Canada Day
Thunder Bay, ON
On Canada Day at Fort William Historical Park, the continent's largest reconstructed fur post, admission is free to the first 500 visitors. There's also free corn on the cob, an inflatable obstacle course, axe-throwing, paintball, canoe rides, dance performances and bannock-making, log-sawing and lacrosse contests.
Riverfest
La Crosse, WI
This riverfront festival includes music, magicians, a hypnotist, a pole-vaulting competition, kids' races, a water-ski show and fireworks by the La Crosse Skyrockers.
Eyes to the Skies Festival
Lisle, IL
This large festival on the west edge of Chicago features daily hot-air balloon launches, glows and fireworks shows, plus children's activities and a craft fair.
National Women's Music Festival
Middleton, WI
In addition to concerts, this musical and cultural festival at the Marriott Madison West features comedy, theater, film and writers' workshops.
Ribfest
Romeoville, IL
Headliners in this southwest Chicago suburb include REO Speedwagon and Styx in Knoch Park, where there's also magic shows, kids' games, food and fireworks on the last evening.
Iowa City Jazz Festival
Iowa City, IA
This downtown festival features a Culinary Row, Fun Zone for kids and Sunday fireworks in addition to music.
Riverfront Rendezvous
Stevens Point, WI
There's a noon parade on the Fourth plus lumberjack and magic shows, bands and, on Saturday, kids' games, a lighted boat parade and fireworks.
Red White and Boom
Minneapolis, MN
There's a half-marathon, relay and 5K in the morning, and music and family activities from 6 to 10 p.m., followed by fireworks.
Festivities are along the riverfront across from downtown.
In 2020, the fireworks and music are canceled.
Sub Fest
Manitowoc, WI
The fest at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, home of the USS Cobia, is combined with Fourth on the Shore this year and features music, a parade and fireworks.
Fire Over the Fox
Green Bay, WI
Green Bay hosts the largest fireworks show north of Milwaukee, plus a water-ski show, carnival rides and music and family entertainment on five stages plus the Neville Public Museum. It's in Leicht Memorial Park.
National Cherry Festival
Traverse City, MI
This town on Lake Michigan attracts half a million people to events that include air shows, an arts fair, music, races, the big Cherry Royale Parade and many contests, including pie-eating and pit-spitting.
Taste of Chicago
Chicago, IL
The big free festival in Grant Park offers lots of food and music.
Karl Oskar Days
Lindstrom, MN
The festival in this Swedish town just north of the Twin Cities features fireworks, a car show and a parade.
Heart of the North Rodeo
Spooner, WI
Look for the four R's in this western Wisconsin town: roping, bull riding, steer wrestling and barrel racing. A parade is on Saturday.
Iola Old Car Show
Iola, WI
This show and swap meet brings up to 130,000 people to this village east of Stevens Point.
Winnipeg Folk Festival
Winnipeg, MB
This easy-going, family-friendly festival features more than 70 performers from eight countries, food and hand-made art from around the world plus a fun play area for children.
Many people camp on-site at Birds Hill Provincial Park. Tickets are cheapest when bought in advance.
Bastille Days
Milwaukee, WI
Look for minstrels, cancan dancers, French lessons, a Mardi Gras parade and a 43-foot replica of the Eiffel Tower in Cathedral Square Park.
Hodag Country Festival
Rhinelander, WI
This year, performers at this big fest include Neal McCoy and Darius Rucker. There's a band contest, too.
Balloon Rally/Ribfest/Chalkfest
Wausau, WI
At the airport, the Balloon and Rib Fest features hot-air balloons, kite-flying, a petting zoo, music and fireworks.
On Saturday and Sunday, artists decorate downtown during Chalkfest. There's a shuttle bus from downtown.
Riverfest
Monticello, MN
This Mississippi River town, known for its trumpeter swans in winter, celebrates summer with a car show, pie-eating contest, Friday fireworks and noon parade on Sunday.
Fiesta Days
McHenry, IL
There's a Music Fest, carnival and car and motorcycle show in Petersen Park the first weekend and a children's ice cream social, arts and crafts fair and Sunday parade the second weekend in Veteran's Memorial Park.
