Fall is the perfect time to get your family out of the house to recharge outdoors! Minneapolis Northwest features many fun and safe fall events and family friendly activities. Find your way out of a large corn maze, paint your own pumpkin, and treasure hunt for Halloween treats. Use our suggestions for safe dining, events, activities, and hotels to create the ideal itinerary for your family vacation.
Where to Stay
Parents and kids will have a blast splashing around in the Venetian Waterpark at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites in Maple Grove. Enjoy two 4-story waterslides, a walking bridge, and a whirlpool all under a Mediterranean night sky. Convenient and affordable, this stress-free, family-friendly hotel is the perfect home base for your visit to Minneapolis Northwest. The hotel and waterpark are taking extra precautions to ensure all areas of the hotel are regularly cleaned and sanitized for your protection. View all Hotels in Minneapolis Northwest to find the perfect fit for your family.
Breakfast Options
For a grab-and-go breakfast, head to Daily Dose Brooklyn Park or Daily Dose Maple Grove. Pick up muffins, scones and biscotti; a yogurt parfait with fresh fruit; or a hot breakfast panini. Get a roasted coffee to go for an added pick-me-up!
You’ll find the most delicious, freshly made croissants at Mi-Sant Banh Mi. Baked fresh each morning, these buttery croissants melt in your mouth. Try ALL the flavors: almond, apple, chocolate, coconut, strawberry, raisin, butter, Nutella, and strawberry cream cheese.
If you’re comfortable with an indoor dining option, head to local favorite Fat Nat’s Eggs, open 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Using the freshest ingredients, prepared daily, every meal is made to order to ensure you get a breakfast to remember. You can choose from seven different kinds of eggs Benedict or take the adventurous route and try a Fat Nat's specialty like Huevos Rancheros Carnitas that will spice up your morning.
Morning Activities and Events
Take advantage of crisp fall mornings with a rousing game of FootGolf with the family at Brookland Golf Park. A combination of the popular sports of soccer and golf, players use soccer balls on a traditional golf course with 21-inch diameter cups. The FootGolf course features nine holes and has its own set of tees and greens.
Morning is also a great time to visit Topgolf, the state’s premier golf and entertainment venue – fun for ALL ages! You’ll experience the fresh fall air in a climate-controlled setting. The outdoor hitting bays are safely spaced apart (11’ tee-to-tee), and dividers give an extra layer of protection. Make a Topgolf reservation in advance with online booking.
Afternoon Activities and Events
Celebrating the fall season isn’t complete without a trip to Twin Cities Harvest Festival and Maze, which features one of the largest corn mazes in the state! This annual festival is open daily through Oct. 31, 2021, and has a new look to accommodate safety precautions, including smaller crowds, more open spaces, and an expanded selection of food trucks. On weekends through September and October, wander the corn maze and complete the University of St. Thomas scavenger hunt to enter the raffle drawing. Kids can also romp through a straw bale maze and corn seed pit, and enjoy a fall hayrides.
Explore the beautiful fall colors at Mississippi Gateway Regional Park and get some great family selfies as you go. Also, check out the fun events the center offers, including Free Family Fun Days each Sunday, a class on Survival Skills and Spooky Spiders. The center offers endless ways for kids (and adults, too) to get outside, explore and learn about the natural environment around them.
If the weather doesn’t cooperate with your visit, make a pit stop at Playground Plaza in Maple Grove. This climate-controlled indoor playground offers a safe environment for kids to play. With 20,000 sq feet, there is plenty of space to social distance while still enjoying the benefits of play and socializing. If the adults need a mid-day shot of espresso, head to MiniSota Play Cafe where kids can run around in the creative place space while parents recharge with a freshly made latte or smoothie.
Dinner Time
A local favorite for decades, Wagner’s Drive-In is an ideal spot for dinner with your family. Pull up to the order boxes and place your order from inside your vehicle. If the sun is out, stretch your legs and enjoy a picnic dinner at the nearby picnic tables. Wagner’s delivers delicious, hand-patted, never-frozen burgers that are tender, juicy and flavorful. Bonus Tip: Enjoy your Wagner’s meal with a hand-crafted chocolate shake!
Nighttime Grand Finale
Featuring more than 200 games (yes, you heard right) in its Million Dollar Midway, Dave & Buster’s is fun for the whole family (parents will be busy winning tickets, too)! Enjoy this premiere entertainment complex and play everything from billiards to shuffleboard. And you definitely won't want to miss Dave & Buster's Jurassic World virtual reality experience.
For more gaming fun, you can also check out Bowlero Brooklyn Park, with its arcade and bowling lanes. Bowlero works with professional industrial hygienists to ensure that the center is cleaned, sanitized, and maintained on a regular basis.
Show us where you decided to go as a family this fall, and post your photos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #WeLoveMNW!
