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May 26, 2016 This newsletter is brought to you by Pedal MN. Pizza on the farmIn Wisconsin and Minnesota, dinner guests flock to the countryside for ultra-fresh ingredients and idyllic settings.
You can't get more local and sustainable than a wood-fired pizza served just yards from where its ingredients were raised and grown. Farms that moonlight as pizzerias one or two nights a week are multiplying, but not just because the pizzas are so good. The visitors who eat them also get to spend an evening soaking up the bucolic country atmosphere, savoring a lifestyle that's now far removed from most lives. Children tear around expansive lawns, adults chat over chilled wine and the scent of lilacs and freshly mowed grass wafts through the air. Often, there's live music. Best bets for the weekendSee redcoats on the Mackinac straits and tall ships on the Mississippi.
Did you enjoy the summery preview? Now the real thing is here. Everything is starting: food festivals, outdoor art fairs and water-ski shows. Summer theater starts soon, and craft-beer festivals come in multiples. The outdoor music season is kicking off. We always check for free concerts before we travel, and there are hundreds in the parks of Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Madison, plus Chicago's Millennium Park. One of the best free music festivals is this weekend: Brat Fest in Madison, where more than 100 acts include headliners Travis Tritt and Lita Ford. Also free: Bobfest in Spring Green, a mellow backyard party that celebrates Bob Dylan's 75th birthday. Duluth, where the singer lived until age 6, is hosting Dylan Festival. Plan ahead for this summer's music festivals. Lollapalooza is sold out at $335, but you can still go to Ashley for the Arts in Arcadia, Wis., and pay just $10 to see 14 acts, including Chicago and Kellie Pickler. Many festivals have on-site camping, making them a cheap summer getaway. For history and heritage this weekend, head to the towns that flank the Mackinac Bridge: St. Ignace, for the Native American Festival, and Mackinaw City, for the Fort Michilimackinac Pageant, which re-creates a notorious 1763 battle. And there are many powwows. If you're on the Mississippi and you see a pair of Portuguese caravels sailing along, it's not a hallucination. The Nina and Pinta, replicas of the ships Christopher Columbus sailed to the New World, are in Grafton, Ill., then will spend about 10 days apiece in Burlington, Dubuque, Winona, Hudson, Lake City, Clinton and Davenport. If you want to camp but don't have a reservation, you still can nab a spot in a city, county or state-forest campground if you head out early. If you don't know how to camp, sign up for one of Minnesota's I Can Camp! overnights in state parks this summer. They're just $60 for up to six people, $85 for two nights. We hope you have a fun holiday weekend! — Beth and Torsten Next weekendCelebrate summer with a good old street party.
Grand Old Days in St. Paul.
The popular Grand Avenue street party expands to two days this year,
with a new arts and culture district, plus entertainment, family fun and
sports zones. A parade starts at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. June 4-5. Milk Days in Harvard, Ill. Just over the Wisconsin border, this festival is the longest running in the state. There are milk-drinking contests, milking demonstrations, cow-chip lotto, bed races and a parade Saturday. June 2-5. Iowa Arts Festival in Iowa City, Iowa. This free downtown festival features an art show, a Global Village, a Culinary Row and music and dance. Sunday is Children's Day, with 10 booths of hands-on activities. June 3-5. Milwaukee Highland Games in Wauwatosa, Wis. Listen to bagpipe bands, eat Scottish food and watch sheepdogs, Highland dancers and athletes. June 4. For more events, see our Events Calendar. (A word from our sponsor) Minnesota's 3 Mile Smile Minnesota is famous for its long, paved bicycle trails, and for being the No. 2 Most Bicycle Friendly state in the nation. Now, Pedal Minnesota is introducing the 3 Mile Smile: Because it's easy to explore Minnesota 3 miles at a time. Just leave your car parked and get on a bike. Pedal slowly and take it all in. Stop at that candy shop, check out a beach. Local adventure and attractions are just a 3 Mile Smile away. Here's how to do it. Get inspired by videos and articles. Plan a great route with our mapping tool. Join a free 3 Mile Smile bike ride, each with that Only in Minnesota flavor. Have lots of fun. Then share your #3MileSmile on social media!
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