Basilica Block Party
Minneapolis, MN
Praise the Loud at this ticketed rock-music fest at the Basilica of St. Mary on the edge of downtown.
Bigfoot Days
Remer, MN
This town in Chippewa National Forest, between Walker and Grand Rapids, calls itself the Home of Bigfoot. There will be a Bigfoot Olympics, a Bigfoot-calling contest, Bigfoot storytelling, a scavenger hunt and a petting zoo.
Blissfest
Cross Village, MI
This family-friendly folk and roots festival on a farm includes reggae, country, zydeco, jazz and Celtic music on three stages and four workshop areas. There's also a juried arts and crafts fair. Rustic camping is available.
Bicycle, Blues and BBQ Festival
Clear Lake, IA
There are professional races plus a tour, blues music and craft beer at this festival based in City Park.
Square Roots Festival
Chicago, IL
The Old Town School of Folk Music presents this Lincoln Square festival, which includes more than 60 acts on four stages plus 30 local and regional craft beers and food from neighborhood restaurants.
Northwest Water Carnival
Detroit Lakes, MN
This big festival celebrates its 85th year with a sand-castle contest, water fights, ship-building (in less than 30 minutes), beer tasting, watermelon feed, bike tour and more. On the last day, there's a big parade at 1 p.m.
Driftless Music Festival
Viroqua, WI
This free folk and roots festival is in Viroqua's Eckhart Park.
Phelps Mill Festival
Phelps, MN
There's a juried arts and crafts fair, children's activities and music in this bucolic, tucked-away park along the Otter Tail River, next to an 1889 brick and clapboard mill that's open for tours.
The hamlet of Phelps is just west of Otter Tail Lake and north of Underwood.
Art Fair On/Off the Square
Madison, WI
Nearly 500 artists from around the nation will be selling on Capitol Square and 140 Wisconsin artists around Monona Terrace, attracting more than 200,000 people.
Grand Marais Arts Festival
Grand Marais, MN
This juried art show along the Lake Superior harbor includes children's activities, art demonstrations, a pie social and live music.
Rock Fest
Cadott, WI
This year's outdoor festival near Chippewa Falls features Limp Bizkit, Slipknot and Disturbed.
Country Jam
Eau Claire, WI
Luke Combs, Chris Young and Locash are among the headliners of this fest. There's camping on-site.
Bavarian Blast
New Ulm, MN
In addition to German music, food and beer, this festival at the Brown County Fair Grounds features stein-holding, barrel-rolling and sauerkraut-eating contests, plus a Sunday parade.
Paperfest
Kimberly, WI
This Fox Cities town celebrates its heritage with toilet-paper tosses, lawn games, concerts, human foosball and a firefighter tug of war.
RiverSong Music Festival
Hutchinson, MN
This family-friendly festival on the Crow River, west of the Twin Cities, features folk, blues, jazz and other grassroots music on three stages, including one for children. There's onsite camping and food.
Lowertown Blues & Funk Festival
St. Paul, MN
This free, all-ages festival is in Mears Park.
Highland Fest
St. Paul, MN
This street fair in St. Paul's Highland Park neighborhood includes an arts fair, music, carnival rides, wiener-dog races and an all-Ford car and truck show.
Festa Italiana
Milwaukee, WI
At the lakefront Henry Maier Festival Park, there's cannoli-eating and pizza-making contests, celebrity chefs, a bocce ball tournament, parades at 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, nightly fireworks and music and dance on five stages and an opera tent.
Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival
Marquette, MI
This folk-music festival in Tourist Park also features a juried arts and crafts show and camping on-site.
Honor the Earth Pow-wow
Hayward, WI
The Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa hold one of the largest powwows in North America, with dancing, singing and crafts plus a cooking contest, run/walk and softball tournament.
Lumberjack Days
Stillwater, MN
This music festival along the St. Croix River also features lumberjack shows and such attractions as a downhill derby, hammerschlagen, helicopter rides and a parade at 1 p.m. Sunday.
It's canceled in 2020.
Wannigan Days
St. Croix Falls, WI
St. Croix Falls and its cross-river neighbor, Taylors Falls, pay tribute to lumberjacks and river pigs with rock and country music, an arts and crafts fair, a Saturday parade and fireworks.
