riverboat music festival taylors falls

St. Croix Valley River Boat Music Festival 2024

Flushing Meadows Corona Park - Queens, NY

The Great Auditorium - Ocean Grove, NJ

Bushnell Park - Hartford, CT

Lake Arbor Community Center & MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino - Mitchellville, MD

Merriweather Post Pavilion - Columbia, MD

Marshfield Fairgrounds - Marshfield, MA

Carrie Furnace - Pittsburgh, PA

Ohio State Reformatory - Mansfield, OH

Voice of America MetroPark - Olde West Chester, OH

Atwood Lake Park - Mineral City, OH

Historic Crew Stadium - Columbus, OH

Burl's Creek Event Grounds - Oro-Medonte, ON

Pop's Farm - Axton, VA

Belknap Park - Grand Rapids, MI

Midland County Fairgrounds - Midland, MI

GingerMan Raceway - South Haven, MI

Grant Park - Chicago, IL

Polk County Fairgrounds - Saint Croix Falls, WI

Skonewood Christian Retreat - Cushing, WI

West Denmark Lutheran Church - Luck, WI

River's Edge Apple River Tubing & Camping - New Richmond, WI

Heritage Center - New Richmond, WI

Blue Ribbon Pines Disc Golf Course - East Bethel, MN

Lakefront Park - Hudson, WI

Redeeming Love Church - Maplewood, MN

Robinson Park - Pine City, MN

Aquatore Park - Blaine, MN

The Garage Bikes + Brews - River Falls, WI

Como Lakeside Pavilion - Saint Paul, MN

Mears Park - Saint Paul, MN

Minnesota State Fairgrounds - South Saint Paul, MN

Harriet Island Park - Saint Paul, MN

Ryders Saloon - Henriette, MN

Allianz Field - Saint Paul, MN

City County Park

RISE Recreational Dispensary Mundelein

Allegan County Fair

Heart Of Gold Fest

Gateway Arch National Park

Parlor City Plaza

Find a Place to Stay: Hotels & Rentals Near St. Croix Valley River Boat Music Festival 2024

2 Full Days of Great Local Music on the St. Croix River! September 15 & 16th, 2023, featuring Chris Kroeze and Tribute to Frank Sinatra and the Brat Pack!

Enjoy a private concert onboard an authentic paddlewheel riverboat cruising through the scenic Dalles of the St. Croix River Valley. Each dates will feature a different headlining artist, plus special guests. Seats are limited, and tickets are affordable, so book your trip(s) now before seats are sold out!

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Wannigan Days 2024 – July 19-21, 2024

Wannigan Days celebrates the rich history of St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, and Taylors Falls, Minnesota. Join us for a fun-filled weekend of family fun!

Live Music | Two-City Parade | Fireworks | Arts, Crafts, and Vendor Fair | Food Trucks | Beverage Tent | Kids Zone Bounce Area | Talent Show | Sidewalk Sales | Community Lunch | And So Much More!

Get Ready for Wannigan Days 2024!

Visit this website or the Wannigan Days River Spirit Celebration Facebook page for event updates, schedules, sponsor information, and more!

2024 Falls’ Wannigan Days – July 19-21, 2024

River spirit celebration with a two city parade, event location:.

  St Croix Falls, WI &  Taylors Falls, MN

July 19-21, 2024

Thank you Sponsors:

WANNIGAN DAYS ELITE SPONSORS: TBA

Elite Event Sponsors

Event Partner

Event Supporter

Event Friend

Special Thanks To…

Alliance Church of the Valley City of St. Croix Falls Genius of Fun Event Production Indianhead Glass Shepherd of the Valley SNAP Fitness, St. Croix Falls St. Croix Festival Theatre Xcel Energy

Two-City Parade Saturday, July 20 at 6 PM

Register Now!

This unique, two-city parade travels through the downtowns of St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, and Taylors Falls, Minnesota. Gain exposure for your business, club, organization, or group! Your parade registration fee helps support Wannigan Days events, such as live entertainment and fireworks. Thank you for signing up today!

Please see the 2024 Wannigan Days Parade registration form for parade details and fees. Complete the form and send in your payment to secure your spot!

Arts, Crafts, and Vendor Fair Friday & Saturday, July 19-20, 2024

Reserve Your Spot Today!

Registration is open for the 2024 Wannigan Days Arts, Crafts & Vendor Fair! Please see the registration form for information and fees. Send in your form and payment today to reserve your spot!

Art, Craft, and Vendor Registration

MUSIC STAGE ENTERTAINMENT

Watch live performances at various locations in Taylors Falls, and St. Croix Falls, including at the beautiful overlook in downtown St. Croix Falls, WI.

PARADE, FIREWORKS & FAMILY FUN!

Gather down one of our historic main streets for our two-town parade, on either the Taylors Falls or St. Croix Falls side of the river. The fireworks display at dusk will be visible from both sides of the river!

Take some time to shop at the arts and crafts booths and our local stores. The kid zone will be available again this year in St. Croix Falls, as well as many other family-friendly events! Check out the event poster for a full list of events and times.

