The Rochester MN Guide to Summer + Bucket List is sponsored by Experience Rochester MN
Summer has finally arrived! You know what that means…endless activity out and about in our city to make up for the time spent indoors. The Rochester MN and SE Minnesota areas have so many activities and events for you and your family. Use our Rochester MN Ultimate Guide to Summer and free printable Bucket List to choose your own adventure!
With 12 categories (and some bonus categories too!) and over 120 ideas, you’re sure to find a way to make 2021 your best summer ever. Simply scroll down (and scroll and scrolls!) and click on the icon in the category to jump to that list.
Print out the checklist below and you can fill in what you’d like to do to truly customize your summer! Have fun, friends. Cheers to the best summer yet!
Experience Rochester MN
images by: AB-PHOTOGRAPHY.US
Experience Rochester MN is the official destination marketing organization for Minnesota’s Rochester: America’s City of Care & Innovation. Visit www.minnesotasrochester.com for an in-depth summer events calendar, and to explore things to do, festivals and events, dining, nightlife, shopping, and entertainment. A valuable resource for visitors and residents, Experience Rochester MN is your go-to organization for information on the city’s scenic beauty, the culture of caring, and friendly faces. Find your “destination inspiration” and savor your summer with Experience Rochester MN!
Ultimate Guide to Summer + Bucket List
FREE Printable - Rochester MN Summer Bucket List
Join us as we explore all that Rochester MN has to offer this summer, and enjoy the customizable FREE printable below to hang on the fridge!
The Great Outdoors
- Take a hike! Start with these family favorites fun hikes.
- Rochester MN has over 75+ miles of paved interconnected bike paths. Check our favorite bike trails!
- Go wading in a shallow river or creek. We love Whitewater or Oxbow park for this! Be safe! Read up on these water safety tips to be prepared.
- Fishing in the Silver Creek Reservoir
- Swimming at Foster Arend Park
- Go on a camping trip to a local campground.
- Watch the otters swim at Zollman Zoo at Oxbow Park (and a million other fun things too!)
- Participate in a Quarry Hill Nature Class
- Go on a family Nature Scavenger Hunt (and here are two more: Farmers Market Finds & Autumn Scavenger Hunt)
- Pick strawberries at one of the local farms
- Catch a drive-in or outdoor movie!
- Go fossil hunting
- Looking for adventure? Go on a real-life treasure hunt by geo-caching!
- We aren’t one of the windiest cities in the US for nothing…go fly a kite!
Day Trips
Below is a list of great cities to visit as well as things to do while you’re there!
- Check out our Guide to Rochester MN Day Trips!
- Go on a Laura Ingalls Wilder Trip
- Take a Kid-Designed Spontaneous Road Trip
- Visit Stockholm and Maiden Rock, Wisconsin
- Visit Lake City, Minnesota
- Visit Northfield, Minnesota
- Visit Red Wing, Minnesota
- Visit Nerstrand Big Woods State Park
- Visit Eau Claire, Wisconsin
- Visit Austin, Minnesota
Field Trips
Check out these great local destinations for even more things to do! Below you’ll find parks, museums, attractions, and more!
- Visit the otters, Northwoods animals, playscape anymore at Oxbow Park
- See if you can climb the Elba Fire Tower! Bonus, it’s very close to Whitewater State Park!
- Visit the National Eagle Center in Wabasha. This center is very kid-friendly with demonstrations, classes, and even an opportunity to fish for food to feed the eagles.
- Lark Toys is a must-see! It is a place where magic, childhood, and fun all combine into a store/amusement park/mini-golf course/treat shop/museum/zoo.
- The Science Museum of Minnesota is always a huge hit!
- The Minnesota History Center in St. Paul is not your typical history museum! No roped-off areas where you just gaze at decaying smelly artifacts. Interactive. Full hands-on experiences and some very unique immersion experiences await you!
