(Saint Paul, MN) The Saint Paul Convention and Visitors Bureau is gearing up for its busy festival season and this year has an array of offerings to suit every taste and demographic. The city shrugs off winter and prepares to celebrate spring on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, with An Irish Celebration, a day of parades, entertainment and crafts celebrating the Irish heritage of many of the city's residents. Follow the green line down 4th street to March in the noon time parade, enjoy Irish music and dancing at the Landmark Center and stop at The Liffey, McGovern's, O'Gara's or another of Saint Paul's Irish pubs to gear up for green beer and lively music and song.
Ethnic celebrations continue April 22-24 when Festival of Nations, the state's largest multi-cultural celebration, showcases 90 ethnic groups presenting cafes, folk dances, cultural exhibits, guest entertainers and an international bizarre.
April is also "Art Crawl" month, a self guided tour of artists' studios and galleries takes place April 22-23 in the trendy Lowertown area, where many artists live in renovated loft spaces with outstanding lighting and views.
Minnesotans move outdoors by May, just in time for the Cinco de Mayo Mexican Fiesta, the upper Midwest's largest Latino/Hispanic celebration featuring ethnic foods, live entertainment, a salsa eating contest and a vibrant colorful parade. The celebration takes place in the city's District del Sol, so visitors can grab a bite in many Mexican restaurants and grocery stores that surround the festival area.
The Melaleuca Freedom Celebration is held on Harriet Island on Memorial Day and pays tribute to our nation's veterans, but also features the state's largest fireworks display, which draws 200,000 visitors each year.
Kids take center stage in June during the Flint Hills International Children's festival for children ages 4-10. This celebration of the arts held at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts June 4-5 was named a top group tour festival in 2003 by the Minnesota Office of Tourism.
Grand Old Day is a great excuse to meander along a three-mile stretch of Grand Avenue, one of the city's favorite shopping and dining spots, and enjoy a day of entertainment including a morning parade, food, music and family activities on June 5.
Classic cars line the downtown streets Friday and Saturday nights during the summer months for Capital City Classic Cruisers. If you really want to get revved up, go to the Back to the 50s Car Show held at the State Fairgrounds June 17-19. Over 300 acres of street rods are an amazing site, but talking with their owners who come from thousands of miles to show off their pride and joy is a real treat.
Fourth of July is always an exciting time at the Taste of Minnesota Festival on Harriet Island and this year's festival will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Rock' n Roll with some terrific rock groups from yesteryear. In 2005 visitors to the Taste of Minnesota over July 4th will be in for a real treat, as the largest parade in state history makes its way from the Capitol, through downtown, across the Wabasha Bridge to Harriet Island in celebration of the Centennial of the Minnesota State Capitol, a Cass Gilbert masterpiece.
A series of ethnic events take place between mid June and mid July beginning with Juneteenth on June 18. This celebration marks the anniversary of freed black slaves in Texas, as they discovered that the Emancipation Proclamation had been passed two years earlier.
The Hmong Sports Festival July 2-3 in Como Park marks one of the largest ethnic sporting events in the country, and the Dragon Festival and Boat Races on Lake Phalen July 9-10 features cultural performances, martial arts demonstrations, children's activities and food vendors of the Asian Pacific Communities.
The state's largest African American Festival is Rondo Days, July 23-24, which celebrates a community that was lost, but not forgotten with art, music, food and parades. The Rondo neighborhood was Saint Paul's primary African American community, until it was dispersed to make room for I-94 in the 1960s. The Twin Cities Black Film Festival, presenting films about African American heritage, will also be held August 19-21.
Two new events this year will be the Country Market Rockin' Ribfest, July 29-31 and an American Indian Festival September 9-11 celebrating the history and culture of Minnesota's Indians with artists, restaurants and dancing exhibitions.
The festivities continue in August with the 10th Annual Circus Juventas, held in Highland Park the first two weeks in August. It's an opportunity for area youth to show off their skills as they perform Cirque du Soleil-like acts of awesome grace and daring.
Entertainment takes a turn towards the green when Irish Fair of Minnesota comes to Harriet Island August 12-14. The free festival showcases top notch Irish musical entertainment, dance, food, demonstrations, contests, folklore, a marketplace and more. This year's headliners include Celtic rock bands Flogging Molly and Young Dubliners, Danu, a high-energy Traditional band, and balladeer Tommy Makem. A James Joyce Exhibit, which has been touring internationally, will also be on display.
The Minnesota State Fair signifies the end of summer, but the beginning of the biggest 12 days of fun in town. Livestock demonstrations, national musical acts, exhibitions, a thrilling Midway area and at least 25 varieties of food on a stick are reasons to visit the State Fairgrounds August 25 through Labor Day.
When the autumn sun smiles on Saint Paul, the city's German population kicks up its heels at the annual Oktorberfest celebration at the Gasthaus Bavarian Hunter in nearby Stillwater. Celebrate German culture and heritage with food, beverages, music and traditional performances.
For detailed information on festivals and events, visit the web site at www.visitsaintpaul.com and follow the Events Calendar link or call 1-800-627-6101.
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NOTE TO MEDIA: Digital images of many festivals are available. To request a CD of images or to have a selection emailed to you, please contact Pat Laurel, Publications and Graphics Coordinator at 651-265-4921 or [email protected].
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