The Stillwater Harvest Festival is a two-day event held the second weekend in October in Downtown Stillwater, Minnesota. The event is organized by a group of small business owners in Stillwater to bring visitors and locals into their businesses.
As I mention in my previous posts, I’m on a mission this fall to get out and attend more events. After the previous week’s events, MinnesoThai Street Food and the Twin Cities Oktoberfest it was time for the Stillwater Harvest Festival.
The Stillwater Harvest Festival has a lot to offer including food, beer, hard cider, pumpkins, kids activities, events, vendors, live music, and more. All condensed into Lowell Park along the St Croix River. Below is a guide to everything you need before going to the Stillwater Harvest Festival.
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Stillwater Harvest Festival Has Really Big Pumpkins
I don’t know why but giant pumpkins are fascinating to me. They look like something from an alien planet but are still somewhat like the familiar pumpkin I use to decorate my house. Unlike other harvest festival events, I’ve attended the focus of the Stillwater Harvest Festival is the giant pumpkin.
Every year the event organizers work in partnership with the St. Croix Growers Association to draw in giant pumpkin growers across the Midwest and the country. The pumpkins line the street waiting for a forklift to bring them over to the giant scale. This year’s winner was a whopping 2,210 pounds!! I’m impressed!!
Stillwater Harvest Festival Has Really Good Food
The Stillwater Harvest Festival is an outdoor event in Downtown Stillwater. While there are some fantastic restaurants in the area, the event draws in amazing food trucks for eventgoers. Lines are long so be prepared to wait for a while. I mean REALLY long!! But all good things are worth the wait. After passing up on egg rolls, cheese curds, and pupusas from the Salvadorian food truck, we opted for based sandwiches from BD Sammies food truck.
OMG DELICIOUS!!! I had a Cuban, and while not a traditional Cuban sandwich it was just as delicious!!
No Outdoor Event Would be Complete without a Beer Tent
The Stillwater Harvest Festival is no exception. Since the harvest festival in Stillwater is organized to draw people to local businesses the beverage options in the beer tent are mostly locally brewed beer and cider.
You must have a wristband and drink tickets. The signage was not great so it was confusing on which line to be in. Make sure you get in the right line if you may be waiting for a while just to get into a different line and have to wait again.
Most of the beer options were from Lift Bridge Brewing Company and the hard cider is from Thor’s Hard Cider, both in Stillwater. I’ve LOVED Lift Bridge beer for many years, in fact, I have some Farm Girl in my bar fridge right now. Their Oktoberfest beer does not disappoint.
Is beer not your thing? No Worries
Thor’s Hard Cider offers a wide selection of fantastic hard ciders. While I didn’t have any this trip, (Oktoberfest beer is one of my FAVORITE things about fall) I’ve had Thor’s Hard Cider on a previous trip to their taproom at Aamodt’s Apple Farm.
I highly recommend a separate trip to Aamodt’s Apple Farm. Not just for the hard cider and apples but it’s on the same land as the Saint Croix Vineyards. Which is one of my favorite local vineyards.
Getting to the Stillwater Harvest Festival
Locals know that driving into downtown Stillwater can be tricky and finding a parking spot is even trickier. Especially when there is an event like the Stillwater Harvest Festival.
I love visiting Stillwater! The restaurants, breweries, wineries, boutique shops, and antique stores are an amazing way to spend the day. Parking is limited and most people get there the same way. Hwy 95 coming from the south, along the St Croix River.
When there is an event, like the Stillwater Harvest Festival, traffic will back up for several miles. If you don’t have the patience to sit and wait, either enter downtown Stillwater from the north on Hwy 95 or exit on Greeley St S or Stillwater Blvd off Hwy 36 and drive to Myrtle St W.
Find parking wherever you see a spot. DON’T drive around too much looking for a better spot. Unless you are there an hour before everything starts, the first spot you find is your best option.
There is a city parking ramp but if you are entering Downtown Stillwater from the south, you will need to deal with the traffic and masses of pedestrians before you can get there.
The Pumpkin Smash
The main event for the Stillwater Harvest Festival is the pumpkin smash. I really was not sure what to expect. I mean, how exciting can watching a pumpkin being dropped from 100 feet in the air.
When we got closer, I saw it was not just a regular pumpkin but a 1,000-plus-pound giant pumpkin. Filled with candy. Yes, filled with candy.
The pumpkin smash draws in almost every person attending the Stillwater Harvest Festival. If you want a good view and if you have kids who want some candy, you will NEED to get there early. About 45 minutes before the scheduled pumpkin drop, people started lining up around the fence.
We walked over to the spot about 15 minutes before the drop and were toward the back on top of the hill. While we could see most of it, there were masses of people all pushing through to get a better view.
My suggestion, get your spot early!
Key to Attending the Stillwater Harvest Festival
The early bird gets the worm and the earlier you get there the better. The popularity of the Stillwater Harvest Festival draws in thousands of visitors. GREAT for the small businesses and vendors in Stillwater not so great for wait times. The best advice I could give you is to get there early, you will have an easier time getting there, finding a parking spot and getting food and drinks.
What are your favorite fall events?