- Check out the many permanent interactive zones (construction! climbing! growing!) at the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota in Mankato.
- We love the Minnesota Zoo! This is just a short drive away and has a day’s worth of fun animal adventures.
- Rochester is fortunate to have many nearby state parks.
Festivals & Concerts
There are so many local festivals and concerts to attend in and around Rochester. These events are listed by date for easy reference! Check out our list complete list of Outdoor Music events here!
JUNE
- Pine Island, MN Cheese Fest (June 4-6)
- Lanesboro, MN Rhubarb Festival (June 5)
- Summer Sundays at Squash Blossom Farm (starting June 13th)
- Winona, MN Steamboat Days (June 16-20)
- Elgin, MN Cheese Days (June 18-20)
- Viola, MN Gopher Count (June 19-20)
- Our very own Rochesterfest (June 19-27)
- Zumbro River Community Festival (June 19)
- Grand Meadow, MN Meadow Fest (June 25-27)
- Lake City, MN Waterski Days (June 25-27)
- forWARD Neighborhood Park Concert starts June 30 with a different band every Wednesday in a different ward of the City of Rochester each week.
- Sarah Morris with Nancy Tobiason (June 30)
- Southern Avenue with Colin Bracewell (July 21)
- Los Rebeldes with Root River Jam (August 18)
- Jeremiah Nelson with Jealous Brother (August 25)
- Erik Koskinen with Pat Egan (September 1)
- Annie Mack with Soul Train (September 8)
JULY
- Thursdays Downtown! Rochester’s own classic Street Fair. (every Thursday, July 8 – August, 11 AM – 8:30 PM)
- Rochester 4th Fest (July 4th)4:30 PM – DJ LaidEeP5:00 PM – Swing Street6:15 PM – DJ LaidEeP6:45 PM – Salsa del Soul
8:00 PM – DJ LaidEeP
8:20 PM – Susan McMillan
8:30 PM – Transit Authority
- Stewartville, MN Summerfest (June 27-July 4)
- Blooming Prairie, MN Old Fashioned 4th of July Celebration (July 3-4)
- The Riverside Concerts series starts July 11th with a different band every Sunday until August 15th!
- Lindsay Ell with Luke Hendricksen (July 11)
- Chastity Brown with Bluedog (July 18)
- Smashmouth with Push and Turn (July 25)
- Poliça with Amateur (August 1)
- Ranky Tanky with Thomas and the Shakes (August 8)
- 38 Special with Fred the Bear (August 15)
- Eyota, MN Days (July 12-18)
- Byron, MN Good Neighbor Days (July 15-18)
- forWARD Neighborhood Park Concert starts June 30 with a different band every Wednesday in a different ward of the City of Rochester each week.
- Southern Avenue with Colin Bracewell (July 21)
- Los Rebeldes with Root River Jam (August 18)
- Jeremiah Nelson with Jealous Brother (August 25)
- Erik Koskinen with Pat Egan (September 1)
- Annie Mack with Soul Train (September 8)
- Olmsted County Free Fair (July 26-August 1)
- 38th Annual Riverboat Days in Wabasha, MN (July 30-31)
AUGUST
- Thursdays Downtown! Rochester’s own classic Street Fair. (every Thursday, July 8 – August, 11 AM – 8:30 PM)
- The Riverside Concerts series starts July 11th with a different band every Sunday until August 15th!
- Poliça with Amateur (August 1)
- Ranky Tanky with Thomas and the Shakes (August 8)
- 38 Special with Fred the Bear (August 15)
- forWARD Neighborhood Park Concert starts June 30 with a different band every Wednesday in a different ward of the City of Rochester each week.
