Huber Park is one of Shakopee's signature parks. It's located in Downtown Shakopee on the Minnesota River. It's 24 acres of lush greenery that you can walk through, and there is an amphitheater that can be reserved for a special event or occasion. The trail system is connected to the Minnesota Valley State Trail, which then connects via trails to other nearby cities.
The park has a community playground that opened in 2023, and they made it with an accessible surface so everyone can use it. There is a zipline, a toddler playground, swings, and two merry-go-rounds.
Lions Park is one of the more popular parks in Shakopee. It has tons to do for everyone in the family, including a splash pad, a playground with sensory activities, and pickleball courts. There are open shelters that can be rented, too.
Those are just the basics, though. The highlights are the 18-hole disc golf course that is open during the day; the SandVenture Aquatic Park; and the insulated log cabin (which can be rented); and horseshoe pits.
Memorial Park is the largest park in Shakopee at 137 acres. Its name indicates part of its purpose--which is to memorialize. To that end, there is a Veterans Memorial and Native American burial mounds. There is also a Helicopter Memorial that features a giant chopper. If you want to take a stroll on the pedestrian bridge over the Miller Pond channel, you can do that, too.
There is a playground was removed, and a play area that is more focused on nature will be implemented elsewhere in the park so it won't disturb the Native American burial mounds.
There are shelters that can be used by the public, and they are first come, first serve. They have horseshoe pits, picnic tables, and grills. It's a great place to relax and perhaps have a picnic as there are also picnic tables available.
Bravi's Mexican Craft Kitchen was esablished in 2018 as a little hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant that quickly became a local favorite. They were such a favorite,, they expanded to their current location in 2023. They make everything in-house, including the salsa, and the meat is cut by hand.
They have Margarita Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, and, of course, Happy Hour. They also have catering.
Their menu includes sharables such as Mexican Street Corn, entrees including Birria Pizzadilla, and plenty of tacos. Loaded, Shrimp, Alpastor, and Nopales to name a few. They have a lunch menu as well.
Pablo's Mexican Restaurant opened in 1986 by "Pablo" and Ann Schwasedall and is family-owned and operated. The food is Californian-Mexican, and the owners draw on their Hispanic roots for the recipes. The decor is bright and colorful, while the atmopshere is fun and the service is friendly. They strive to make you feel like a member of the family. Their menu includes Six Layer Dip, Two Tostados, Loco Americano (combo), Steak & Ghicken Fajita, and more. They also have a gluten-free menu that includes dishes like a Burrito Bowl, Fresh Spinach Enchiladas, Queso Dip, and more.
They also have a drink menu that includes margs and marg flights, cocktails such as Acapulco Blue, Mojito, and Pina Coladas, mules like Jalepeno Cilantro, wine, beer, and Spiked & Sparkling.
Ruby's Family Restaurant is a casual restaurant that is known for its homey breakfasts. The atmosphere is relaxed and the service is friendly. They have breakfast all day long, and ethir breakfast menu includes dishes such as Caprese Avocado Toast, Steak Benedict, Ruby's Frittata, banana and nutella-filled homemade crepes, and more. Their lunch and dinner menu includes Pulled Pork Sandwich, Cajun Chicken & Shrimp Fettuccine, Jalepeno & Pepper Jack Cheeseburger, and more.
They have cocktails and beers, too, on their drink menu.
Sapporo Japanese Restaurant is a favorite with the locals because of the frest ingredients they use for their Japanese food. They have a wide variety of dishes, ranging from sushi to tempura to hibachi. Their menu is extensive, and there is sure to be something for nearly everyone. Some of those dishes include Sweet Potato Tempura Roll, Snow Mountain Roll, Hibachi Steak & Shrimp, Salmon Teriyaki, and so many more.
You cn finish off your meal with a sweet treat, such as Mochi Ice Cream Red Bean, Fried Cheese Cake, and Green Tea Fried Ice Cream.
Wampach's Restaurant has been a community staple since 1958 when it was opened by Jerry Wampach as a place to get good old American food (especially breakfast). He served up hot and homemade dishes for decades before hanging up his apron. The restaurant changed hands several times, and is now run by a mom and son duo, Lois and Nelson. Both had worked in the restaurant for several years prior to making the decision to buy it, and they havve vowed to contiue the traditions.
The decor is updated colorful diner, and the atmosphere (and staff members) is relaxed and friendly. The menu hasn't changed much since the restaurant first opened, and it's filled with delicious homemade dishes such as Tater Kegs with Bacon & Cheese, Denver Sandwich, smashed burgers, Liver & Onions, and more. The breakfast menu (which they serve all day) has such tasty items as Wampach's Morning Special, Corned Beef Hash, B.Y.O. Omelette, among others.
