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Aquatennial

Usually I do a Friday Festival and highlight a festival from Minnesota and two other states. This week I am doing a combined Friday and Saturday look into the biggest festival of the summer in Minnesota, The Minneapolis Aquatennial. It is coined “The best days of summer” because it celebrates the City of Lakes, Minneapolis and the lakes that reside within the city.

The event is actually in its last weekend. Tonight was the fireworks, something everyone in the whole family enjoys. Besides the fireworks there are a number of other events that are fun to watch and participate in. The Torchlight parade occurred on Wednesday and that event is always a fun family event.
One event I have attended before that is a lot of fun to watch is the milk carton boat races. People and teams of people create boats from only milk cartons and then they race them in Lake Calhoun. Here is a blurb from the official Aquatennial website about the carton races.

·         An Aquatennial favorite since 1971, the annual flotilla of fun will feature several races of carton contraptions throughout the day at the Star Tribune Beach Bash! Registration is available at www.aquatennial.com. Milk Carton Boat Races Schedule: - 10 AM: Commodore’s Race: ages 19 and over - 11 AM: Skipper’s Race: cow theme race to design a bovine boat - 12 PM: Lieutenant’s Race: ages 12 and under - 1 PM: Admiral’s Race: race with a minimum of 5 crew members - 2 PM: The Best Days of Summer Race: have fun and get creative! The more milk cartons the better- 3 PM: 'Celebrating 73 Years' Race: watch as the Aquatennial races against the Saint Paul Winter Carnival in this annual tradition! - 3:30 PM: Awards Ceremony
Courtesy: Richard Westley Wong

There were water ski exhibitions on the Mississippi river, Beach bashes, and ice cream socials among many other fun events. I grew up in Minneapolis and went to a number of these events as a child. Next year when the event rolls around again take some time to enjoy the lakes the fill the city of Minneapolis.

This year is water under the bridge so until next year, we wait until the water freezes in St Paul for the Winter Carnival.
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