Stockholm Art Fair
Stockholm, WI
This hamlet on Lake Pepin, a favorite day trip destination for Twin Citians, becomes a shopping mecca during this big fair.
Bayfront Reggae & World Music Festival
Duluth, MN
Listen to island music on the shore of Lake Superior.
Big Top Parade & Circus Celebration
Baraboo, WI
In the downtown square, there will be circus-themed performances, walking tours, music, children's activities and a Big Top parade at 11 a.m.
Minnesota Scottish Fair & Highland Games
Eagan, MN
This fest south of St. Paul features Celtic music, a British car show, a harp competition and heavy games, such as hammer throwing, sheaf tossing, caber turning and the stone put.
Port Fish Day
Port Washington, WI
The world's largest one-day outdoor fish fry also includes classic car and arts and crafts shows, soccer water fights, a smoked-fish eating contest, music on three stages, a parade and fireworks.
Agate Days
Moose Lake, MN
See the beautiful stones on display, then dig for them at 3 p.m. Saturday during the Agate Stampede, when a load of rocks seeded with 400 pounds agates, $400 in quarters and $100 in 50-cent pieces is dumped downtown.
There's also music and an art fair.
Chinatown Summer Fair
Chicago, IL
There's a Lion Dance, Chinese classical dance and music, demonstrations of martial arts and displays of ancient art forms and disciplines plus a petting zoo, pony rides and cutest baby and a "hot legs" contest for men.
Civil War Encampment and Battle
Menomonee Falls, WI
This event at Old Falls Village features Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, storytelling and a soldier encampment with medical and cooking demonstration. General Grant narrates the Battle of Cedar Run, 2 p.m. both days.
Charlevoix Venetian Festival
Charlevoix, MI
A week of music and games winds up with an 11 a.m. street parade and, at dusk, a lighted boat parade followed by fireworks.
Woodstock Folk Festival
Woodstock, IL
Listen to music on the square in this town just over the Wisconsin border from Lake Geneva.
EAA AirVenture
Oshkosh, WI
This huge Experimental Aircraft Association festival includes air shows, fireworks, big-name concerts, children's activities, workshops, exhibits and rides in historic aircraft.
Reserve lodgings early; it fills rooms within a 60-mile radius.
Aquatennial
Minneapolis, MN
The City of Lakes holds a Torchlight Parade, water-ski shows and Saturday fireworks.
Nordic Fest
Decorah, IA
It's the 54th year of this friendly, authentic and very large festival of Scandinavian culture. It features a Viking encampment, kids' games, artisan demonstrations, lutefisk-eating and Nordic rock-throwing contests and a big parade at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
Great Folle Avoine Fur Trade Rendezvous
Danbury, WI
At this rendezvous at a rebuilt post on the banks of the Yellow River, visit with costumed traders and voyageurs from the fur-trade era and see demonstrations of tomahawk-throwing, black-powder shooting, candlemaking and other skills. There will also be a candy cannon, bead pile and ladies' and kids' games.
The village occupies the site of an Ojibwe village where the North West and XY Company posts operated between 1802 and 1804.
The event is still on in 2020.
Laura Ingalls Wilder pageant
Walnut Grove, MN
The festival in this western Minnesota town revolves around the book "On the Banks of Plum Creek.''
Prairie Dog Blues Festival
Prairie du Chien, WI
This Mississippi River festival on historic St. Feriole Island features 12 bands on two stages, with onsite camping.
Riverboat Days
Wabasha, MN
This Mississippi River town celebrates with a pedal tractor pull, duck derby, firemen's water fight and parade.
La Crosse Storytelling Festival
La Crosse, WI
Listen to local, regional and national storytellers spin tales at the Pump House. There will also be music and arts and crafts.
Muskie Days
Nevis, MN
The festival in this lake town on the Heartland State Trail features an inflatable obstacle course, hula-hoop instruction, a casting contest, music on three stages, kids' games, an ice cream-eating contest and a parade Saturday.
