yacht Club music festival. Photo: Charles Reagan/Courtesy of Minnesota Yacht Club
Harriet Island Regional Park becomes a millennial music heaven this weekend as the three-day Minnesota Yacht Club festival docks on the St. Paul riverfront.
Why it matters: Organizers expect around 35,000 concertgoers on the riverfront each night, the Pioneer Press reports.
Zoom in: The Lumineers headline Friday night's lineup. Matchbox Twenty headlines on Saturday, and The Strokes round things out on Sunday.
- Also performing are Y2K and 2010s hitmakers including The Fray, The Black Keys, Dashboard Confessional and The All-American Rejects.
Plus: Atmosphere and Semisonic add some Minnesota flavor to Sunday.
State of play: As of Thursday afternoon, a limited number of Sunday general admission tickets remained. $160
Heads up: Good luck parking!
- The Saints are playing a weekend series in Lowertown, and three Monster Jam performances take over Grand Casino Arena on Saturday and Sunday.
If you go: Organizers have tips for getting to the venue.
Aquatennial returns
The Minneapolis Aquatennial is back this year — which wasn't always a sure thing.
Driving the news: The Aquatennial Ambassador Organization announced in June it had stepped forward to take over the 87-year-old Minneapolis tradition after the Downtown Council backed out as organizer last fall.
This weekend, two favorites headline the weeklong festival's return: the fan-favorite milk carton boat races and sand castle-building competition at Bde Maka Ska's Thomas Beach. Sunday, 9am-2pm; full calendar
Fill your calendar
🖼️ Art by the falls: More than 200 artists gather for the Minnehaha Falls Art Fair, which also features food trucks and kids' activities — plus a vintage sale on the south side of the falls. Saturday, 10am-7pm; Sunday, 10am-5pm
- ⛔️ PSA: Organizers canceled Friday's events, citing the smoky forecast.
🃏 Trading card confab: Collect-A-Con — a major traveling expo billing itself as the "nation's largest trading card, anime and pop culture event" — arrives at the Minneapolis Convention Center this weekend. Saturday, 10am-6pm; Sunday, 10am-5pm; day passes start at $38.07
- Organizers promise more than 900 vendor tables, merch, comic books, celebrity guests and live performances.
👹 Monster spa day: The Minnesota Children's Museum is celebrating its monster-themed exhibit with a "calming, sensory-focused" day featuring sound baths, yoga, Zumba, mindfulness lessons, crafts and sensory stations. Saturday, 10am-3pm; included with museum admission ($17.95 online)
🚋 Rondo Days: The venerable celebration of St. Paul's African American community and the historic neighborhood divided by I-94 features live music, food vendors and art exhibits near the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center. Saturday, 12-7pm
🏮 Floating lanterns: An Aquatennial-adjacent night market with "a Pattaya Beach-inspired theme" featuring lanterns on Bde Maka Ska and street food vendors serving various Asian fare. Saturday, 3-10pm
- Lantern kits must be pre-purchased, and are already sold out.
🐕 Float to a movie: Paddle or motor into Silver Lake in St. Anthony for the 2026 Float-In Movie: a showing of 1993's "Homeward Bound." Limited seating on dry land is available. Saturday, 9pm
🍓 Hometown festivals: Hopkins' Raspberry Days — yes, we know the emoji is a strawberry, what do you want from us?! — ramp up this weekend with street fairs, chalk art, a fun run, raspberry sundaes, Sunday's Grande Day Parade and more. Friday-Sunday
- Fridley '49er Days includes a pickleball and volleyball tournament this weekend along with a car show and music and movies in the park. Friday-Sunday