Summertime Fun Awaits at Festivals, Fairs, and Events Across America

When the weather heats up and the days begin to linger longer into the night, it can only mean one thing — summer has arrived. And with that comes the great bliss of summertime fun. We’re talking festivals, food, music, and lots of time outdoors with family. Of course, no summer season would be complete without the hallmark festivals that make July and August great.

Most towns have their fireworks on the Fourth, or an annual music fest to bring out the locals in their lawn chairs, but the grandest summer festivals are like cities unto themselves. We’re talking millions of people, A-list entertainment, and that most iconic — and weird — of summertime culinary traditions: food on a stick. Here are a handful of the biggest and best events across the country this July and August:

Minnesota State Fair

Taking the cake as the largest state fair in the country by daily attendance, the Minnesota State Fair is a 322-acre wonderland of games, rides, food, and fun. The fair takes place for the twelve days leading up to Labor Day and has been happening for over 170 years, which means, not surprisingly, that in all that time, they’ve figured out how to do things right. Featured performers this year include Bonnie Raitt, Weird Al Yankovic, and Brad Paisley, while the Adventure Park, Might Midway, and Kidway sections serve up varying levels of thrilling rides for kids of all ages.

Perhaps most importantly, the fair is also the epicenter of the “food on a stick” phenomenon. How about mac n’ cheese on a stick? Or deep-fried olives on a stick? Not weird enough for you? There’s always deep-fried bologna. You get the idea. And when you’ve had your fill, enjoy the fair’s other attractions like haunted houses, mazes, butterfly houses, giant slides, and more. Now that I think about it, twelve days and 170 years might not be enough to see it all.

Iowa State Fair

Focused on Iowa’s agricultural legacy, the Iowa State Fair is the state’s largest annual event. And boy does it deliver. We’re talking “a 600-pound sculpture of a cow made entirely from butter” delivered. It’s weird, it’s wacky, and it’s well worth a late summer road trip. This year’s grandstand has legacy acts like Rod Stewart alongside newer performers like Lainey Wilson, while the Elwell Family Park area features professional rodeo, food contests, and a massive marching band parade. The highlight of the fair might be the Bog Boar and Big Ram competitions, where the state’s top farmers compete for the crowd-pleasing prize of the biggest farm animal in the state.

Lake George Festival Season

If the Midwest has state fairs on overdrive, the Northeast brings a subtler atmosphere to its summertime festivals. Take the Stony Creek Mountain Days Festival in the Adirondacks. Taking place this year from July 31 to August 2, this weekend-long tradition brings the glory of lumberjack skills and thrills to upstate New York with events like log rolling, wood chopping, axe throwing, and greased pole climbs.

While the New York State Lumberjack Competition is the biggest draw, antique markets and traditional Adirondack food exhibitions round out the event. Just down the road in Lake George, the Rock the Dock Festival in early July is a must for music lovers looking to enjoy their favorite tunes against the backdrop of one of America’s favorite summer destinations. The lake’s famous touring steamboats surround the stage while performers in a variety of jam band and jazz genres play the night away. For a relaxing, Americana-infused festival, this one’s hard to beat.

Maine Lobster Festival

What began as a marketing ploy to help revive Maine’s mid-coast tourist towns, Rockland’s Maine Lobster Festival has become an internationally beloved food fest. Taking place the first week of August from Wednesday to Sunday, the event is a deep dive into all things crustacean, featuring food tents that overlook the beautiful Penobscot Bay, as well as, seafood cooking contests, arts exhibits, beer and wine tastings, and the hilariously thrilling International Great Crate Race, in which competitors young and old vie to cross a string of fifty floating wood lobster crates without falling into the ocean. Few complete the feat, but everybody — including those cheering from the shoreline – seems to have a great time. It’s off with a town-wide parade that boasts fisherman floats and lobster mascots, and you’ve got a truly unique maritime fest for the ages.

Bikes and Classic Cars

The undisputed heavyweight champion of motorcycle festivals is the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally that takes place each August in Sturgis, South Dakota. Drawing in more than half a million riders each year, it’s a raucous, rowdy time full of concerts, day rides, food and drink, and more. The rumble of tires against pavement can be heard echoing throughout the South Dakota landscape miles away. But Sturgis, as incredible an event as it is, isn’t the only worthy summer fest for bike and car aficionados.

Fans looking for a more refined experience should head to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where classic cars and emerging prototypes can be found beside each other on the fairways and greens of California’s famed Pebble Beach Golf Course. The Woodward Dream Cruise in metro Detroit is a must for muscle car lovers. Stretching over 16 miles along the Woodward Avenue thoroughfare, this free, one-day fest boasts examples of Detroit’s finest hot rods and muscle cars, alongside fantastic barbecue and local musicians on nearly every corner.