- Los Rebeldes with Root River Jam (August 18)
- Jeremiah Nelson with Jealous Brother (August 25)
- Erik Koskinen with Pat Egan (September 1)
- Annie Mack with Soul Train (September 8)
- Olmsted County Free Fair (July 26-August 1)
- Red Wing, MN River City Days (August 6-8)
- Lanesboro, MN Buffalo Bill Days (August 5-8)
- Plainview, MN Corn on the Cob Days (August 11-15)
- Chatfield, MN Western Days (August 13-15)
- Kasson, MN Festival in the Park (August 12-15)
- Spring Valley, MN Ag Days (August 19-22)
- Oronoco, MN Gold Rush (August 20-22)
- St. Charles, MN Gladiolus Days (August 22-29)
- Rochester MN Original Greekfest (TBD)
- Kellogg, MN Watermelon Festival (September 10-12)
- Zumbrota, MN Covered Bridge Festival (September 18)
Local Love
Rochester has so much to offer during the summer months. Why not become a tourist in your own city! Consider exploring places and things you’ve never seen or done before. Here’s a list to get you started!
- Visit a Rochester MN Patio or Outdoor Dining Area
- Visit Spark: Place of Play (formerly the Minnesota Children’s Museum – Rochester) to experience all there is to offer
- Burn off some energy at these 8 places
- Go SWIMMING! Silver Lake and Soldiers Field Pool are FREE this summer!
- Sign up for a summer camp in the SE MN Area
- Check out Fresh Air Fitness – an outdoor exercise series downtown Rochester MN!
- Visit the summer Rochester Farmers Market at Graham Park (our favorite!)
- Go on a Rochester MN Mural Hunt
- Visit all of the Rochester MN breweries
- Watch a movie downtown at Movies in the Park
- Hang out with all your friends at Thursdays Downtown (starting in July!)
- Take a ride on Will, Charlie, Alfred, WW Mayo, or Henry for a Kids Trolley Tour around the city!
- Take a leisurely paddle around Silver Lake with your goose friends with their Boats/Bike Rental
- Check out the downtown Rochester MN ArtWalk
- And on that note, visit them 2021 Art4Trails sculptures!
- Watch a Waterski Show on Lake Zumbro
- Go on a Nature Scavenger Hunt (or this one…or this one)!
- Check out these 5 places to introduce kids to art in Rochester MN
- Farmers Market Scavenger Hunt
- Explore science at these 8 #rochmn locations
- Attend a performance at Rochester Civic Theatre
- Pick up an Art Kit, Subscription box or art supplies from Neon Green Studio
- Tap into your creative soul by taking a class at Canvas & Chardonnay
- Support our community of local artisans by shopping at Dwell Local
- Build your child’s library and tackle that reading list by visiting the mini-libraries around town
- Visit Rochester MN area wineries
- Practice a random act of kindness
- Visit the Bookmobile around downtown
- Hire a babysitter and enjoy one of these date night ideas
- Take a tour of the Historic Mayowood Mansion
- Hike the Douglas Trail in a day
- Visit Cascade Lake, Rochester’s newest park
- Check these 21 popular activities off of your #rochmn list!
- Go to an outdoor movie!
- Visit all 13 of these places to get creative in #rochmn
- Rainy day? No worries, play inside!
Around the Neighborhood
- Join our Community and Conversation Group to meet other moms and families near you!
- Plan a Family Movie Night!
- Attend a forWARD Neighborhood Park Concert
- Have a camp out in the backyard
- S’mores Bar (Try Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, salted caramel chocolate squares, use Nutella instead of chocolate, etc)
- Build a giant slip-n-slide and get crazy with foam or shaving cream
- Water Balloon wars…We LOVE these! Worth the price to us!
- Family Game Night! Pick out a new game – these are our favorites!
- Play Giant Jenga or another awesome DIY Backyard Game!
- Plan a neighborhood squirt gun war! Winner picks the show for the next neighborhood movie night!
- Create a neighborhood Scavenger Hunt (get inspiration here and here)
- Ultimate Summer Beverage Contest: who can create the ultimate summer refresher?
