Little Falls, Minnesota Events: The Annual Calendar

Dam Festival — June

The town's summer celebration takes over Maple Island Park on the third weekend of June, with a parade, the North Dam Market, food and family activities, and fireworks over the Mississippi after dark. It has run since 2005. The full story and visitor tips are in the Dam Festival guide.

Morrison County Fair — late June

Little Falls hosts the county fair at the Morrison County Fairgrounds, a four-day run in late June that draws well over 10,000 people from around the region. It is a traditional Minnesota county fair: 4-H and livestock, competitions and exhibits, grandstand entertainment and motorsports like the demolition derby, and food from local cooks. Current dates and the grandstand lineup are posted at morrisonfair.com. See the full Morrison County Fair guide.

Green Fair Folk Festival — August

On an early-August evening, the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls host the Green Fair Folk Festival on the lawn of St. Francis Convent — a free, earth-friendly celebration with folk music, fair-trade and green vendors, wagon rides, and a famous 25-cent peanut butter sandwich. See the Green Fair guide.

Little Falls Arts & Crafts Fair — September

The biggest weekend of the year fills downtown the weekend after Labor Day, when nearly 600 vendors turn the historic district into one of the largest arts and crafts fairs in Minnesota. It has run since 1973 and pulls a crowd reported around 100,000 over two days. See the Arts & Crafts Fair guide for what to expect and how to plan.

Little Falls Christmas Tours — after Thanksgiving

The holiday season opens with self-guided tours of historic Little Falls buildings dressed for Christmas, held over the days following Thanksgiving. The lineup has centered on a set of local landmarks — the mansions at Linden Hill, the Minnesota Fishing Museum's decorated-tree display, and the Charles Lindbergh House — each decorated to a theme. Locations, hours, and admission are set each year; check littlefallschristmastours.com before you go. See the full Christmas Tours guide.

Little Falls Farmers Market — May through October

Through the growing season the farmers market sets up downtown on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, roughly May into October, with produce, baked goods, and local crafts. The market's site keeps the current schedule and location.

Great River Arts — year-round

When there is no festival on the calendar, the arts center in historic downtown keeps things going with rotating exhibitions, classes, and live entertainment throughout the year. It is the steady heartbeat of the local arts scene between the big events. See the calendar at greatart.org.