Summer in Minnesota: Concert Series

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Hands down, the thing I missed most this winter was outdoor concerts. Skyler and I loved going to concerts last summer and I was excited to find many kid-friendly concert series in our area. These are the three that we have enjoyed going to, though I am sure there are many more. Not that it is any surprise, but I took a lot of pictures of Skyler last summer. Here are some pictures from the concerts we went to in these series, mostly from last summer, and a few from today :)

Centennial Lakes kiddie concerts every Tuesday and Thursday at noon. The concerts take place at a cute little amphitheater and there is some space right near the performers to put up blankets in the shade. I don't think Skyler and I missed a week last summer, sometimes we went both days. The genres of music are varied and last summer we even saw an animal show that was the most packed I have ever seen it. It can get really hot with little one's if you can't get into the shade, but my absolute favorite thing about this location is getting there a little early and taking advantage of the beautiful lake for a walk! The full summer concert schedule can be found here.

The concert we went to today was the first Centennial Lakes concert of the summer for us. The performer was Red Yarn and it was a lot of fun. The nice thing about this time is that we bring a picnic lunch and Skyler either falls asleep for nap in the car or I put him down right when we get home. It was funny because at one point Skyler said "I see the Okee Dokee Brothers" and I told him that we weren't seeing them today, but after the show Red Yarn said that one of the Okee Dokee Brothers was in attendance. I noticed Skyler staring behind us a couple of times, and he must have recognized him :)

                              My brave boy even went right up to the front when one of the puppets was brought out!

Staring Lake Kidstock concerts Tuesday's at 10:30am. We went to many of the concerts in this series last year, usually with our ECFE class (and unless we were spending our Tuesday at Centennial Lakes). The amphitheater is right next to Staring Lake Park, so it is fun to head to the park and play after the concert is over. There is very little shade at this location and it can get extremely hot, but it is fun to meet up with friends and have a snack while listening to some live music. The event calendar that includes all of the Kidstock concert information can be found on the City of Eden Prairie website here.

Klein Bank concert series on Thursday's at 7:00pm. These concerts are not part of a kid series (though we did see the Okee Dokee Brothers last summer), but all of the concerts were a lot of fun and Skyler enjoyed all of the genres of music. I enjoy this later concert, even though it is right at Skyler's bed time. The weather was always beautiful and my husband came along to all of the shows last year. We put Skyler in his jammies and we were ready to go home right after and read some books before bed. I always made sure to bring some books, toys, and a snack just in case the music style didn't really appeal to Skyler. The list of performers can be found on the City of Chanhassen website here.

We have gone to a few concerts at Lake Harriet, but haven't taken enough advantage. There are always fun things going on at our favorite place!

There are also a lot of concerts at the Landscape Arboretum, though we have not gone to any.

If you live in the area and have or know any children that would enjoy some live music in the beautiful summery Minnesota weather, I highly encourage you to try out these three concert series. I am so looking forward to a full and fun summer of music with my boy!