- Find all your amazing summer produce at the Rochester Farmers Market
- Host an outdoor movie night
- Make special treats and deliver them to neighbors
- Have a neighborhood sidewalk chalk art contest
- Organize a Neighborhood Garage Sale
Food & Drink
- Dine al Fresco on all the area patios!
- Organize a pub crawl by visiting all of these Rochester MN breweries
- Can you visit all the #rochmn taco trucks? We bet you can!
- Is there anything more summery than ice cream? Check out one of Rochester MN’s ice cream spots for a sweet treat!
- Grab your friends and enjoy one of Rochester’s happy hours!
- Make the BEST summer drink
- Visit an area pizza farm and use our comprehensive guide to choose! Some great choices are: Squash Blossom Farm and Berne Wood Fired Pizza.
- Check out one of Rochester’s food trucks!
- Work your way through the Rochester MN Coffee Shops
- Go Strawberry Picking
- Experiment with different popsicle recipes
- Visit the Rochester Farmers Market, pick out a tomato plant, and make a pizza with pizza sauce made from your tomatoes at the end of the summer
- Order an Old Abe Coffee Co. War Eagle…if you dare!
- Find your family’s favorite donut!
- Plan a fun day with friends and taste the award-winning wines at Four Daughters Vineyard
- Go on your own wine tasting tour by visiting the other vineyard or wineries in the area: Salem Glen Vineyard, Whitewater Wines, Cannon River Winery, Villa Bellezza, and Four Daughters Vineyard
Fun Family Activities
Around Rochester
- Have Two Hours of Free Time? Check out these great things to do in Rochester, MN!
- Need to burn off some steam? Check out 8 places to burn energy!
- Looking for things specifically for kids under two? We’ve got you covered!
- Feeling artistic? There are so many places to get creative in Rochester MN. Check out these 13 spots.
- Check out these great things for teens to do in Rochester MN!
- Tap your inner inquisitive nature with 8 places to explore science in Rochester MN.
- Go rock climbing at Roca Climbing & Fitness
- Take a class or activity at Quarry Hill Nature Center
- Have a family nerf fight at Archery Addiction!
- Bounce out the energy at Air Insanity Indoor Trampoline Park
- Movies in the Park with Downtown Rochester MN
- Can you ride your bike all the way around Silver Lake? See if you can!
- Join the Spark Summer Reading Challenge!
Indoor Fun
- Need to burn off some steam? Check out 9 places to burn energy!
- Rainy day? Check out all of these places to play inside in Rochester MN!
- Visit the Spark for the First Free Sunday of each month
Around the House or with Friends
- Plant a family Victory Garden
- Plan a play date with friends
- Build a Natural Playscape
- Try these outdoor “hacks” with your kids!
- Start a Summer Adventure Notebook. A fun tradition every year!
- Sign up for a kid’s workshop at Home Depot
- BUBBLES—Need We Say More?
- Build a backyard fort with boxes and blankets
- Spend an evening catching fireflies (release them later)
- Jump through the sprinkler or make your own!
- Jump ropes, sidewalk chalk, hula hoops – turn all of these everyday items into a fun obstacle course for the kids.
- Make your own DIY Fishing Game!
SE Minnesota Love
- Choose one of the many popular day trips from Rochester MN
- Take a Field Trip to a spot around the area. Here are our favorites!
- Let the kids plan a spontaneous road trip!
- Plan a visit to the magical Lark Toys and ride the whimsical indoor hand-carved merry-go-round. Voted the best toy store in Minnesota!
- Go on a Zip-Line Tour through the Minnesota Forest canopy
- Visit Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store!
- Meet bald and golden eagles up close at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha
- Why not try something new on a stick at the Great Minnesota Get-Together?
- Plan a day trip to quaint and picturesque Lanesboro
- Go camping or hiking at Whitewater State Park.