Jerry Wampach opened his titular diner in the late 1950s. He meant for it to be a place where community members could gather, grab a bite to eat, and get to know each other better. The business was sold in 1970s, and even with the succession of four (total) new owners, the traditions and much of the original menu remained.
They make their homemade gravies and soups, and they are proud to present their signature dishes of the Hot Beef Sandwich and Country Fried Steak. They have many different mouth-watering breakfast items (biscuits, the aforementioned gravy, and their big-as-your-head cinnamon rolls).
Their menu has a wide variety of dishes such as Butterfly Shrimp and Chips Basket, Liver and Onions, Chorizo Benedict, and Corned Beef Hash and Eggs. They also have a dessert menu that includes Churro Cake, Cinnamon Coffeecake, and the pie of the day.
Zuppa Cucina is an Italian restaurant that is known for its homemade soups (zuppa is soup in Italian). The atmosphere is bright, warm, and welcoming. The service is friendly and the ingredients are fresh. The menu includes dishes such as gourmet sandwiches, bagel sandwiches, and gourmet pizzas. They also have a wide selection of their famous soups, such as Vegetable Minestrone, Three Onion Potato with Smoked Bacon, Tomato Basil with Feta Cheese, and more. They also do catering.
Zuppa Cucina is an Italian restaurant that opened in 2002 and has been serving the community homemade, authentic Italian food since then. It's a family-owned restaurant, and you can taste the care in every bite. This is a popular restaurant in Shakopee that serves its dishes a la carte so while the dishes are more fine dining, the time taken to be serve is prompt.
The menu is vast and includes chef's gourmet sandwiches, chicken Caesar pizza, Italian chicken noodle soup, an antipasto wrap, a smoke salmon baagel sandwich and more.
Arnie's Bar is a colorful and casual neighborhood bar with cheerful service and welcoming atmosphere. It's a great place to get together with friends and/or family and root on the home town team. They have beer and cocktails for customers to enjoy.
Babe's Place is a staple in Shakopee and beloved by the community members. The atmosphere is fun and casual, and the service is friendly. They have plenty of activities to do, including karaoke, meat raffles, deal or no deal, and bucket deals. It's a great place to gather for a night out with friends and/or family.
Muddy Cow Bar & Grill is a local chain with the Shakopee location being one in seven. They use fresh ingredients from farms within 300 miles. They are locally owned and operated, and they are committed to serving up fresh food and cold brews to all their customers. They have lots of deals such as Fish Fry Friday and BOGO Pizza Daily. They take reservations for parties, too. Their menu includes Bavarian Pretzel Bites, Bacon Curd (burger), PB&J Sandwich (with fried chicken and Thai peanut sauce), Supreme Pizza, and more. Order a beer or a glass of wine to go with your meal.
Turtle's Bar & Grill is a family-owned joint that has been serving the neighborhood for three decades in downtown Shakopee. They are known for their Angus beef, their friedchicken, and their carefully culled local craft beer list. They are also proud of their handmade sausage, wihch they cook in their stone ovens. The atmosphere is casual and the service staff are friendly. There are several TVs, so you can watch your favorite team as you sip a pint of a MN craft beer. Their food menu also includes Cajun Shrimp Po Boy, Nashville Chicken Sandwich, Top Turtle (pizza), Fettuccine Alfredo, and more.
DMT Dance Studio has been an established dance studio in Shakopee for over 26 years. Their philosophy is to introduce the joy of dancing to their students while encouraging them to participate in other activities as well (such as sports, music, and theater).
They encourage kids of all ages and experience to join, and the kids enjoy the activities from making lifetime friends to performing at sports events to competing.
Metropolitan Dance Alliance is a dance studio with teachers who care about each of their students. They know that each student is different and has different needs. The teachers are compassionate in their approach to teaching. They teach students as young as 18 months and up to teens (6th grade and eup). They have recreational classes, summer classes, competition teams, and performance lines. They offer classes n tap, jazz, and ballet, and as the students get older, the focus on artistry increases.
Rhythm on the Rails is a summer music series that is offered in the summer by the Shakopee Chamber of Commerce. It's every Wednesday night in June, July, and August, and it's on Lewis Street in Downtown Shakopee. Each night starts with a local opening band and then is followed by a fantastic regional act. It's a fun night of live music (naturally), family activities, and food and beer vendors. The concerts themselves are free, and you can purchase food tickets and drink tickets.
River Valley Theatre Company was founded in 2007 by members of Shakopee and neighboring communities to support and promote performing arts. RVTC wanted to present quality shows to the community, and they grew from their modest beginning of one performance a year. Now, they have three shows a year with the summer musical being the highlight of the season. In addition, they have created the RVTC Youth Studioto help kids learn more about theater.
