We’ve got it all in St. Paul. Hmong music festivals; German, Irish, Scottish and pan-African cultural fairs; a massive Cinco de Mayo parade; an Indigenous fashion show; Asian night markets — you name it, and local artists and cultural organizations are making it happen around town this spring an d summer. So grab your calendars: Here are just some of the many family-friendly fairs, celebrations and festivals to check out over the next few months. April April 19 — Earth Day 2025, El Rio Vista Recreation Center: MN350 and St. Paul Parks & Recreation are teaming up to celebrate sustainability, enjoy a free community meal, and watch live entertainment from local musician David Huckfelt and others. Plus, family activities and seed-planting. Free; 12–3 p.m.; 179 E. Robie St., on the West Side. April 25 — Native Nations Fashion Night, InterContinental St. Paul Riverfront: Designers in this year’s Native fashion show focused on water, whether by using upcycled materials to highlight sustainability, centering clay pottery and water vessels or using woodland imagery to call to mind the need to care for lakes and forests. Plus, a marketplace with designers’ clothing and products and DJ’ed music. Event space opens at at 6 p.m., fashion show at 7 p.m.; tickets ($55.20/person, including fees) available at nativenationsfashion.com; 11 East Kellogg Blvd. April 25–27 — The St. Paul Art Crawl, various locations: The spring edition of this twice-yearly extravaganza takes place across three weekends. Plenty of open studios, live music, food and more across town. Venues this weekend are in Ward 2, which encompasses downtown, Lowertown, West Seventh, Summit Hill and the West Side. In particular, stop by the Schmidt Artist Lofts Brewhouse, with more than 80 artists across five levels: 6 to 9 p.m. April 25; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 26; 12 to 6 p.m. April 27. 900 W. Seventh St.; entrance is at Door 1 between West Seventh and Oneida streets. Artists will also be at Union Depot in Lowertown: 5 to 9 p.m. April 25; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 26; 12 to 6 p.m. April 27. April 25–27 — Minnesota Horse Expo, Canterbury Park: It’s the state’s largest horse-centric trade show, plus info on horse training and care — and free pony rides. Single-day admission, available online, is $18 for adults; $15 for seniors and youth; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 25 and 26, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 27. 1100 Canterbury Road, Shakopee A boy in traditional Hmong garments plays the qeej at the inaugural Hmong Qeej Festival on May 22, 2022, at Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul. The Hmong Cultural Center, which organizes the festival, says it’s the only event of its kind in the country dedicated to the Hmong reed instrument. (Photo courtesy Kang Vang / Hmong Cultural Center) April 27 — Minnesota Qeej and Hmong Arts Festival, Union Depot: This fourth annual festival bills itself as the only event in Minnesota and possibly the country focusing on the traditional Hmong qeej instrument. Enjoy a variety of Hmong music, dance, food vendors, crafts and family-friendly cultural activities. Free; begins 10 a.m.; 214 E. Fourth St. May May 2–3 — West Side Cinco de Mayo: Celebrate Mexican culture and community organizations across the West Side during this two-day street fair. Expect food, music, dance, live wrestling, a car show and plenty of family activities on Cesar Chavez Street and Clinton Avenue on either side of Parque Castillo; 149 Cesar Chavez St. More info at stpaulwestsidefiestas.com. The Kalpulli Huitzillin dancers perform during the Cinco de Mayo parade on St. Paul’s West Side neighborhood on Saturday, May 4, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press) May 2–4 — The St. Paul Art Crawl, various locations: The second weekend brings us around the North End and greater East Side for open studios, food, music and more. In particular, stop by Urban Roots between 1–5 p.m. May 3 for all of the above plus DJ sets, creating art, free nature coloring books and a youth bake sale; 1110 Payne Ave. May 3 — Fraser Festival, RiverCentre: This fun event brings together music, movement, games, food and animals in ways that are inclusive for those with sensory processing differences. The annual festival is also a fundraiser for the nonprofit Fraser. Attendance is free, with donations accepted at fraser.org. The event runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at RiverCentre downtown. May 9–11 — The St. Paul Art Crawl, various locations: Finish out the crawl across the central part of the city, from Como to Highland Park; from Frogtown to St. Anthony Park. May 10–11 — Minnesota Songkran Festival, Capitol: This celebration of the Thai new year returns with live music, dance, vendors and the annual spicy papaya-eating contest — not for the faint of heart! Free; no ticket required. