Plan Your Late Summer Getaway to Shakopee
While the fireworks have faded from the Fourth of July, there is still plenty of summer fun happening in Shakopee. If you’re looking for more things to do outside Minneapolis, look no further! We’ve compiled a short list of favorites that will keep that care-free summer feeling going strong.
Events Keep Coming at Canterbury Park
You’ve probably been to Canterbury Park a few times this summer already, but they’ve got even more fun scheduled through the end of the season! The middle of August sees the park fill up with Corgis and Cupcakes. What do they have in common, you ask? This sweet day of racing brings local cupcake and cookie vendors, and of course, corgi races in between the thundering of hooves. Save the date for Labor Day: when the winners from all dog races throughout the summer–including Basset Hounds and Bulldogs–compete for the Bark in the Park Championships!
If you’re more into true horsemanship than dog races, mark your calendars for August 22-24. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community presents their annual Indian Horse Relay. Be amazed as riders fly around the track and expertly leap from one horse to another, at full speed. It’s an event you’ll need to see to believe.
Pack in Lots of Fair Fun
Arguably the best thing about August in Minnesota is the incredible variety of fun and food at the Minnesota State Fair. Plan ahead this year to take the State Fair Express from Shakopee. It’ll save you traffic headaches, the stress of finding a place to park, and wondering just how you’ll get home with a belly so full. The Fair this year has favorite annual activities like the butter carving contest, deep fried anything on a stick, farm animals galore, and tons of live shows. Music headliners include Hootie and the Blowfish, Barenaked Ladies, Dierks Bentley, Logic, Brandi Carlile and more. Get tickets and get excited.
Would summer be complete without one more trip to Valleyfair? Surely you can fit it in. With more than 75 rides and attractions, including soak city, it’s a favorite local hangout.
And, once Labor Day has come and gone, pick your favorite themed weekend to head down to the Renaissance Festival. They’ve got a Highland Fling at the end of August, Pet Fest mid-September, and, new this year, Bellies and Beer over Labor Day weekend. Build an entire vacation in Shakopee around this huge annual festival.
Get a Jump on Fall
Even though you may be a little squeamish thinking about the onslaught of colder weather, it’s hard to deny the fun of fall activities. When you schedule your first apple picking adventure in August, you’ll have even more time to bake, make applesauce and enjoy the crisp local fruit. Did you know that the orchards at Minnesota Harvest open on August 17? Kids of all ages love to fill the 10 pound bags with their own haul. Plus, there are animals to pet, a playground to explore and crazy apple cannons to fire.
Looking to stock up on some sweets? Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store is starting to get busy as summer draws to a close. Browse the dozens and dozens of nostalgic buckets of candy, and try something you’ve heard your grandparents talk about. The family-owned shop has been doing business out of this bright yellow hangar for almost 40 years. And before that, the family sold homemade sweets and popular treats elsewhere in Scott County going back to the 1930s. They’re doing something right–just go see for yourself.
It seems there’s never any shortage of summer activities in Shakopee. In fact, when you try to get it all in, the sunny season seems to go by in the blink of an eye. Soak up the fun, the rides, the music, olde tyme sweets and great live music. And for everything else, there’s always next year.