FOOD & DRINK

The Wannigan Days Planning Committee is excited to bring your favorite food and beverages! If you’re interested in being a vendor at this year’s Wannigan Days, please contact Woody McBride for more information.

Downloads and Contact Information

• St. Croix Falls Wannigan Days River Spirit Facebook Page
• Taylors Falls Wannigan Days Website
• 2024 Parade Registration Form
• 2024 Arts and Crafts Registration Form
• Talent Show Registration Form
• Food Vendor Registration Form (Available Soon!)
• Contact the Miss SCF and Little Miss SCF Coordinator
• Contact the St. Croix Falls Event Coordinator
• Wannigan Days 5k / 10k

Current Schedule – Adding New Events Daily!

Thursday July 18, 2024

• Set ups for event

Friday, July 19, 2024

• SCF – 10 am to Sunset: Art, Craft, Food, Beverage & Vendor Fair
• SCF – noon to Sunset: Kids Bouncy World (Indianhead Glass Parking Lot)
• SCF – 11 – 1 Shady & Sam (under big top tent)
• SCF – 1 – 4 Bingo (under big top tent)
• TF – 4 pm Annual Car Show Taylors Falls Fire Department
• SCF – 4 Family Games (under big top tent)
• SCF – 5:30 – 8:30 Charlie O and Dualing Pianos Show (on Overlook deck)
• TF – 6:30 Cash Bingo with Parks & Rec at Taylors Falls Community Center 
• TF – 8 pm Live Music “The Jorgenson’s” Full band on the Big stage Downtown Taylors Falls
• SCF – 8:30 – 9:30 Games & Fun (under big top tent)
• SCF – 9:30 – 11:30 USA’s #1 Tribute to Guns & Roses from Florida (on Overlook deck)

Saturday, July 20, 2024

• SCF – 7 am Wannigan Days 5k/10k At Overlook hosted by Snap Fitness
• TF – 8 am Lumberjack Breakfast – Taylors Falls Community Center 
• SCF – 8 am Charity Pancake Breakfast fundraiser for Community Referral Agency hosted by SCF Rotary
• TF – 11 am to 3 pm Family Fest at Wannigan Park (Petting Zoo/Face Painting)
• TF – 11 am to 3 pm Bouncy Houses at Wannigan Park
• SCF – 10 am to Sunset: Kids Bouncy World (Indianhead Glass Parking Lot)
• SCF – 10 Church Service hosted by Shepherd Of The Valley
• TF – 11 am Food available by Lions Club at Wannigan Park and Downtown Stage
• TF – 11 am Dunk Tank at Downtown Stage Area
• TF – 12 & 2 pm LumberJack Show Spectacular – Everyone invited!!!
• SCF – 12 Team Bags Tournament hosted by SCFHS Wrestling Club
• SCF – Jumbo Archery & Bowling
• SCF – 12:15 pm Entertainment River City Cloggers (on Overlook Deck)
• SCF – 1 pm Ethan Bergstrom (on Overlook Deck)
• SCF – 2 Bingo and prizes (under big top tent)
• SCF – 4 Talent Show (under big top tent)
• TF – 4 pm to 6 pm – St Joes Church Eats Food Stand
• SCF – 4 Lena The Pug will arrive in her Electric Car
• SCF – 4 Balloons Animals and Mr. Bubbles with arrive 
• TF – 5:45 pm Kiddie Parade – Line up by Chisago House 
• SCF – 5:15 Serving Salt Teen Band (under big top tent)
• SCF – 6 National Anthem sung by Festival Theatre
• SCF – 6 Grand Parade Launch in SCF, across the bridge to Taylors Falls, MN
• SCF – 7 PM FUN! Kareoke, DJ, Games & Fun (under big top tent)
• SCF – 7:30 SCF Queen and Royalty Presentation
• TF – 8 to 12 The After Hours Band at the Big Stage downtown
• SCF – 8 pm to Close – Dalles House Annual Loud N Local Party featuring “Lawless” Band and “Outlaw Country featuring Matt Glenna” and more – – join them for a wild night!
• SCF – 8:15 The Undergroove Party Band Set one (on overlook deck)
• SCF – 9:45 break for Fireworks
• SCF – 10 Fireworks with Music
• SCF – 10:30 The Undergroove Band Set two (on overlook deck)

Sunday, July 21, 2024

SCF – 10 am Church Service hosted by Alliance Church of the Valley – It will feature a very special Live Performance from “Heart of the City Worship Band.”  Heart of the City Worship Band is comprised of 10 people from different churches, backgrounds and ethnicities, to present a message, model and experience of Biblical unity through diverse styles of music and worship.

TF – 10:30 am Annual “Bags & Bloody’s Tournament 1at Romayne’s – both cities are invited

SCF & TF – Clean up and look forward to 2025!!!

We are grateful for this Wonderful River City Reunion celebrating & uniting our community!

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Music on the River

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Please Note: This event has expired.

