Harvest Festival Season In Minnesota

By Amy Rea

The State Fair is over, schools are back in session, which means it's time for harvest and community fall festivals. This is a busy time of year for these community gatherings, usually filled with food, music, and fun. Here are just a few examples.

Duluth Harvest Festival
Sept. 9
Head to Duluth's Bayfront Festival Park for the 24th annual celebration, which will have music, food, a farm market, educational exhibits, and kids' activities.

Jordan Heimatfest
Sept. 8-9
A run/walk, punt-pass-and-kick challenge, fireworks, parade, street dance--plenty of activities for everyone.

Dodge Center Harvest Fest
Sept. 15-17
Tractor show, quilt show, car show, and a hula hoop competition, among other events.

Autumn Daze
Sept. 15-17
Minneapolis' Church of St. Helena holds this event annually, with a fish fry, book sale, music, garage sale, and parade.

New Prague Dozinky Festival
Sept. 16
In old Czechoslovaki, the annual Dozinky Festival celebrated each year's bountiful (hopefully) harvest. The town of New Prague carries on this tradition with authentic Czech music and dances, along with Czech foods and a parade.

St. John the Baptist Fall Festival
Sept. 16-17
The large Catholic Church on Jordan's main street hosts this annual event, with live music, a polka mass, handmade quilt auction, and a chicken and ham dinner.

Fall Festival, Car Show, and Booya
Sept. 17
Maplewood's St. Jerome's Church will have a polka mass, grilled burgers and hot dogs, face painting, bingo--and 200 gallons of booya.

Taste of St. Hubert Harvest Festival
Sept. 30
Chanhassen's St. Hubert's will have food trucks, a beer trailer, live music, kids' games, and an illusionist, among other attractions.

Parish Booya and Fall Fiesta
Oct. 1
St. Paul's St. Frances de Sales parish will have a bilingual mass, booya, gyros, tacos, pasole, games, and live music.

Stillwater Harvest Festival
Oct. 14-15
Pumpkin regatta, kids' pumpkin pull, chili cook-off--what more could you want?

What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out the 10 p.m. Sunday night WCCO newscasts, where you can learn more in the weekly segment, Finding Minnesota.