These 7 Minnesota Towns Deserve a Spot on Your Bucket List

Thedailymiaminews– In 2024, Minnesota is a fitting and ideal candidate for the moniker “North Star State.” To find enough attractions to last the entire year, people only need to follow the North Star. Travelers can view black bears in the spring, have a fisherman’s picnic in August, experience a bank robbery reenactment in September, browse an art festival in October, see a multicultural fair for Christmas, and rock out at the Big Turn Music Fest in February. To make the most of your trip to Minnesota this year, find out which town is hosting which event!

The Grand Marais

A great community in a fantastic area is Grand Marais on Lake Superior. Despite having only 1,300 residents, GM is technically a city, just as the most of Minnesota municipalities. The Grand Marais Arts Festival, which will take place in downtown Harbor Park on July 13 and 14, will feature demos, creative classes, and the sale of unique artwork by about 60 artists. The Grand Marais Fisherman’s Picnic, which takes place downtown from August 2 to 5, includes a parade, live music, and a vibrant fish fry. If it sounds too opulent, just visit wilderness locations like Minnesota’s highest point, Eagle Mountain, and the Devil’s Kettle waterfall. Despite their frightening sound, they are peaceful and well worth the journey!

Excelsior

Excelsior is the appropriate exclamation while entering the community and is also its name. A charming lakeside hamlet that has been transformed into a quasi-suburb while maintaining its rural charm and independence, this underappreciated triplet of the Twin Cities is delightfully stunted. Visitors can swim and boat on Lake Minnetonka, explore historic Water Street with its stores, restaurants, and lodgings, and take part in yearly events like Excelsior Apple Days, which takes place in late September, and Excelsior Christkindlsmarkt, a German-themed Christmas celebration that takes place in November, all without being constrained by the town’s less than 2,500 residents. Juhu!

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The Northfield

Visit Northfield, Minnesota, if you believed that the Wild West was only found in the West. Brave locals stopped Jesse James and his group from robbing the First National Bank of Northfield in 1876. The end of the James Gang began when some of their collaborators were either slain or caught, despite the fact that Jesse and Frank James managed to flee. The Defeat of Jesse James Days, which take place from September 4–8, 2024, will allow you to join the quiet little village in celebrating morally righteous violence nearly 150 years later. The days are packed with a car show, beard competition, parade, carnival, and, of course, a reenactment of the foiled heist, making it one of the state’s biggest outdoor celebrations. It takes place in the historic neighborhood at the location of the original First National Bank, which has been rebuilt as a museum. From there, you can follow Cannon River, another Wild West-sounding attraction, to a variety of tourist destinations and picturesque spots. Additionally, the Malt-O-Meal cereal factory is likely to overwhelm your nostrils with a marshmallowy, chocolatey scent while people are there. Is WW an acronym for Willy Wonka or Wild West? In Northfield, it signifies both (and neither).

Ely

While Ely, nearly four hours north near the Canadian border, is genuinely wild, Northfield is wild in a symbolic sense. The North American Bear Center, a black bear preserve and instructional center that opens in the spring, is located on one side of town. The International Wolf Center, a year-round educational center and gray wolf preserve, sits on the other. The Dorothy Molter Museum, which consists of rustic cabins that were originally owned by the titular rootbeer-brewing hermit, the gastric/aesthetic Blueberry Art Festival, and the lakeside Grand Ely Lodge are visited by 3,300 human residents and a large number of hybrid tourists. Boundary Waters, a vast wilderness region that is suited for canoeing, hiking, fishing, and night sky viewing, may be found further into the Ely forests. Here in Ely, you can see the Northern Lights!

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Nisswa

Given that Nisswa is a small, slumbering hamlet that emerges out of its shell for certain occasions, a turtle race is a fitting attraction. Over 60 years ago, the chief of those events started with a few pet turtles. Today, thousands of people swarm the round racetrack during the summer, and dozens of reptiles are captured from the wild. Animal rights activists have protested Nisswa because, despite the fact that the turtles are given better care nowadays and are released at the end of the season, almost half of the relocated turtles perish. Fortunately, there are many other attractions in this quaint “city,” like a well-known gift shop, chocolate shop, and Scandinavian music festival, that are morally clear. Additionally, nearby Brainerd, one of the locations for the Coen Brothers movie Fargo, may be worth seeing if you’re a movie buff.

The Red Wing

Red Wing blazed its own path to fame while being tucked away close to the Twin Cities. Originally a wheat shipping port on the Mississippi River, the 17,000-person “city” has developed into a multi-sectoral hub that includes shoemaking, printing, ceramics, agriculture, and tourism. Put on the named boots and climb He Mni Can-Barn Bluff, which offers a view of the picturesque river village bustling with life. Throughout 2024, Red Wing is anticipated to host a number of outstanding festivals, such as the Red Wing Arts Fall Festival on October 12 and 13, the Hispanic Heritage Festival in September, and the Big Turn Music Fest on February 16 and 17. Red Wing is a paradise in Goodhue County.

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The Baudette

“No city celebrates the 4th of July like Baudette,” the website Explore Minnesota claims about this small, far-flung northern town. The 40-foot statue of the namesake fish, Willie Walleye, which marks Baudette as the “Walleye Capital of the World,” is surrounded by kid-friendly activities. The Firecracker 5K is a race that takes place along Main Street, which is picturesque and bumpy. The fireworks, which are dubbed the most spectacular in northern Minnesota, are launched over Baudette Bay, which flows from the fabled Lake of the Woods. Additionally, if you arrive a bit early and carry your passport, you can attend Canada Day celebrations in the town of the same name in Ontario, which is located only across the Rainy River. It’s a delicious prelude to Baudette’s main meal for the Fourth of July!

From the beginning of 2024 until its conclusion, Minnesota is a top travel destination. From tranquil nature to aquatic leisure, intriguing museums, vibrant downtowns, and spectacular Fourth of July festivals, you don’t have to travel outside the state to enjoy it all. One does not need to travel to any big cities to fully experience Minnesota, even though the metropolises are frequently the ones that draw crowds of tourists. The municipalities of Minnesota offer all of these things and more for a peaceful and enjoyable year.

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