Presented by Taylors Falls Recreation at Taylors Falls Scenic Boat Tours , Taylors Falls MN

Enjoy an 80 min cruise with a short narration of the beautiful St. Croix River before enjoying the music of CharlieO. Charlie’s song list ranges from Billy Joel, Elton John, Ed Sheeran, Avett Bros, and Bob Seger on his piano, and guitar tunes.

CharlieO has entertained on our boats for 20+ years. Highly entertaining! We will have our cash bar open with beer, wine, soda,  lemonade and chips, and candy for sale. Add a JuneBerry cafe sandwich or salad if you so choose when making your online reservation.  Enjoy our patio, next to, the river before your trip goes out. We offer beverages and limited food items to select from,  including ice cream!

ADMISSION INFO

Adults (ages 13-61)   General Admission:  $32.99  Online:   $28.99

Seniors (ages 62+)  General Admission: $31.99    Online:   $27.99

Children (ages 3-12)  General Admission: $17.99    Online:   $16.99

Children 2 years and younger- Free

Phone: 651-465-6315

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.taylorsfallsboat.com

PO Box 235, Taylors Falls, MN 55084

Accessibility Information: Currently, no accessibility information is available for this event.

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TAYLORS FALLS, MN – WANNIGAN DAYS – SPIRIT OF THE RIVER – JULY 15 -17,2022

64th annual wannigan days,  river spirit celebration.

EVENT DETAIL: Jul 15, 2022 – Jul 17, 2022

64th Annual Wannigan Days River Spirit Celebration in St Croix Falls/Taylors Falls. Make plans for a weekend of family fun, a large scale food & music festival, Kids games and the area’s best Arts & Crafts Fair on Main street. Grand Parade. Food & Fun for everyone.

TAYLORS FALLS BOAT TOURS | Music on the River

The Memories Duo is celebrating its 50th year in music, and the Memories have entertained audiences across the country. With their unique harmonies and great songs, this Wisconsin-based Duo is made up of Warren Petryk and Tim Stevens.

Performing at fairs & festivals, community concerts, and corporate events – The Memories continue to deliver a show described as “Music, Laughter, and Wonderful Times.”

These guys are true pros. You hear it in their voices and see how they connect with every audience they perform for. If you enjoy music and showmanship done right, then you will enjoy The Memories.

WATCH VIDEO READ MORE

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Recent Posts

• TAYLORS FALLS CANOE | Adventures on the St Croix River
• SCHUBERT CLUB | Schubert Club Music Museum!
• 4 ACE PRODUCTIONS | Inspector Potential Assembly
• NATIONAL EAGLE CENTER | Education On The Road With Eagles!
• ANDERSON RACE MANAGEMENT | School 5k Fundraiser

EXPLORE TAYLORS FALLS, MN & ST. CROIX FALLS, WI

MORE THAN A DAYTRIP

Spring vacation in the st. croix valley, all the outdoor fun, with plenty to do indoors too.

18 Things To Do This Spring!

It’s spring here in the St. Croix Valley, and that means we are ready to get outside and enjoy all things nature. But, as Prince once said, sometimes it snows in April (or rains, sleets, or hails), and we also need some suitable indoor activities to keep us entertained on our spring vacation.

Book your overnight stay and bookmark this list so you’ll never run out of things to do this spring in the St. Croix Valley!

Get Outdoors!

The “City of Trails” is the perfect place to start your hiking adventure. St. Croix Falls is home to miles of trails of all kinds. Rugged trails along the bluffs of the St. Croix River, wooded trails right through town, and meadows trails that let the bright blue spring sky shine. You’ve got so many choices: WI Interstate State Park , the Ice Age National Scenic Trail – St. Croix Falls Segment, and the Deer Lake Conservancy trails to mention a few. Need more trails? Hop the river to MN Interstate State Park , or head south to Dresser/Osceola and discover more. Don’t worry, you won’t run out of trails to explore!

Summit Rock Trail – WI Interstate State Park

Once the mud dries up and the snow melts off the side of the road, our spring biking season begins! If you’re looking for rail to trail, traffic free, riding, try the Gandy Dancer State Trail, which runs from St. Croix Falls all the way north to Superior, WI! This flat, gravel trail is such a great trail for bikers of all levels. It runs north through the Polk County WI towns of Centuria, Milltown, Luck, Lewis, and Frederic where you’ll see all the beautiful rural views along the way, and then continues north into Burnett County and beyond.

Looking for more? Try these:

Stower Seven Lakes Trail

Woolly Mountain Bike Trail

Road Bike Routes

Biking on the Gandy Dancer

There’s no better way to get away from it all than camping… except maybe glamping! Whether you like the rigors of roughing it or prefer the great outdoors with a side of luxury, the best camping and glamping near the Twin Cities are in the St. Croix Valley .

Big Rock Creek

Wildwood RV Park and Campground

Interstate State Park, WI

Interstate State Park, MN

Wild Vines Campground

Go Glamping!

4.chase waterfalls.

