7 fun things to do in the Twin Cities this fall

Molly Guthrey, Pioneer Press
·6 min read
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Get in the car, grab a pumpkin-spiced something and head out to a park, a museum, a festival or one of these other fun things to do we’ve found to celebrate fall in Minnesota.

GO FOR A DRIVE

Driving through the fall colors for freshly picked Honeycrisp apples (or other bounties from our state’s harvest), what could be more Minnesotan?

September is Drive the Great River Road month, and this year’s theme is a celebration of Fall Harvest on Minnesota’s stretch of this scenic roadway along the Mississippi River.

Check out more things to do in our fall arts guide.

Minnesota Grown has themed itineraries — including a “Romantic Getaway” to the St. Cloud area (glamping, anyone?) and a “Foodie Tour” of the Twin Cities metro — but you can also design your own trip using an interactive tool at Minnesotagrown.com/great-river-road/#adventure.

  • INFO: Get ideas for stops at farms, markets, farm-to-table restaurants, parks, scenic points, commercial districts, lodging options at more along the Great River Road from the Headwaters of the Mississippi at Itasca State Park all the way to the southeast border with Wisconsin and Iowa at Minnesotagrown.com/great-river-road/.

VISIT AN APPLE ORCHARD

While Afton Apple is celebrating its 32nd anniversary the weekend of Sept. 10-11, there’s plenty of fun to look forward to all fall long at this Hastings favorite — including a 15-acre corn maze opening Sept. 24. Pick a variety of apples now; pumpkin season begins in late September. There are also hayrides, a playground, a petting farm, a retail store (with frozen pies and crisps), a cafe and so much more.

  • INFO: 14421 90th St. S., Hastings. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Oct. 31. $7 for general admission, $5 for ages four and under (no admission required for retail store). More hours and events at aftonapple.com. More apple orchards and pumpkin patches at minnesotagrown.com.

ATTEND A HARVEST FESTIVAL

Save the date: Stillwater Harvest Fest, held the second weekend of October each year, is billed as the “Midwest’s Premier Giant Pumpkin Festival.” Highlights include the weighing of the giant pumpkins — and later, the smashing of giant pumpkins from a crane. Other highlights include a chili cookoff, pumpkin regatta and a kids’ costume parade.

  • INFO: Stillwater Harvest Fest will be held in downtown Stillwater on Saturday, Oct. 8, and Sunday, Oct. 9. It’s free and open to the public (but some events do have a charge, such as the Beer Garden). More details to come at harvestfeststillwater.com. Find other fall festivals at Exploreminnesota.com.

ADMIRE THE FALL COLORS

No need to wait for the fall colors to turn at Como Park’s Marjorie McNeely Conservatory: White, pink, lime green and purple chrysanthemums will bloom in early October during the first half of the Fall Flower Show in the Sunken Garden. In early November, the show will be refreshed with yellow, lime green, bronze, red and orange colored chrysanthemum blooms. Look for the blooms to be framed with ornamental grasses and pepper plants.

SOLVE A MYSTERY

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension will be on scene at the Minnesota History Center — but no worries, there is no crime to investigate

At least, not a real one.

The BCA collaborated with the St. Paul-based Exhibits Development Group on “Sherlock Holmes: The Exhibition,” which opens at the Minnesota History Center on Thursday, Oct. 20.

But you will be the one helping to solve the crime.

As part of this mystery, you will see original manuscripts, period artifacts and investigative tools influenced and used by Sherlock Holmes.

(Cool fact: Did you know that the University of Minnesota is home to the largest collection of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle items in the world? Objects from the collection make up part of this exhibition.)

“This exhibit showcases areas of forensic science that enabled Sherlock Holmes to solve crimes,” according to the Minnesota Historical Society, “and brings to life the historic underpinnings of author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s rich and vibrant stories.”

Note: The exhibition kicks off during MEA weekend, when kids across Minnesota are off from school.

  • INFO: Minnesota History Center, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. Oct. 20-April 2. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Cost: $12 for general admission to the History Center, $8 for ages 5 to 17 (ticket price includes access to all exhibits). Members get in free. More details and tickets at mnhs.org/historycenter/activities/museum/sherlock.

GO BIRDING

The fall is a great time to explore a state park — and learn about some of our feathered friends: Birders of all levels are invited to meet up with the St. Paul Audubon Society for a “Bird Up” at William O’Brien State Park in Marine on St. Croix from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17. An Audubon contact who is familiar with the park will be on hand as people try and find and identify birds.

Located about an hour from the Twin Cities, the park notes that birdwatchers frequently spot woodpeckers, bluebirds, orioles, herons, raptors and a variety of warblers.

  • INFO: William O’Brien State Park, 16821 O’Brien Trail North, Marine on St. Croix. Cost (for state parks): One-day vehicle permits are $7 ($35 for annual vehicle permits). Find other Birds Ups scheduled throughout the fall — including one at Swede Hollow Park in St. Paul — at saintpaulaudubon.org/upcoming-events/.

JUMP IN THE LAKE

There’s a coastal village in Sweden with a curious ritual: After waking up, almost every resident goes to the local pier to take a dip in the sea. There are customs that accompany this tradition, such as the wearing of bathrobes. In an exhibit now at the American Swedish Institute, photographer Peggy Anderson documents the bathrobed Swedes in an evolving portrait series in which she also explores her own connections to Sweden.

Here in the land of 10,000 lakes, an upcoming play date at the Institute — “Kids at the Castle: Wonderful Water” — is inspired by the exhibit and designed for chldren ages two to five. For everyone else, the photography exhibit runs through Oct. 30. A book, “The Morning Dip” can also be purchased at the gift shop — and might just inspire you to start your own dip.

  • INFO: American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Ave., Minneapolis, through Oct. 30. General admission, $12 (free for members and children up to age five). Also: “Kids at the Castle: Wonderful Water,” an event designed for children ages two to five (adults must accompany them and no, there’s no lake to jump in): 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 16, and Saturday, Sept. 17. $8 per family. Asimn.org/exhibition/the-morning-dip/

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