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Minnesota Family Fun Weekend Guide: May 20-22

If your family is anything like mine, by mid-morning on Saturday you are going to be wishing you had planned something to get out of the house. Lucky for you, it's that time of year in Minnesota when there's a fest celebrating anything and everything every weekend. This weekend you'll find festivals with a focus on art, music, water, and even Legos.

OUTDOORS

Matt's Bar
(credit: AP)

Get Your Rear In Gear

Southdale Shopping Center
Sunday, May 22
6901 France Avenue South
Edina, MN 55435
Event Page | Website

Please join WCCO for the 2011 Twin Cities Get Your Rear in Gear 5K Run/Walk at Southdale Center in Edina. All proceeds benefit the Colon Cancer Coalition. Sign up early to guarantee your shirt and goodie bag. Food and refreshments will be available. Registration is at 7:00 a.m. The Kids' Fun Run starts at 8:30 a.m. The 5K Chip Timed Run is at 9 a.m. And the 5K Walk begins at 9:05 a.m.

Matt's Bar
(credit: RWMWD)

WaterFest

Lake Phalen Pavilion
Saturday, May 21st & Sunday, May 22nd
Phalen Drive E., St. Paul, MN
Free Admission
Website

Get outside and celebrate our water at Lake Phalen in St. Paul. This event kicks-off with a parade led by Tricia and the Toonies. Then, get ready to enjoy and learn about every facet of our many lakes and water sources: learn about fish and fishing from the Department of Natural Resources with a free fishing lesson; get a lesson on how to paddle a 24-foot Voyageur Canoe and take short trip up a creek; check out the microscopic plants and animals in a water sample under a microscope; go on GPS discovery hunt to learn more about Lake Phalen; and see live raptors, plus more. If you are like me and just had a hectic week between work and taking care of the kids, a relaxing day by the lake sounds like the perfect remedy.

Matt's Bar
(credit: Getty Images)

Dr. Seuss is on the Loose

Minnesota Zoo
Saturday, May 21st & Sunday May 22nd
9am-6pm
13000 Zoo Blvd., Apple Valley, MN
Free with Zoo Admission
Website

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go. " Well, if you decide to head to the Minnesota Zoo, Dr. Seuss will be on the Loose. For the first time large bronze sculptures based of some of Dr. Seuss's most famous characters, including "Cat in the Hat", "The Grinch", "Sam I Am", "Yertle the Turtle and "The Lorax" will be on public display. As part of this exhibit, there will be a scavenger hunt throughout the Zoo, colorful character cut-outs and a Dr. Seuss Story Time. Story Time is at 12 Noon on Saturday and Sunday in the new Target Learning Center in the Zoo.

Matt's Bar
(credit: Autism5k.org)

The Autism 5K

Lake Calhoun
Saturday, May 21st
Race Starts at 9am
Minneapolis, MN
Website

You are invited to join The Autism 5K whether you are a serious runner, casual jogger or walker. This certified 5K is a great way to support Children with Autism Deserve Education and enjoy a run or walk around Lake Calhoun. Participants can register on Saturday between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. just before the race starts at 9 a.m. Kids, strollers and dogs are welcome too.

Matt's Bar
(credit: Helping Paws)

2011 Wag Walk & Run

Purgatory Creek Recreation Area
Friday, May 20th – Sunday, May 22nd
Eden Prairie, MN
Website

This walk, open to everyone, including well-mannered dogs, helps raise money for Helping Paws. Helping Paws aids in furthering the independence of individuals with physical disabilities through the use of service dogs. There's a 1 mile Kids' Run at 9 a.m. followed by the 5 K Six-Legged (1 person & 1 dog) Run/Walk at 9:30 a.m. This is an event where the kids can chase the dog all day and it is ok. The entire course is ADA accessible.

Matt's Bar
(credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Golden Valley Days Art & Music Festival

Brookview Park at the corner of Highway 55 and Winnetka
May 21st
9:30am – 10pm
Golden Valley, MN
Free Admission
Website

This festival has it all, including a parade, art fair, children's play area, live music, plant sale, bingo, car show, fireworks, food and more. The Golden Valley Community Events Fund, a community based non-profit organization, hosts this annual fun, family friendly event. The parade kicks off the festivities at 9:30 a.m. and the fun continues until around 10 p.m. when the fireworks wrap up the entertainment.

INDOORS

Matt's Bar
(credit: Lego KidsFest)

Lego Kidsfest

Minneapolis Convention Center
May 20th: 4-9pm
May 21st: 9am-8pm
May 22nd: 9am-8pm
1301 Second Ave S, Minneapolis
All Ages: $18-$20
Website

Kids of all ages and their parents will enjoy designing, building and observing fantastic Lego creations. You'll find hands-on activities for Lego builders of every level of skill in addition to chatting with Lego Master Builders and checking out the life-size Lego models and much more. Perhaps during your chat with one of the builders you can convince them to come home with you and be on call for when the kids get an urge to create and inevitably destroy one of their masterpieces.

Matt's Bar
(credit: The Works)

The Works

Where Kids Explore How Things Work
Saturday, May 21st
12pm-3pm
5701 Normandale Rd., Edina, MN
$3/anyone aged 3 & up
Website

If you've got a budding engineer or scientist in your family, and who among us doesn't, make sure to visit The Works this Saturday. From 12 to 3 p.m. you will have the chance to design the lightest possible container for a raw egg to prevent it from cracking or breaking when dropped (by a Works staff member) from a 3rd story window onto a 5 foot diameter target. Create your egg container at home and bring it to the event or make a container at The Works on Saturday with provided materials. We don't recommend dropping the egg from a third story window at home. See rules and restrictions for entering on site.

Matt's Bar
(credit: Alamo Flea Market)

Alamo Flea Market

Saturday, May 21st & Sunday May 22nd
10am-5pm
1519 Central Ave NE , Minneapolis

Create a scavenger hunt of your own at the Alamo Flea Market this weekend. Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days, you can find just about anything here whether it's antique jewelry that tickles your fancy or a vintage bike to tinker around with or plants or cowboy boots or a long list of treasure that you can't live without.

Matt's Bar
(credit: NEMAA)

Art-A-Whirl Open Studio & Gallery Tour

Friday, May 20th – Sunday, May 22nd
Welcome Booth Locations:
13th and Marshall
Quincy St. and Broadway NE
NE Minneapolis, MN
Website

Are you like me and when you enter a pottery or art store you cringe as you say the words "please don't touch anything" to your kids? Well, if that's the case, make sure you have that talk with the little ones before heading to the Art-A-Whirl Open Studio & Gallery Tour. If you are brave enough to take the kids or you decide to leave them behind and head out with your spouse, you will experience the art of 500 artists including potters, painters, musicians, glass blowers and more as you visit their studios and observe them creating art in Northeast Minneapolis at the largest Open Studio and Gallery Tour in the U.S. Two trolleys will be making stops at the main buildings. Visit the studios Friday 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.

Anna Berend is an attorney and the author of Motherly Law Blog. On Motherly Law, Anna writes about legal issues that affect families and offers tips and resources that pertain to those legal topics. On occasion, inspiration strikes and Anna writes about something totally unrelated to the law.

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