Yes, TLC told us not to in the 90’s, but we say please DO go chase waterfalls, rivers and lakes here in the St. Croix Valley. We know you’re going to ask us, “Where are the falls?” when you come to St. Croix Falls and Taylors Falls, and our short answer is that you’re not going to find a waterfall in our area right along the St. Croix River. But, if you look a little harder, you’re going to find our hidden gems of rushing water.

If you’re looking for an easy find, the rapids under the Hwy 8 bridge in Taylors Falls will show you the power of the river. It’s a short walk from the MN Interstate State Park parking lot. Another easy find is the dam viewing site at the Overlook in downtown St. Croix Falls, where you’ll get a chance to see the powerful hydroelectric dam in action.

If you don’t mind some stairs, take a short drive south to Osceola, and walk down to the Cascade Falls. You can walk right up and even under this waterfall (but it’s pretty cold in the spring!).

Or, if you’re willing to take a little walk, find the waterfall along the Silverbrook Trail inside Interstate State Park – WI.

Chase Waterfalls

St. Croix River

Cascade Falls

Hydroelectric Dam

Spring is here! The water in the St. Croix River and our many lakes is finally ice free, and ice houses are traded in for boats. It might still be a little cool out there, but that doesn’t keep the fishing season from heating up ! Technically, the 2024 fishing opener for WI is May 4th, and May 11th for MN, until then there are plenty of panfish to chase or sturgeon to catch and release.

What a catch!

6. hunt for wildflowers.

Catch them while you can! These early and late spring wild blooming plants don’t last long. These wild growing woodland plants take advantage of the sun before the deciduous trees and shrubs leaf out and cast their cool, dark shade onto the forest floor. Look for Trillium, Rue Anemone, and Wild Columbine to name a few. Take a hike on one of our many area trails and count how many blooms you can find. Try a trail inside Interstate Park in Taylors Falls MN or Interstate Park in St. Croix Falls, WI and catch a glimpse of the Wild and Scenic St. Croix River too!

7. GO GOLFING

The long-awaited spring golf season is finally upon us! Snag a tee time and enjoy the fresh air while working on your swing. Or, if your style is more mini-golf or disc golf, we’ve got those too.

8. TAKE A PADDLEBOAT RIDE

It’s officially spring when the Queen and Princess arrive back in Taylors Falls. The Taylors Falls Scenic Boat Tours resume in the spring with the Taylors Falls Princess and The Taylors Falls Queen Paddleboats back in the water and ready to take visitors on an excursion down the St. Croix river.  Since 1906 tourists by the thousands have enjoyed the scenic beauty of the world famous Dalles of the St. Croix River by excursion boat. Book early for the annual Mother’s Day Brunch and Dinner cruises!

Taylors Falls Princess

9. celebrate earth day.

Earth Day founder Senator Gaylord Nelson, a native of Polk County, WI , worked to protect the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway as the first ‘Wild and Scenic River’ in the United States and established the first “Earth Day” on April 22, 1970.

WI Senator Nelson also worked with MN Senator Walter Mondale, to cosponsor the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in the late 1960’s.

The two cities of Taylors Falls, MN and St. Croix Falls, WI sit on opposite banks of the St. Croix River, which is protected under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of the late 1960’s; an effort cosponsored by WI Senator Nelson and  MN Senator Walter Mondale.

10. Discover the Unexpected

Franconia Sculpture Park is certainly an unexpected outdoor find here in the St. Croix Valley. But, this 50 acre, outdoor sculpture park located in Franconia, Minnesota (just west of Taylors Falls, is the perfect place to stroll and see big art in the wide open countryside. Franconia Sculpture Park is also known for its public music and arts events, and opens up it’s Farmer’s Market on Sundays starting in May. Best of all? It’s FREE, but please consider giving a donation to support this amazing art community.

FRANCONIA SCULPTURE PARK

11. patio dining.

The time has finally come where we can dine al fresco! Patio seating starts to open up in the spring, and here are a few places that can’t be missed.

Be Wild Burgers

The Drive In

Dalles House Restaurant & Lounge

Trap Rock Brewing Co

Dancing Dragonfly Winery

Juneberry Cafe

DINE AL FRESCO!

Stay inside, 12. play pickleball.

Pickleball is all the rage right now, and in St. Croix Falls, we are happy to report that we now sport an indoor court! St. Croix Pickleball & Recreational Sports Facility has 3 indoor courts, and even an indoor batting cage for softball and baseball. If you need your pickleball fix on vacation, or the kids need something to do when it rains, this is a good option.

St. Croix Pickleball

13.catch a show (professional theater).

Red Herring: April 12th-21st

Cahoot?! Physical Theatre, based in Minneapolis MN, is opening Festival Theatre’s 2024 Youth & Family Series with their production of A Red Herring, playing April 12th-21st at the Franklin Square Black Box, 125 N Washington St, St. Croix Falls, WI.

