Summer solstice is here, and these Minnesota events will help make the most of the longest day of the year
MINNEAPOLIS – Summer lovers can rejoice, for the longest day of the year has arrived. For those looking to mark the summer solstice, there are a few events across Minnesota to help you celebrate.
The Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota in Mankato is making nature crowns, sundials, and scavenger hunts on Thursday.
The University of Minnesota's Bell Museum in St. Paul is celebrating with their solar telescope. It filters the sunlight to allow you to view the sun safely. You'll also get a chance to learn about the daylight changes throughout the year. The celebration is included in the cost of regular admission.
Also in St. Paul, the Women's Drum Circle will be hosting a drum circle Friday evening. Instruments are provided, and no experience is necessary.
Further north, in Grand Marais, the North House Folk School is hosting its annual Summer Solstice and Wooden Boat Festival Friday and Saturday. The event features craft demonstrations, community food events, speakers, kid's activities and wooden boats.
The Franconia Sculpture Park in Chisago County is celebrating Pride and the summer solstice with its Midsummer Pride Party. It will be Saturday, and feature free art workshops, flower crown making, and a drag show.
Celebrating the summer solstice is a popular Swedish tradition. To get a glimpse of it closer to home, the Gammelgården Museum of Scandia is holding a Midsommardagen celebration Saturday. It will include flower crown making, traditional Swedish food, as well as dance and music performances.
The summer solstice marks the beginning of astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere, according to NASA. In June, thanks to that tilt, the Northern Hemisphere has its highest exposure to the sun, creating maximum daylight on the summer solstice. On the solstice, the sun will be at its most northern point.