Fall Fun in Central Minnesota 2018
By: Carlee & Dr. Miles
We’re back at it again with another list of events and activities you should check out this Fall!
1. Pumpkinfest: St. Cloud Parks and Recreation will be hosting Pumpkinfest again this year. This is an event for all ages for some safe and spooky Halloween fun! Located at Lake George and Eastman Park, Pumpkinfest includes a petting zoo, pumpkin patch, face painting, trick or treating, and more. For the first time, they will also be including a hay maze and a dance party with the DJ Monster Bash Mash! This free event is on Friday, October 19th from 4-7pm, so check out the link here: https://www.ci.stcloud.mn.us/177/Special-Events
2. Rocktoberfest: On September 29th, hosted by the Saint Joseph Catholic Church, Rocktoberfest recreates the authentic German festival with food, beer, music, and games! The food is served around 5:45pm, along with polka music in the beer hall. “The Bavarian Musikmeisters” will play music thereafter. The beer hall includes craft, domestic, and non-alcoholic beers, with food and games under the tent. At 9:00pm, the music switches to rock with music by Radio Nation. To buy tickets, click here: https://www.aroundthecloud.org/event/rocktoberfest/
3. GREAT Theatre: With fall comes chilly weather, and GREAT Theatre is a perfect way to enjoy an evening out of the cold. There are many wonderful shows to check out all fall and winter long! Shows start at either 7:30pm or 2:00pm. Here are just a few:
My Fair Lady - Broadway Musical for the entire family
September 7th-23rd (150 minutes)
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing - Children’s literature comedy
October 19th-28th (90 minutes)
A Christmas Carol - Holiday classic
November 24th-December 9th (120 minutes)
There are more shows into 2019 including The Giver, The Little Mermaid, and more! Check out the 2018-2019 season here: https://www.greattheatre.org/shows/2018-2019-season/
4. St Cloud Pride Weekend: In September 2010, St. Cloud Pride (non-profit group) organized their own pride weekend for the central Minnesota LGBTQ+ community. Eight years later, and St. Cloud Pride Weekend is bigger than ever! From September 14th-16th, St. Cloud Pride host an array of events around St. Cloud. Start off Friday with The Vendetta Vixens/Nakita’s Kittens performing at The Red Carpet starting at 10:00pm. On Saturday from 11:00am-4:00pm, check out the 9th annual “Pride in the Park” at Lake George, where you can find vendors, music, games, and more. It is encouraged to show your pride and colors! Saturday night at the River’s Edge Convention Center, the St. Cloud Pride Drag Show will be performing starting at 7:00pm! For more details of these events, or to buy presale tickets, check out their website: https://www.stcloudpride.org
5. Trunk or Treat: Looking for a safe way to go trick or treating with your little ones? The Grace United Methodist Church hosts an even called “Trunk or Treat” where kids can go from car to car in the parking lot, as well as room to room in the church collecting candy. There are activities and food inside, and they will be collecting food shelf items as well. This is a free event on October 26th from 5:00pm-7:00pm, more info here: http://www.fun4kidsmn.com/trunk-or-treat-1
Also available on October 27th at Love of Christ Church.
6. Halloween Historia: Another safe and fun way for your family to enjoy Halloween is an event called Halloween Historia, presented by the Stearns County history Museum. This even is non-scary, as you go on a scavenger hunt in the exhibit gallery. There will also be a hayride, a candy witch, crafts, petting zoo, and more! Make sure to wear your costumes! This free event is on October 20th from 12:00pm-4:00pm. More information here: https://www.visitstcloud.com/event/halloween-historia/
7. See the City Bus Tour: Do you live in St. Cloud, but don’t really know much about the area? The St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce has an event called See the City Bus Tour 2018- “One and Done.” This is fundraiser for the Moving Students Forward scholarships. The tour includes a lunch, swag bags, and a grand prize, but the tour is a “Mystery Tour,” so you won’t know what to expect until you’re on the bus! The tour is from 9:15am-3:30pm on October 26th. More information here: https://www.stcloudareachamber.com/Special-Events/See-the-City
8. Hillside Harvest Festival: Staring on September 27th from 9:00am-6:00pm, the Milaca Local Farmhouse Market will host a 4 day multi-vendor event! Thursday-Sunday, check out the live music, delicious food, children’s games/activities, vendors, and more! There will also be a petting zoo, hayrides, and photo booths on that Saturday. More information here: https://www.visitstcloud.com/event/hillside-harvest-festival/2018-09-30/
9. Historic Downtown Art Crawl: The St. Cloud Art Crawl is always a popular event for central Minnesota. There is only more more Art Crawl this year before the cold weather takes over! Check out downtown on October 19th from 4:00pm-9:00pm to see all of the talented Central Minnesota artists and venues. There are various types of art including paintings, jewelry, photography, woodworking, pottery, books, dance, and more. We have even heard their may be news about the new Children's Museum coming to town. Last chance to check it out in 2018! More information here: http://artcrawlstcloud.com/
10. Harvest Party Hop: It’s Party Hop Time! On September 29th from 10:00am-7:00pm, businesses downtown will be offering something special- that may include giveaways, activities, discounts, treats, beverages, and more. A pumpkin will be by the participating businesses. The HoneyBadgers will be playing live music from 3:00pm-7:00pm, there will be an apple dessert bake-off, and a lot of food trucks scattered about! Check it out here: https://www.visitstcloud.com/event/harvest-party-hop-downtown-st-cloud/
Have fun!!