In the sprawling metropolis of Triton City, “Salty” Sloane McNulty seems past their prime as a private detective. But when lead scientist of the Triton City Aquarium and Research Center, Dr. Finneas Plunc, barges into Salty’s office with an urgent plea to help him track down a stolen experiment, it looks like Detective McNulty is back for one last case. Taking place throughout Triton City with the help of shadow puppetry and an overhead projector,

A Red Herring is performed in the style of a film noir brought to life off the screen. Explore the sewers, dance with sharks, follow the clues, and join the chase to discover what really happened in the case of the stolen Crimson Clupeidae.

Cahoot?!’s guiding principles as a company read “At the core of our mission is a radical idea: theatre (and art) should be available to everyone. Our goal is to create high-quality productions available to the public in the community and without a price tag. By doing this, we hope to break down the barriers of location, income, and class to bring innovative theatre to everyone.”

Tickets for A Red Herring are free of charge with limited seating available. To reserve tickets, you can go to  festivaltheatre.org or through our box office at (715) 483-3387.

Join Cahoot?! Physical Theatre on a tour of Triton City — from the depths of the city sewer system to the top of the largest skyscraper — and see if you can solve the mystery of the Crimson Clupeidae

14.Solve a Mystery: Try our brand-new ESCAPE ROOM: Storyteller

Brand new escape room in downtown St. Croix Falls. Opening to the public for the first time on May 3, 4, & 5th!

In this 60-minute experience, Jack Frost has kidnapped Santa Claus on Christmas-eve, It’s up to you and your team to rescue Santa before Christmas is ruined FOREVER!

Learn more about the escape room by visiting www.sleepingdragonstudios.com and book your tickets here .

Escape Room!

15. attend the taste of the st. croix valley.

A TRUE CULINARY SAMPLING OF THE ST. CROIX VALLEY!

The Taste of the St. Croix Valley , formerly the Falls Sampler, is a fun opportunity to experience the unique tastes of the St. Croix River Valley!

WINE, CRAFT BEER, DELICOUS DELECTABLES

Enjoy food and drink samples from local eateries, wineries, breweries, distilleries, and other exhibitors while catching up with friends in a festive atmosphere!

HELD IN A BEAUTIFULLY RENOVATED EVENT BARN ON THE FABULOUS BIG ROCK CREEK PROPERTY

The Falls Chamber is excited to partner with Big Rock Creek for the 2024 Taste of the St. Croix Valley! 

LIVE MUSIC, PRIZES, & CASH RAFFLES!

This year’s event includes raffles for a Wall of Wine and Trough of Beer and 50/50 cash raffles. We’ll have live music and some of our vendors will have items for sale. 

Get your tickets early! The first 300 people to purchase tickets will receive a swag tote bag with tasting glasses and other items!

*Please note that this is an adult event. You need to be 18+ to enter and 21+ to consume alcohol. Please bring your ID.

16.Treat Yourself!

Sweet treats and yummy delectable are just more fun on vacation, are we right?

We’ve got plenty of options to treat yourself, but if you’re looking for something a little extra special, try these:

Valley Sweets: Old fashioned candy shop, ice cream, and fresh baked treats made daily!

Chateau St. Croix Winery: Wine. In a Castle. In the Country. Need we say more? Oh, get your photo taken with the suit of armor and post to social to show it off!

Dalles House Restaurant & Lounge: Serious Wisconsin Supper Club vibes. Don’t miss the fish fry and old fashioned’s. Check out their newly revamped dining room, opening mid-April!

Spring Tea Parties at Gustaf’s Eatery: Get a full tea party experience in the Gustaf Anderson House, a site on the National Register of Historic Places.

Treat Yourself!

17.SHOP & EXPLORE ART!

It’s always fun to come home with a find when you’re on vacation!

Our small towns are filled with unique finds, boutique trinkets, and antique treasures.

Check out some of these brand new storefronts in downtown St. Croix Falls:

The Unique Boutique ­ – Women’s Boutique clothing in a stunning new historic building location

The Napping Gnome – Home Decor and Custom & Refinished Furniture by Rugged Timber Revival

Rustic Sparrow ­ – Rustic and Vintage antiques and upcycled finds for your home!

Don’t miss:

The Derby Dash on May 2nd!  A fun night out of shopping, prizes, and fun!

Rotary’s Budding Artist  Show is Friday, May 3rd – Sunday May 5th. This three day art show for budding artists to support an artist scholarship fund and to support the arts in the St Croix Valley. Special activities Noon Saturday: Festival Theater Mimes. Saturday 1 pm to 4 pm Famed Artist Mary Pettis doing an art demonstration and Sunday noon to 3 pm music by Relan Grove.

The 32 Annual St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour is an annual gathering of exceptional potters and pottery enthusiasts in the beautiful St. Croix River Valley of Minnesota. The 2024 tour will feature seventy artists at seven different studios. We hope to see you there!

The studios are a short drive from each other, allowing some or all to be visited in a single day, and within an hour of the Twin Cities. Admission is free and open to everyone.

The River Valley Shop Hop April 18th – 21. A vibrant shopping adventure across four charming communities! Discover unique finds, enjoy special deals, and experience the best of local retail.

New Store Location!

Mother's Day Weekend

Budding Artist Show

18.stay over.