SandVenture Aquatic Park is a water park in Lions Park, and it's a popular way for people in the community to have fun. It's open from early June to mid-Auguast with specific Tot Time on Friday and Saturady mornings.
The centerpiece of the aquatic park is a 300-foot waterslide that drops down to three feet under. They have water basketball and water volleyball for those who liked to play sports in the pool.
There is a pirate ship-themed playground as well as a pirate ship diving platform. There is so much going on that most people will find a way to have a lot of fun here.
The Shakopee Community Center is a great place to meet up with other community members, get some exercise, and just hanging out with friends. There are a variety of activities to choose from. There is a gym that is mostly open. There are pickleball courts, three volleyball courts, and eight basketball hoops.
There is a fitness center that has plenty of fitness equipment, such as ellipticals, rowing machines, free weights, and machine weights. There are also adult fitness classes, including strength classes, Cycle & Core, and zumba.
The Lookout is the indoor playground for children under ten. Most children will find something fun to play with as there are many slides, sensory stations, places to climb, and a dedicated toddlers' play area.
Storybook Stroll is an experience sponsored by Shakopee City, and it's free. It's an annual summer event that allows families to enjoy the outdoors in an innovative way. The event occurs over three weeks in July and changes parks each week.
It's a great way to combine being in the great outdoors with reading children stories. It's an interactive experience that exercises the mind as well as the body. Everyone in the family can enjoy it, so it's fun for all.
Taste of Canterbury is an annual event that happens at Canterbury Park in July. The event is for people 21+. The subtitle for the event is "BBQ, Bourbon & Bluegrass", and there is plenty of each. It starts out with a sampling of Maker's Mark bourbon cocktails paired with slow-cooked barbecue, and it's followed by the main event--the live bluegrass. A few examples of recent food/cocktails are: Loretto Lemonade, Carolina BBQ ribs, and Billionaire Pork Belly.
Minnesota Renaissance Festival is an annual event in the fall. It started in the autumn of 1971 in a 22-acre park in Jonathan, MN over two weekends. There were more than 25,000 people enjoying the festivities during those two weekends.
The festival was moved to Shakopee and has grown to seven weekends. It has nearly 300,000 visitors a year, and it's now the largest renfest/fair in America.
There are so many things to do, you may want to visit more than one day to take it all in. There are the activities you would expect to find at a renfest such as jousting, bards singing, mead drinking, and a Viking invasion.
There are other activities as well, such as a mermaid cove where you can see merfolk singing and swimming around, a juggling school where you can learn how to juggle, como cottage--which is a place housing reptiles, and a daily children's costume contest.
When you're tired from all the fun you've been having, you can take a break and feast on the infamous turkey leg that is as big as your head, elephant ears, and Nordic meatballs with lingonberries. And, because it's Minnesota, you can always get your favorite food on a stick--such as deep-fried sushi on a stick, mango on a stick, or hot sausage on a stick.
You can wash it all down with an apple cider float, bubble tea, or bubble lemonade. And for dessert, there's Mexican street fruit, penuche pecan roll, and frozen chocolate bananas.
Wacipi (or powwow) means 'they dance' in the Dakota language, and it's a chance to gather and celebrate Native American culture together. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Wacipi happens twice a year. Once in April and once in August in which the SMSC celebrate their heritage through dancing, drumming, and much more.
There are also moccasin games for the adults, and a 5K and youth run as well.
They welcome visitors from the general public as long as the latter are respectful of the community members and their traditions.
You can easily spend an entire day with us at our festival and even pick up your pumpkins, gourds, squash, apples, and honey locally grown and produced by our family on your way out!
Strange things are astir at Valleyfair! On select nights, the fun takes a terrifying turn as the park transforms into ValleySCARE, the upper Midwest’s largest Halloween event. With more than 75 rides, haunted mazes, scare zones and monsters prowling the park, there is something to satisfy everyone’s devilish desire. Note: Halloween Haunt attractions are “Rated PG-13” and not intended for kids under 13 years of age.
The Shakopee Holiday Fest is celebrated every year in December as a way to kick off the winter holidays. It's in the open streets of Downtown Shakopee, and there are plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy. There are fireworks and the lighting of the tree. There is a parade through the open streets, and there will be a vendor market as well. Plus, there will be pictures with Santa for the little ones.
'Tis the season to enjoy the Holiday Fest. It's sponsored by different Shakopee agencies, and it's a great way to start off the holiday season. The celebration happens on the open streets of Downtown Shakopee, and everyone is welcome to join. You can have your picture taken with Santa and/or the Grinch; walk along the street where the vendor market is; enjoy the Winter Wonderland Walk-Through Parade; watch the tree lighting and the fireworks.
