Summer Sensations: Calendar of Events 2012
Check out Sun Thisweek’s Summer Sensations Calendar of Events to find out what’s happening in the south metro, along with more stories at the Thisweekend page.
May
Rosemount children cool off during Wet 'n' Wild Day during Rosemount Leprechaun Days in July. Photo by Rick Orndorf
Taste of Lakeville — The Taste of Lakeville is the Rotary Club’s major fund raising event for local and international community projects. The annual event will be held at the Lakeville Arts Center, located at 20965 Holyoke Ave., from 5-9 p.m. Thursday, May 17.
Event-goers get to taste all the food and wine they want, while live music plays in the background. Live and silent auctions are held.
More than 2,000 guests generated more than $75,000 that was used to help families, locally and worldwide, in addition to funding scholarships for Lakeville students, among other things.
Visit www.lakevillerotary.org/taste-of-lakeville.html for more information.
Eagan 5K Your Way Activity Festival – The 8:30 a.m. to noon May 19 event at Central Park features a 3.1 mile course participants can bicycle, in-line skate, walk or run, kids bike rodeo, family lawn games, mini-health fair, free fitness try-it stations and free healthy snacks. For more information, call (651) 675-5500.
Holz Farm Spring Festival will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 20 at this 1940s restored park featuring activities for all ages in Eagan. For more information, go online to www.ci.eagan.mn.us.
June
I Love Burnsville Week – June 2 to 9 with music, an outdoor movie, mountain bike race, contests and much more.
Lake Fest – Eagan celebrates its appreciation of local lakes during this June 9 festival. Residents are encouraged to enjoy fishing (equipment provided), making fish prints and bird houses, visit with natural resource experts and more. A fishing license is not required for this event.
Eagan Art Festival – This June 23-24 juried art show features fine art and original handmade crafts by 100 artists, as well as music, entertainment, a variety of food and art activities for all ages at the Eagan Community Center Festival Grounds, 1501 Central Pkwy. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.ci.eagan.mn.us.
Eagan Market Fest – Market Fest is a weekly summer event that features local fresh produce, hand-crafted artisan items, live entertainment, activities for all ages and more. The event will be from June 13-Sept. 26 at Central Park, Eagan Community Center, 1501 Central Pkwy. More information can be found at www.ci.eagan.mn.us.
Farmington Dew Days – The city’s annual summer celebration June 15-16 includes music, food, and entertainment. For more information, go online at http://farmingtondewdays.com.
Dancin’ ’n’ Cruisin’ – This classic car show and street dance from 4 p.m.-midnight is the kickoff event to Apple Valley’s annual Freedom Days celebration. Antique cars drive from Apple Valley Ford to Bogart’s. More information will be available closer to the event.
Apple Valley Freedom Days – The city’s largest annual festival runs 10 days and includes a parade, carnival, live music, fireworks and food. The festival also features a car cruise, fishing derby and tennis tournaments. For more information, visit the city’s Parks and Recreation page at www.ci.apple-valley.mn.us.
July
Lakeville’s Pan-O-Prog — Lakeville’s annual summer festival, Pan-O-Prog, has come to Lakeville the week of the Fourth of July for 43 years. The annual event is a week-long celebration that features more than 50 events and activities, such as the grand parade, classic car parade, fireworks, street dances and more. For more information, visit www.panoprog.org.
Eagan July 4th Funfest – Eagan’s July 4th Funfest celebration July 3-4 features the Miss Eagan Ambassador pageant, a carnival, live entertainment, the Fourth of July Parade and one of the largest fireworks displays in the state. The carnival and fireworks are held at Central Park; the parade begins at the intersection of Yankee Doodle and Blue Cross roads and travels east on Yankee Doodle to the Eagan Community Center. For more information, visit www.eaganfunfest.org.
Rosemount Leprechaun Days – July 20-29. The city’s largest annual festival includes about 60 events in 10 days, including a 100-unit parade, carnival, live music, fireworks, and food mostly centered around Central Park, northeast of the intersection of Highway 3/South Robert Trail and 145th Street. For more information, go online at www.RosemountEvents.com.
August
Dakota County Fair – Aug. 6-12. The fair includes a midway with carnival rides, food, exhibits, music, grandstand events, 4-H exhibits and much more. For more information, go online at www.dakotacountyfair.org.
Art & All That Jazz — The Art & All That Jazz Festival is held annually in August at Nicollet Commons Park in Burnsville’s Heart of the City. It has featured local and national jazz musicians and an art sale. The 2012 event is on Aug. 18.
Southern Cruzers Summer Spectacular Car and Craft Show – Dakota County Fairgrounds, Farmington, typically held the last Saturday in August, includes a pancake breakfast. For more information, go online at www.thesummerspectacular.com.
September
Burnsville Fire Muster — Over a five-day stretch, Fire Muster features wine tasting, beer tasting, entertainment, fireworks, carnival rides, children’s activities, emergency personnel demonstrations, food and beverages from local restaurants, a community parade, and, of course, the fire truck parade that started it all.
Burnsville’s annual community celebration began officially in 1980, evolving from a smaller, neighborhood-based activity. During the late 1970s, Burnsville resident and fire equipment collector Roger Jackson and some of his friends entertained children each summer by displaying his collection at what was then known as Diamondhead Mall, capping the day with a short parade of equipment down Nicollet Avenue.
The Fire Muster is held Wednesday through Sunday immediately following Labor Day.
Lakeville’s Art Festival — The Lakeville Art Festival is held the third weekend in September in downtown Lakeville on the grounds of the Lakeville Area Arts Center, located at 20965 Holyoke Ave. Each year, the festival hosts approximately 60 exhibitors who show and sell their work in many forms and mediums including visual, performing, and literary forms. The event includes a featured artist exhibit, artist demonstrations, Youth Art Tent, performing and literary artists, and food. For more information, visit www.lakevilleartfestival.org.
Lone Oak Days – Sept. 22-23 at Eagan’s historic Holz Farm, Lone Oak Days celebrates what life on the farm used to be like. The event features activities, demonstrations, food and entertainment. Visitors can learn how to make a rope, churn butter, and grind corn, milk a virtual cow or take part in pony rides, hay rides or a pie-eating contest. Holz Farm is located at 4665 Manor Drive in Eagan. For more information, call the Eagan Parks and Recreation Department at (651) 675-5500.