Pierogi Fest
Whiting, IN
This suburb of Chicago exalts the plump Eastern European dumplings, filled with cheese, mashed potatoes or sauerkraut, with pierogi-eating and -tossing contests, a Mr. Pierogi songfest and a Polka Parade.
Canceled in 2020.
German Fest
Milwaukee, WI
Look for dachshunds, dirndls and lots of oompah music at this big party at Henry Maier Festival Park on Lake Michigan.
Canceled in 2020.
Taste of Wisconsin
Kenosha, WI
This free harborfront festival features locally produced specialties as well as cooking demonstrations, gardening workshops and music on three stages.
National Balloon Classic
Indianola, IA
This giant hot-air balloon festival includes daily flights, rides for the public, music, night glows and closing fireworks.
Coast Guard Festival
Grand Haven, MI
There's nightly entertainment on the waterfront, a downtown carnival, tours of Coast Guard cutters, a Grand Parade and fireworks.
Canceled in 2020.
ArtBike + ArtCar Parade
Minneapolis, MN
Decorated bikes, cars and one Couchmobile will circle Lake Harriet at 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome to bring a decorated conveyance and join the parade; meet at 5 p.m. at the Rose Garden.
Air and Water Show
Milwaukee, WI
This show, between Bradford and McKinley beaches on the lakefront, features many aerobatics and features the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and, on the water, the Badgerland Ski Team.
Rendezvous in the Sault
Sault Ste. Marie, MI
Reenactors, musicians and artisans bring back the fur-trade era with cannon-firing, puppet shows, storytelling and games.
Midwest Fire Fest
Cambridge, WI
This pottery town east of Madison celebrates the arts fueled by fire, including clay, glass and metal. It includes fire dancing, music from seven bands, demonstrations and food, including wood-fired pizza. Fest-goers can design their own tiles to be created during a hot-iron pour Saturday.
Lake Bemidji Dragon Boat Festival
Bemidji, MN
In addition to boat races, there will be kids' activities, cultural performances, music and a parade of teams.
Lumberjack World Championships
Hayward, WI
You can't see this kind of thing just anywhere: cut-throat log rolling, boom running, springboard chopping and speed climbing.
Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival
Davenport, IA
Since 1972, fans of this Jazz Age cornetist and composer have held this festival in his hometown on the Mississippi.
Buffalo Bill Days
Lanesboro, MN
Ride the Root River State Trail, then enjoy music, kids' games, sports tournaments, fireworks and a parade on Sunday.
Fisherman's Picnic
Grand Marais, MN
There's a lot going on at the North Shore's biggest festival, including loon-calling, log-rolling, herring-eating and rock-skipping contests; Saturday fireworks; and the grand parade on Sunday.
The main event is canceled in 2020, but locals are working to organize some music, food stands and fireworks.
Lollapalooza
Chicago, IL
This big music festival features dozens of bands and, unlike other Grant Park festivals, is not free. Reserve rooms far in advance.
Mile of Music
Appleton, WI
More than 180 singer-songwriters perform at more than 40 venues along College Avenue downtown.
Blueberry Festival
Marquette, MI
Eat blueberry pizza and drink blueberry beer while listening to live music and watching dancers and medieval armored combat. There are also pony rides and games for kids.
Brat Days
Sheboygan, WI
This town on Lake Michigan is sausage central. There's music, a carnival, beer and, of course, a brat-eating contest. The parade is Saturday.
Grant Park Music Festival
Chicago, IL
Professional musicians, many of them world-famous, offer free classical concerts in Millennium Park's beautiful Pritzker Pavilion.
The festival is virtual this year.
Soul & Blues Festival
Iowa City, IA
This is the second year of this downtown music festival.
River City Days
Red Wing, MN
In this Mississippi River town, there's music, food and games in Bay Point Park and an arts show in Levee Park. The parade is at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Blues on the Chippewa
Durand, WI
Just up the Chippewa River from Lake Pepin, this free blues festival in Memorial Park features 16 bands.
Tall Timber Days
Grand Rapids, MN
In this longtime logging town, there will be lumberjack shows, chainsaw carving, music and a parade Sunday.
Festa Italiana
Naperville, IL
This festival at the Naper Settlement is a showcase for Italian culture, food, music and artisans and has two entertainment stages.