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 10, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 11; 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. May 16 — Parks & People Coloring Book Launch, Irvine Park: It’s the 176th birthday of the St. Paul park system! Come celebrate a new ‘grown-up’ coloring book showcasing 19 parks, with illustrations by Jeanne Kosfeld and writing by former Pioneer Press arts editor Kathy Berdan. Buy the book and enjoy music and food trucks, 12 to 1 p.m.; 25 Walnut St. May 17–18 — Hmong American Day Festival, old Sears lot: In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Hmong community in the U.S., a two-day festival with cultural performances, food vendors, beer garden and more activities. Free; 425 Rice St. May 22–25 — Kickoff to Summer at the Fair, Minnesota State Fairgrounds: The early summer Fair preview is back with food, beer, vendors, the Milk Run 5K race, Giant Slide rides and other attractions. And maybe the best perk: free parking. Attendance is limited per day and tickets go on sale soon at mnstatefair.org. May 29 — Archival Footage Bingo, Minnesota History Center: Think bingo — but instead of numbered balls, it’s videos pulled from history, like local news segments, home videos, short films and more “quirky clips.” Free event, and History Center admission is also free Thursday afternoons; 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the first-floor Heffelfinger Room; 345 W. Kellogg Blvd. June Bubbles fill the air courtesy of the Red Balloon Bookshop during the Grand Old Day parade in St. Paul on Sunday, June 2, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press) June 1 — Grand Old Day, across Grand Avenue: A parade! Food! Live music and street performances! Supporting local businesses on Grand Avenue! What more could you ask for? More info on specific events at grandave.com/events/grandoldday. June 7 — St. Anthony Park Arts Festival: Centered on the St. Anthony Park Branch Library (2245 Como Ave.), this long-running neighborhood art festival also includes a beer and mead garden, food and music. Free; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 14–15 — Asian Street Food Night Market, old Sears lot: Inspired by night markets across Asia, a variety of organizations are putting on a version here with street food, music, dancing, a beer garden and a talent show. Free to enter; 3 to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 14, and 2 to 10 p.m. Sunday, June 15; 425 Rice St. June 14–15 — Deutsche Tage, Germanic American Institute: The long-running annual German cultural festival returns with food, beer, music, dancing and more. A full list of vendors and performers is still in the works, but hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. June 14 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 15. The event is free and open to all ages; 301 Summit Ave. June 14–15 — STP Pride Festival, Dual Citizen Brewery: After two years downtown, this festival dedicated to building opportunity for queer youth in St. Paul is heading to St. Anthony Park. Expect music, food and better accessibility and parking; organizer Kyle Rucker also teased a performance from circus school Circus Juventas. Free; 12 to 8 p.m. both days; 725 Raymond Ave. Davina and the Vagabonds perform at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival on June 24, 2023 as a rainbow appears in the background. (Courtesy of Molly Steinke) June 20–21 — Twin Cities Jazz Festival, Mears Park: This popular public jazz celebration features a variety of performances, including Emmet Cohen Trio, Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans and Adi Yeshaya Jazz Orchestra on June 20 and Catherine Russell and Sean Mason, L.A. Buckner and BiG HOMiE, Jazz Women All Stars and Society of Chemists on June 21. More details including performance times at twincitiesjazzfestival.com; 221 E. Fifth St. June 27–29 — Kaposia Days, South St. Paul: This year marks the 50th anniversary of South St. Paul’s community celebration. Kick things off with a parade at 6:30 on June 27 (following a generally similar route with the exception of final blocks moved from Seventh Avenue to Fifth Avenue) and a full slate of events at kaposiadays.org/site/events. June 28–29 — Little Mekong Night Market, Little Mekong Cultural District: Food, arts, cultural performances and other small business events running from day into night — plus singing and a dance competition. Free; 5 to 11 p.m. June 28, and 3 to 9 p.m. June 29. Events run along the Little Mekong area on University Avenue, between Mackubin and Marion streets. July July 12 — West St. Paul Pride: West St. Paul’s LGBTQ pride festival is marking its sixth year at the West St. Paul Sports Complex; 1650 Oakdale Ave. More specific details will be posted on the organization’s Facebook page. July 19 — Minnesota Scottish Fair & Highland Games, Macalester College: Find Celtic music, athletics and music competitions, dancing, Scottish vendors, kids’ crafts and storytelling and info to help you find your Scottish ancestry. Admission is $20; free for kids under 12. Info at mnscottishfair.org. AUGUST Aug. 3 — Little Africa Parade and Festival, Hamline Park: The 11th annual celebration of African cultures and communities kicks off with a Parade of Nations starting and ending at Hamline Park. There’ll also be dance groups, drummers and musicians, local businesses, food and more. Parade begins at noon and event runs till 9 p.m.; 1564 Lafond Ave. Dancers with the Rince Nua Irish Dance studio in Maple Grove perform on the Irish Dance State at the Irish Fair of Minnesota on Saturday, Aug.11, 2018. (John Autey / Pioneer Press) August 8–10 — Irish Fair of Minnesota, Harriet Island Regional Park: One of the country’s largest Irish festivals, St. Paul’s includes plenty of food, dance, music, cultural programming and a marketplace. Single-day tickets run $25 for adults, $15 for seniors and teens and free for kids; weekend passes are $60 for adults, $50 for seniors and teens and free for kids. Visit irishfair.com. Aug. 21–Sept. 1, Minnesota State Fair: Of course we’re already thinking about it! Five out of the 12 Grandstand shows have been announced as of this writing; we’ll be visited by Old Dominion, Melissa Etheridge and Indigo Girls, the Happy Together Tour 2025, Def Leppard and Steve Miller Band. Related Articles Spring and summer concerts include AC/DC, Post Malone, the Weeknd Film adaptations, Sondheim and ‘Glensheen’ coming to local theaters Fine-art galleries and museum exhibitions are thinking big Classical music to welcome spring and summer ...read more read less