How will you get through this whole list if you don’t stay overnight?

Close to town:

Holiday Inn Express in St. Croix Falls

123 South Washington in St. Croix Falls

On the Lake

Lake Place Bed & Breakfast on Poplar Lake

MORE LODGING

Vacation Rental in St. Croix Falls

This article was written by Linda Shober and produced by Linda Shober Marketing + Design, a marketing firm located in the St. Croix Valley specializing in providing content, strategy, management, design, and creative for digital and traditional marketing projects.

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More From Forbes

Riverbeat festival restores live music to renovated memphis waterfront.

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Lauryn Hill reunites with the Fugees at Riverbeat Music Festival in Memphis, Tenn. on May 4, 2024.

Strands of chartreuse, gold and sapphire lights reflect off of the dark, rolling currents of the Mississippi River as Lauryn Hill takes the stage. Trading bar for bar with fellow Fugee Wyclef Jean at the forefront of a 10-piece band, the reunited hip-hop act electrifies a swarm of smartphone lights and the occasional cigarette lighter burning into the swampy, southern air.

As a mid-song interlude transitioned into the first melodies of Hill’s effervescent 1998 hit, “Doo Wop (That Thing),” the lights begin to pierce through a smokey haze wafting over a crowd on the Memphis riverfront.

Memphis has been hosting a music festival on its riverbanks in May since 1977. Almost without fail, the festival coincides with the coming of summer rains and thunderstorms pounding a dark, cloudy line over the flatlands of eastern Arkansas before smashing straight into the 100-foot bluffs holding the city’s foundations.

Tonight, the Fugees join a long line of entertainment greats who have played chicken with the weather to perform in one of the world’s great music cities. Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, John Mayer and Jay-Z have scattered sonic ashes into the air here. So too have Chuck Berry, Soundgarden, Ed Sheeran, Beck, Weezer and omnipresent hip-hop legends Three 6 Mafia, the reverberations of their creative genius burrowing into the bluffs and bouncing off of the distant, steel pyramid welcoming travelers from the west.

Occasionally in perfect weather with a brisk breeze blowing off of the water; but more often in between soggy deluges, an entourage of the world’s great musicians have performed for a city that in one way or another helped to nurture them all.

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Fans at Riverbeat Music Festival light up a Fugees reunion set with smartphone lights.

“You know I did get to rock it with Mr. B.B. King,” Jean says, before bending strings into his own spin on a blues progression that the Haitian hip-hop megastar could have plucked straight from a Beale Street bar a mile away. Energized by the performance and captivated by the appearance of the almost mythical Hill, the crowd began to pulse into a bobbing, breathing human interpretation of the river’s rolling water, forming a captivating backdrop to one of the band’s rare performances since splitting up in the late 1990s.

But this Fugees performance almost didn’t happen.

In October of 2023, the city’s longstanding festival presenter—Memphis in May International Festival—put its 47-year-old Beale Street Music Festival on hiatus. Citing declining attendance (37,000 in 2023 from a pre-pandemic average of about 100,000), a reduced capacity at its traditional home in Tom Lee Park and a $1.7 million repair bill to refurbish the recently renovated 31-acre riverfront park after its 2023 show, the non-for-profit organization suspended the festival indefinitely.

Six months ago, Memphis—the city that harbored the blues, birthed rock n’ roll and fostered cornerstones of modern hip-hop—was left without a signature summer music festival. Last fall, it seemed that May music in Memphis, of all places, would fall silent.

The news set off a tirade of swirling opinions on Beale Street Music Festival’s decline. Some blamed the pandemic. Others blamed an uptick in violent crime in the city. Some blamed newly relaxed state gun laws for bolstering that crime. Many blamed a $60 million renovation of Tom Lee Park, which saw the festival’s footprint transformed from a massive, open lawn into a more developed urban park with built-in forests, playgrounds and basketball courts.

The truth likely lies somewhere between a blend of the above and a shifting festival economy currently juggling market saturation and production costs.

Beale Street Music Festival is not the only multi-day music festival to hit pause on 2024. On the other side of Tennessee, sibling city Chattanooga canceled its longstanding Riverbend Festival for 2024. Philadelphia-based Made in America Festival was also suspended this year. And Colorado’s signature electronic music festival, Sonic Bloom, has followed suit.

But in Memphis, the beat goes on thanks to Riverbeat Music Festival a new, first-year event that defiantly pieced together a modern, three-day event into the footprint abandoned by its forerunner. Headlined by electronic/dance duo Odesza, rapper-turned-bard Jelly Roll and a reunited Fugees, the event was put together in just six months as a test bed for what organizers say will continue an annual Bluff City tradition.

“We’re going to be here,” says Mempho Presents founder Kevin McEniry. McEniry’s company began producing Mempho Music Festival , a smaller, more rock-focused autumn festival in 2017. “The idea is not to make and earn a lot of money. The idea is to try and build something that is sustainable over time and the city can be proud of.”