- Visit Mystery Cave in Forestville
- Schedule a Factory Tour at Spring Grove Soda
- Another cave! Why not? Visit Niagara Cave
- Get an agricultural education at the Red Barn Learning Farm
- Climb the Elba Fire Tower
Sports Enthusiasts
- Check out Fresh Air Fitness – a summer dance and fitness series
- Check out one of the many races & fun-runs in the area
- Attend a MedCity FC or Rochester Futbol Club Soccer Game
- Get a picture with Slider at a Rochester Honkers game
- Fore! Practice your putting skills on the mini-golf course at Skyline Raceway.
- Attend a Roosters or Hens Vintage Baseball Game
- Check out Bowlocity to work on your bowling form, check out the latest arcade games, and challenge your friends in laser tag!
- Got the need for speed? Race your friends in Go-Karts at Skyline Raceway!
- Race your friends at the Hal Martin All-Comers’ Track Meet on select Tuesdays this summer
- Go rock climbing at Roca Climbing & Fitness
- Check out The Battleground – tactical laser tag in #rochmn!
Staying Cool
Trying to beat the heat? Check out these great ideas and destinations to stay cool this summer!
- Burn off some energy indoors
- Read, explore, create and connect at the Rochester Public Library (Library Express!)
- Visit your childhood with vintage arcade games at The Machine Shed
- Visit the Spark (formerly Minnesota Children’s Museum – Rochester) for an afternoon of fun!
- Head to the grocery store and pick out a new fruit or vegetable
- Explore the subway downtown…can you find Carroll’s Corn?
- Hang out at the mall play area right outside Scheels
- Rent some skates and go ice skating at the Rec Center!
Swimming
There are so many area pools, beaches and other ways to stay cool in the water in our area! Check out our Complete Guide to Swimming in SE Minnesota! And for even more fun: check out all the things you can do on the water that AREN’T Swimming.
- Silver Lake Pool – Rochester MN
- Aquatic Center – City of Kasson MN
- Soldiers Field Pool – Rochester MN
- Pine Island Community Pool – City of Pine Island, MN
- Community Pool – City of Stewartville, MN
- Northgate Park – Rochester MN (about the closest thing we’ll get to a splash pad: a circle of cement with a giant spout in the middle!)
- Chester Woods Beach – Rochester MN
- Foster Arend Beach – Rochester MN
- Cascade Lake Beach – Rochester MN
- Hok-Si-La Beach– City of Lake City, MN (Pro tip: enjoy watching the sailboats!)
Rochester MN July Events
Looking for a fun family event or maybe something just for you? Check out our Guide to August Events!
Still Need More Ideas?
Is there anything more quintessential than a summer parade? We love a good parade, and our kids do too.
Thursdays Downtown is THE place to be for food, fun, and all things Rochester MN!
Our comprehensive list of of all the breweries in Rochester MN!
Why not take the opportunity of the beautiful weather and summer sunshine to get an updated family photo?
Take a coffee tour around Rochester to all our great coffee spots!
Our comprehensive list of of all the taco trucks in Rochester MN!
Some people are real ice cream snobs, while others are just happy with any old frozen, sugary treat. In an effort to be inclusive, soft serve, gelato, frozen custard, and frozen yogurt are all included in the Rochester MN ice cream guide.
Our Guide to Running, Races & Fun-Runs: a complete guide to all the races and fun runs in our area! These events are almost all family-friendly and are great opportunities to get out and get running!
We’ve rounded up some nearby pizza farms for you to enjoy while the sun is still high. Enjoy the friendly, country settings and the delicious local food for a truly special summertime experience!
Check out this list of 9 (no food) date ideas in the Rochester, MN area as well as these summertime date ideas!
Rochester MN has fantastic hiking with unique characteristics and loads of natural beauty. Even better? There are some great trails and hikes just out your back door and there are some great ones for families!
Because we strongly believe in getting out and enjoying some adult time, we’ve put together a helpful guide to downtown Rochester, MN happy hours.
