Mill City Farmer’s Market Must-Stop Vendors

By Claire Noack

During the summer months, there are an endless amount of activities and events happening every day in the Twin Cities. What better way to see everything Minneapolis and St. Paul have to offer than for free? Get out there, embrace the warm weather and follow our week-long guide for a fun-filled week of free or cheap activities to keep you busy this summer.

Monday

Start the week off with a day trip to Mankato to see your favorite Minnesota Vikings players and get pumped for the upcoming season. Training camp goes from July 24 through August 8. Don’t miss your chance to see the pros in action and get autographs at Minnesota State University Manako’s Blakeslee Stadium. Practice times vary slightly, but are typically 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and again at 2:45 p.m. to 5:10 p.m. Free events during training camp, including a movie night and fireworks show, make for a great ending to a day full of football and fun.

When the team isn’t practicing this summer, visit U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis to see the home of Super Bowl LII. Make sure to stop by Downtown East Commons Park, just outside the stadium to get some of the best views of the skyline and grab food from the local food trucks that are parked on the street near the park.

Tuesday

Unwind from the day with a free yoga class in Northeast Minneapolis. Every Tuesday night, Free Yoga Northeast teaches a class in Logan Park at 7:30 p.m. Make sure to bring your own yoga mat (a limited supply are available) and a water bottle because summer in Minnesota means it can still be hot in the evenings. As you wait for the yoga class to start, Northeast is a great place to explore during the day. Known for its art district and its breweries, Northeast combines what’s best about local fare, beer and art, into one charming neighborhood.

Photo by German Gomez/flickr

Wednesday

Cool off midweek at the Phalen Park splash pad in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood of St. Paul. Recently opened this summer, the miniature water park is sure to make a big splash with the kids. The splash pad is located next to the beach and is free to use every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Adults can enjoy other free amenities at the park such as the sandy beach, BBQ grills, fishing pier, fire pits, baseball, softball and soccer fields, tennis courts, biking trails and more.

Thursday

Spend the day wandering around downtown Minneapolis and exploring the newly renovated Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. The largest sculpture garden in the nation, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden features 17 new installations, as well as the iconic “Spoonbridge and Cherry” sculpture.

End the night with a bang at the Twin Cities River Rats show. Walk or bike through downtown to the banks of the Mississippi River to watch the water ski show team perform amazing tricks and jumps on the water. Located just above the North Loop, the River Rats perform free shows every Thursday at 7 p.m. during the summer.

Friday

Try your luck at getting a hole-in-one at the Putt’er There miniature golf course in St. Paul’s Como Park. Play a half round for $3 or all 18 holes for $6. Alright, so this one isn’t free, but you’ve got to admit that it’s pretty cheap for mini golf. While you are there, take advantage of all the free amenities that the expansive park has to offer, including a sports complex, BBQ areas, zoo, conservatory and gardens.

Photo by John Kingman/flickr

Saturday

Experience the natural beauty of the Twin Cities at the Lyndale Rose Garden. Located beside the shores of Lake Harriet, there is plenty to do around this beautiful area of Uptown Minneapolis. As you spend the day walking through the roses and wildflowers, make sure to go across the street to the Peace Garden to see the Japanese rock garden and waterfall. Both gardens are free and open to the public. Stick around at night and make the short walk to the Lake Harriet Bandshell to hear free live music at 7:30 p.m. almost every day of the week.

Insider’s tip: Bring a hammock and set up shop in the trees near the Lyndale Rose Garden. It’s the perfect place to spend a lazy day, taking in views of the flowers on one side and the lake on the other.

Sunday

End your week with fresh produce and flowers at the St. Paul farmers’ market. Open every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the downtown St. Paul neighborhood of Lowertown, you’ll find the best local fruits and vegetables, along with handmade jams and honey, bakery items, and huge bouquets of unique flowers. The farmers’ market is free to enter. There is some street parking near the Saint Paul Saints’ baseball field, CHS Field, located next to the market, and valet parking costs $5. Try taking the METRO light rail that will take you directly into downtown St. Paul, just blocks from the farmers’ market for a cheap transportation alternative.

Downtown East Commons, or, the Commons, in downtown Minneapolis adds 4.2 more acres of sprawling Kentucky Bluegrass and Perennial Ryegrass to Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s already impressive 6,804 acres of green space blanketing the city and its suburbs.

A view of U.S. Bank Stadium from the Great Lawn.

Neighboring U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings, Downtown East Commons trades in the steel girders, asphalt sidewalks, towering skyscrapers and other manmade works of art for the creations of the greatest artist on the planet, Mother Earth. Divided into two separate pieces, the eastern portion—also known as the Great Lawn— features plenty of open, green space to serve as ground zero for game day festivities and massive amounts of people during the football season, as well as a jungle gym and water jets for the little ones—or anyone—to run through, while the western piece serves as the quieter sibling featuring a spread of trees and shrubbery for a more natural aesthetic, along with the Edition apartments complex. All throughout both sections, visitors will find nearly 200 trees, including honeylocusts, oaks, pines and more, as well as native flowers such as hydrangeas, grey owl juniper and redtwigged dogwood, making it the perfect lunchtime hangout and office getaway.

 

 

 

 

Open Sundays May-October 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Located in the adorable Linden Hills neighborhood, this market grows every year, and it’s easy to see why. Their focus goes beyond just selling local produce. In an effort to build relationships in the community, the market offers wholesale buying for area restaurants, allows local retailers to set up shop alongside produce vendors, and hosts local chef demonstrations almost weekly. If you make it there on the second Sunday of the month you’ll have a chance to purchase all the misfit produce and products that are perfectly edible but may be a bit hard on the eyes—AKA “those bottles with the wonky labels, the cookies that broke in the bag and the too-tall tomatoes.”

Open daily year-round 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

More than 200 year-round vendors give a glimpse into a Southeast Asian market and the Hmong population’s history in Minnesota. Plan a lengthy visit to the 10-acre marketplace so you have ample time to find produce—not to mention knick knacks, DVDs, and other collectible items—that are hard to find elsewhere. Order something you’ve never had for lunch or dinner and you won’t be disappointed, nor will you leave hungry.

Open Saturdays May-October 9 a.m-1 p.m.

Northeast Minneapolis has really come into its own over the last few years, attracting art galleries, breweries and one phenomenal farmers market. Whether you’re on the hunt for hot sauce or honey, soap or switchel, pottery or produce, you’ll find it here. You’ll also find live music and chef demonstrations throughout the season.

Open Saturdays & Sundays April-November 6 a.m.-1 p.m.

In the heart of St. Paul’s Lowertown is a farmers market older than Minnesota itself. If you’re looking for the best in local goods, this is your place—all produce must be grown within 50 miles, and even packaged goods have to be made in Minnesota or neighboring Wisconsin. Spend some time in the market, then explore the capitol city’s up-and-coming downtown neighborhood.

Open daily May-November 6 a.m.-1 p.m.

Welcome to Minnesota’s mecca of farmers markets. With nearly 200 vendor stalls selling fresh fruit and vegetables, local meat products, cheese, flowers, honey, olives, artisan crafts and more, you could spend hours here. Start off with an espresso and make your rounds, and don’t forget to order some corn-on-the-cob—seriously. Throughout the summer catch a musical act every Sunday morning or learn tips and tricks from local chefs on Saturdays. Parking is available across the street beneath I-35W, but it never hurts to rent some wheels through our bike sharing program and cycle your way there.