Fans revel in the sounds of Odesza on May 3, 2024 at Riverbeat Music Festival in Memphis, Tenn.

Though McEniry’s festival is occupying the same ground as its predecessor, Riverbeat feels markedly different than Beale Street Music Festival. In nearly five decades of operation, Beale Street Music Festival garnered a reputation for blending resplendent Mississippi River sunsets and memorable performances with an opposing quagmire of muddy fields. Indeed, veteran festival goers at Riverbeat can be easily spotted by mud-caked hiking boots still bearing the scars of past years.

A smaller crowd and redesigned park with more sidewalk space, paired with Riverbeat’s seemingly more thoughtful approach to crowd flow, have helped keep the mud this year at a bay. Portable toilets, for instance, are no longer located on grassy fields prone to becoming pudding pits after the first real downpour.

Gone, too, are Beale Street Music Festival’s trio of hulking main stages that often bled sound atop one another. Riverbeat staggers its schedule between two main stages and two smaller stages that allow for an efficient flow between sets. Commutes are relegated to short treks along a riverwalk that is no longer separated from the public via fencing or new, forested paths of some 1,000 native trees planted during Tom Lee Park’s recent remodel.

Tom Lee Park itself, once a backdrop, is now a co-star of the festival. Ample seating areas along the riverfront encourage visitors to sit and sip local brews or lattes beside the swirling water below. A shaded pavilion harboring basketball courts throughout the year doubles as a stand-in for the old festival’s beloved blues tent.

Those touches, along with premium VIP experiences with plush seating in elevated lounge areas, create a less chaotic atmosphere that feels more akin to hanging out with friends in a park that just happens to have a lineup of performing musicians than a dedicated slog through the muddy Beale Street Music Fest of old.

Spencer Stewart of The Band Camino plays a homecoming set at Riverbeat Music Festival in Memphis, ... [+] Tenn on May 4, 2024.

In its first year, Riverbeat’s first year attendance feels light.

McEniry hopes to ultimately draw 22,000 people per day to the three-day event, but Riverbeat is not there yet. They may only be halfway there. If his company is able to achieve their goal going forward, they will still be drawing about 34,000 fewer people than Beale Street Music Festival reported at its peak. But in a world where even professional sports teams are focusing on luxury experiences instead of raw numbers, perhaps a more boutique festival is a new perfect fit.

In this music city, the tailoring is important.

Festivals feel especially significant in Memphis thanks to an unusual civic glitch: Despite occupying the rarest of air among global music cities, Memphis struggles to host the kind of mid-size concerts where many artists thrive. The 18,000-seat FedExForum, home of the Memphis Grizzlies and Tigers basketball teams, is too large for many tours. The 10,000-seat Mid-South Coliseum has been shuttered for decades. 1,700-seat Minglewood Hall, the 2,000-seat Graceland Sound Stage and 2,500 seat Orpheum Theatre— all wonderful homes for more intimate performances—are too small for major tours. A smattering of nearby venues in North Mississippi often host mid-size gigs in the greater Memphis metropolitan area, but outside of its festival scene, the city that birthed much of the world’s favorite sounds currently has few options for many bands that might otherwise perform in the city.

Without regular festivals, Memphis sits at an awkward crossroads for acts drawing more than 2,500 fans but less than 18,000. And that’s a problem.

It’s a problem because people want to hear live music in Memphis. And people will travel to Memphis to listen.

According to Memphis Tourism CEO Kevin Kane, more than half of the city’s 13 million annual tourists are connected directly to its music destinations, primarily Graceland and Beale Street. The former Presley compound at Graceland is still the most visited private home in the United States, luring in more than 500,000 visitors annually. Beale Street draws in an estimated four million visitors per year, regularly ranking as the number one tourist destination in Tennessee despite the marketing buzz of Broadway’s made-for-tv honky tonks in Nashville.

For Memphis Tourism, an annual music festival in May means a jump start on the summer travel season. “We traditionally got a really good jump on the summer travel season because of Memphis in May having their music festival,” says Kane. “The number one reason most people come is in some form or fashion for the music, whether that is for Elvis, Beale Street, Sun Studio , Stax or the International Blues Challenge .

Black Pumas vocalist Eric Burton glances towards the Mississippi River at stage right during a ... [+] performance at Riverbeat Music Festival in Memphis, Tenn on May 5, 2024.

“We have to draw in visitors and we need people staying in hotels, buying food and enjoying this event. We want them to build a following so people come back each year.”

On stage, Riverbeat’s coalition of around 50 acts represent a flourishing stroke of the city’s impact on multiple genres. Atlanta hip-hop icons Big Boi and Killer Mike have made the short trip over to answer the call from Memphis. Houston’s Tobe Nwigwe joins the frey alongside honorary local ambassadors to Houston 8Ball & MJG. Nashville-based but Memphis born alt-rock trio The Band CAMINO returns home, recounting tales of May music festivals of old that flew under a different banner. And young blues sensations Southern Avenue share a bill with blues royalty like Robert Randolph, Charlie Musselwhite and Kenny Brown.

