![Fans listened to Fitz and The Tantrums performed on the PreferredOne stage at the Basilica Block Party. ] (KYNDELL HARKNESS/STAR TRIBUNE) kyndell.harkness@startribune.com Basilica Block Party at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, Min., Saturday, July 10, 2015.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/5IERX24T2KHSFGBICHL4X3GYH4.jpg?&w=1080)
Blue skies, low humidity and temperatures hovering around 80 degrees; it's going to be a glorious weekend to get outside and soak up the sun and fun.
Minnesota is the second-best state to enjoy a summer according to the folks at the niche website Thrillist. Washington took top billing in the rankings, but with the perfect weather and a weekend calendar packed with outdoor festivals and events, we all know the Evergreen State has nothing on us.
Here are some of our top picks on how to spend this weekend:
1. Patterned after the bull races in Spain, the Hopkins Running of the Bulls is the kickoff to the city's Raspberry Festival and quite the crowd spectacle. Runners with red bandannas and flags tied on their backs will make the half-mile mad dash down Hopkins' Mainstreet, running behind a real bull all while trying to stay ahead of ceremonial bull, mounted horses and human "Roller Bulls" dressed in red out to snatch as many flags as possible. A massive party follows the 10 a.m. Saturday race with a beer garden, food trucks and live music from "Run Like Hell — America's Premier Pink Floyd Show."
2. You may know Alan Page as a retired Minnesota Supreme Court Justice, NFL Pro Football Hall of Famer and a former Vikings defensive lineman, but he's also a huge dog lover. Page walks around Lake of the Isles daily, handing out treats for every pooch he meets. That has earned him the title "the dog whisperer." He has also founded the Page Education Foundation, and from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday join Page for the second annual Doggie Walk, a 3-mile stroll around the south Minneapolis lake for dogs and their owners to support education, commitment to health and love for dogs.
3. The Basilica Block Party in downtown Minneapolis is one of the most highly anticipated events of the summer, and thousands will flock to stages along Hennepin Avenue and streets surrounding the Basilica of St. Mary for the annual music extravaganza. It's two nights of tunes on three stages featuring the Shins, Brandi Carlile, Walk the Moon and AWOLNATION. A total of 20 acts can be heard beginning at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
4. Honoring the Pan-Asian heritage and spirit, the 2017 Dragon Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at St. Paul's Lake Phalen is among the most colorful events of the season. Performances include everything from the mesmerizing sound of the Chinese flute to energetic Taiko drumming to traditional dances. Along with martial arts and games, the fete features the popular Dragon Boat races in which teams of rowers in long dragon-shaped boats paddle across the water.
5. More than 100 local professional fine craft and fine art artists will display their wares at the Art at St. Kate's. Offerings include leather handbags and belts, watercolor paintings, cloisonné pendants, stained glass, hand-woven rugs, turned wood, original cards, metal sculptures, gourd art, quilts, handblown glass paperweights, screen printing, handmade paper, found-art chimes, hand-dyed silk apparel, not to mention pottery tiles, vases, plates, teapots, and mugs. To get the spending juices flowing, musicians will stroll the grounds. Produced by Artists' Circle, a Minnesota nonprofit art organization, the outdoor art fair runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Cleveland and Randolph avenues in St. Paul.
