Check out our list of 52 Fun Things to Do, South of the River
Enough ideas to fill your whole year, one weekend at a time!
Ideas for Spring
- Meet the brand new Farm Babies all April at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley
- Take Mom out for brunch at the Chart House in Lakeville
- Sample local restaurants at the Taste of Lakeville in May at the Lakeville Arts Center
- Get inspired to tackle those home improvement projects at the Lakeville Landscape & Home / Consumer Showcase Expo or the Apple Valley Home and Garden Expo in April
- Get creative with the whole family at the Crayola Experience at Mall of America
- Try Geocaching at a Dakota County Parks. Go to Geocaching.com and enter your zip code
- Pack a picnic lunch, hike and view the spectacular Vermillion Falls and limestone ravine right in downtown Hastings, MN. While you are there, be sure to check out the Historic Downtown shops.
- Get the wiggles out at Rockin’ Jump Trampoline Park, Eagan’s Indoor Trampoline Park
- Ready to do some spring cleaning or find that special treasure? City wide Garage Sales take place in May in Burnsville, Lakeville, Rosemount & Apple Valley.
- Celebrate spring at the Holz Farm Spring Festival featuring food music and activities for all ages!
Ideas for Summer
- Kayak, swim, hike, bike, camp! Explore picturesque Lebanon Hills Park in Eagan!
- Take the kids to one of Lakeville’s Beaches. Swim, play volleyball, picnic and explore the playgrounds.
- Farmington Dew Days! Takes place every June.
- Lakeville’s Pan o Prog! Takes place every July.
- Music in the Park at Kelley Park in Apple Valley on Friday evenings.
- Get your friends together for Frisbee Golf at Alimagnet Lake Park in Apple Valley
- Cool off at the Apple Valley Water Park
- Go Raspberry Picking at Applewood Orchard. Call for hours:952-985-5425
- Leprechan Days in Rosemount includes the Grand Day Parade, Midsummer Faire Carnival, Food and Music Events
- Come out and Play at the Dakota County Fair! Musical entertainment, midway rides, lumberjack shows, grandstand events, livestock shows, grandstand events and of course, FOOD!
- See the current production of the Prairie Fire Children’s Theatre at the Lakeville Arts Center in mid July
- Play a challenging round at the breathtaking Legends Golf Course in Lakeville
- Rev it up at Elko Speedway! They offer a wide variety of racing events.
- For a different type of racing, check out Extreme Race Day Ostrich and Camel Racing at Canterbury Park in Shakopee in mid-July. Every Sunday is family day at the track and features pony rides and a petting zoo for the kids.
- Are you a resident of Savage, MN? You receive a discount and admission to the Savage Lifetime Fitness Pool featuring a lazy river and water slide.
- Celebrate our area’s cultural diversity at the International Festival of Burnsville. Entertainment, food and family activities!
- Load up the car and take in a movie at the Elko Drive In Theater!
- Bluegrass and Beer at Caponi Art Park in Mid July! Enjoy a music by Sawtooth Brothers, beer by Urban Growler Brewery and food from New Bohemia Wurst + Bier Haus
Ideas for Fall
- Explore Northfield MN at Jesse James Days. Enjoy a family friendly reinactment of the failed bank raid!
- Join your fellow lords and ladies at the Renaissance Festival in Shakopee. Over 250 artisan booths and 16 stages of entertainment.
- Beer or Wine lover? Join a club at Lakeville Liquors – they offer 3 different adult memberships.
- Lakeville Arts Festival happens every September. Peruse the artwork in a wide variety of media.
- Go apple picking and explore the corn maze & haystack at Applewood Orchard
- Take a hike, have a picnic and enjoy the fall leaves at Lebanon Hills Regional Park
- For Halloween Fun at the end of October check out
- Haunted Forest Festival at North Park in Lakeville, or,
- Haunted Wood Trail in Rosemount, or,
- LeDuc Historic Estate in Hastings hosts a Harvest Haunting
- Go Fly a Kite! at Schaar’s Bluff
- Have you ever gone Sky Carting? Get your adreneline rush at Smaash! at Mall of America
- Entertainment, fireworks, a carnival, food, wine tasting, beer tasting and more at the Burnsville Fire Muster in September
- Ramble Jam Country Rock Music Festival at the Dakota County Fairgrounds. There is always a great line up!
Ideas for Winter
- Enjoy the decorations and have dinner while you do your holiday shopping at Mall of America
- Experience Holidazzle in Downtown Minneapolis
- Enjoy holiday music, trolley rides, hot food & refreshments at Village Holidays at Dakota City in Farmington. .
- Find that unique gift at the Holiday Art Sale at the Lakeville Arts Center in December
- December is a great time to visit the Minnesota Zoo. If you’re looking for that perfect holiday photo, bring your family and camera to the Minnesota Zoo to visit Santa!
- Take the family bowling at Apple Place Bowl. For the adults, there is a DJ & Dance music on Saturday nights.
- Ice Skate at Hayes Park Ice Arena in Apple Valley
- Not a skier? Go Tubing at Buck Hill in Burnsville
- Enjoy a winter wonderland while cross country skiing at Alimagnet Park in Burnsville. Equipment is available for rent.
- Bed Race for Bridging at Buck Hill in Burnsville is great fun for a great cause. Stay for the post race event.
- Try your hand at gardening in March at Pahl’s Market Moss Basket Days. You plant your basket and Pahl’s takes care of it until early May!
- Not all of the city celebrations are in the summer – check out the Apple Valley Mid Winter Fest!
- There is even more to do at Lebanon Hills Regional Park in the winter! Try out snowshoeing, dogsledding, skijoring, kicksledding, candlelit hikes and more. Rentals are available!
- Immerse yourself in holiday lights and be entertained by choirs at Burnsville’s Heart of the City’s Winter Lighting Ceremony