“There are a lot of artists here who are internationally known but are from the city of Memphis,” says Southern Avenue vocalist Tierinii Jackson, whose five-piece band spreads a modern blues sound across the globe. “It’s a spiritual experience because of the legacy and the history of the city. The city has thrived because of music culture, and in order for the city to continue to thrive, we need to be pouring into that culture. It’s such a rich history, with so many amazing musicians coming out of Memphis.”

Tierinii Jackson of Southern Avenue performs at Riverbeat Music Festival in Memphis, Tenn.

“You don’t have a lot of cities like Memphis in America,” adds lead guitar Ori Naftaly. “Almost from the moment that microphones became a technology, the most successful music came out of Memphis and this area. Really, from the beginning, There’s something about the energy here, something in the water here where things come together and seem to go out into the world.”

In the crowd, a mingling of curious locals blend with visitors from across the region that have a wider perspective on Memphis. A pair of travelers from St. Louis cite Memphis as a city on the rise while soaking in a parade of paddlewheel steamboats on coursing through a burning, orange sunset. St. Louis has an arch, they say, but fails to utilize its riverfront along the very same river.

“I’m so happy that Memphis has this going on,” says Monica Keshwara, an EDM fan who flew in from Atlanta to experience Riverbeat’s electronic DJ hub, Whateverland. “I moved to Atlanta but I came back just for this event. The river view vibes are the best. I’m going to make out with Odesza tonight!”

“I love the park,” says Memphian Kenn Gibbs, “I’ve been monitoring its progress over the past several years, and it’s amazing now. Walking along the riverwalk while listening to musicians is one of the best experiences in Memphis.”

Jelly Roll fans converge on the festival closer at Riverbeat Music Festival in Memphis, Tenn. on May ... [+] 5, 2024.

By day three, the rains have finally caught up to Riverbeat and throngs of weathered, mud-caked boots finally begin to prove their worth.

Facing its first real test against the vengeful precipitation and winds ripping across the river delta, show organizers postpone opening the gates for two hours while storms fizzle out. Newly-elected Memphis Mayor Paul Young joins city folk heroes 8Ball & MJG on stage amidst light sprinkles. But by the time Outkast rapper Big Boi’s Atlanta contingent launches into the title track from 1994’s “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik” around nightfall, the deluge returns in earnest.

“It ain’t nothin but a little rain,” belts Big Boi, igniting a Memphis crowd well-versed in the back catalogue of their cultural cousins from Georgia delighting in the throwback tracks from Outkast and a cut of “Kryptonite” from supergroup Purple Ribbon All-Stars.

Big Boi performs "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik" in the rain during Riverbeat Music Festival on ... [+] May 5, 2024.

Big Boi has another surprise for the crowd, too—one that’s become a theme over the weekend—a cameo from a Memphis artist. Grammy award-winning engineer and East High School product Renegade El Rey (fresh off of a Grammy win with Killer Mike’s “Michael” album) launches onto the stage with a spellbinding flow backed by bonafide hip-hop royalty.

Moments later, festival closer and country music megastar Jelly Roll finishes sound check as Big Boi’s crowd migrates stages. Winds continue to percolate over the Mississippi River at stage right as a line of thunderstorms flash over the fields of Arkansas. Stretches of grassy lawn in between newly-minted sidewalks, Pronto Pup stands and beer tents begin to return to their familiar, soggy festival forms of old.

Already amped by an energetic performance from Big Boi, the crowd erupts for the opening chords of the Nashville-based Jelly Roll. Paradoxical in a city that’s about as un-Nashville as they come, Jelly Roll unleashes a torrent of twang over a rock-heavy opening salvo replete with fireballs and smoke machines. A cameo from Jelly Roll’s early career co-star, Memphis rapper Lil Wyte, and an improvised “Mafia!” chant referencing his early fandom to Three 6 Mafia work to win over the few fans unaware of the country star’s background.

“Many moons ago, I used to go to a similar festival right here called Memphis in May,” quips a markedly candid Jelly Roll. “Back then, we were just fans.”

Riverbeat organizers say they are planning a return to Tom Lee Park in 2025, giving music fans a reason to continue traveling back to one of the world’s great sonic cities.

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The curriculum combines steamboat, logging, and geology.

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Designed for education and available for groups of 20 or more. Your class can experience Wisconsin/ Minnesota history in the upper St. Croix River Valley while riding transportation from the past.

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The cruise departs at 11:00 am and returns at 12:20 pm. Our boat trip will be open to the general public. The curriculum combines steamboat, logging, and geology and will be narrated while underway.

Reservations required. Click here to fill out an inquiry form to request more information on booking a group, or call 651-465-6315 to make your reservations.

You can also try our Daily Excursion ! Enjoy an 80-minute narrated scenic cruise on the beautiful St. Croix River. Your licensed boat pilot and tour guide will point out the unique rock formations left behind as the glaciers retreated thousands of years ago. Pricing for students (K-12) for our Daily Excursion Monday-Friday is $12.49, and the Chaperones/Parent rate is $19.99.

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