Excelsior Apple Days

Every September since 1935, the town of Excelsior, Minnesota has gathered on Water Street and Second Street to mark the apple harvest and celebrate the community that has grown up around Lake Minnetonka. Excelsior Apple Days is one of the oldest continuous community festivals in the Twin Cities metro area, and it holds its character precisely because it has not tried to become something it is not. The 2026 event runs September 18 through September 20 in downtown Excelsior, with the main festival grounds at 12 Water Street, directly along the lake’s edge. Admission is free. The atmosphere is unhurried, the crowds are local in the best sense, and the lake is never more than a short walk away.

What Happens and When

The festival opens at 10:00 a.m. with vendors lining the street, the beer and wine garden activating at the center of it all, and the Happy Apple Kids Corner opening for children. At 11:00 a.m., the Apple Day Historic Water Street Walking Tour departs — an organized walk through Excelsior’s lakeside history that covers the town’s development from its days as a steamboat landing in the 1800s. The Apple Pie contest, which includes both a baking competition and a pie-eating contest, draws entries from the area’s most devoted home bakers and is one of the most locally contested events of the weekend. Paradise Charter Cruises, which operates on Lake Minnetonka, runs complimentary community cruises during the festival that give you a view of Excelsior’s waterfront from the water itself. Live entertainment runs across the day from a single main stage, mixing local acts with regional names — acts range in style from folk and acoustic to full-band sets. The street dance, a genuine old-fashioned tradition in an era when those have mostly disappeared, closes out the festival in the evening.

A Weekend for Families

The Happy Apple Kids Corner is purpose-built for children, with entertainment and activities scaled to younger visitors. The pie-eating contest, always a crowd favorite, gives kids a reason to stay invested in the competition arc of the day. The waterfront location means the lake is always accessible for a break between activities. Excelsior’s main commercial strip runs parallel to the festival grounds, so the town itself functions as an extension of the day — you can move fluidly between the festival, the shoreline, and the small businesses in between. Dogs are common at this event and the outdoor setting accommodates them well, though you should confirm current pet policies on the festival website before the day.

Where to Eat Near the Lake

Excelsior has a solid dining corridor within walking distance of the festival grounds. Maynard’s Restaurant (685 Excelsior Blvd, Excelsior), open since 1947, is a Lake Minnetonka institution with a full-service bar and a dining room that faces the water — the walleye and fresh Minnesota fish specials are the reason locals have kept coming back for generations. Lolas on Lake Minnetonka (294 Water St.), positioned almost directly on the festival grounds, serves a lakefront patio lunch menu with salads and sandwiches that work well between festival activities. For a post-festival dinner, Sunsets Restaurant (700 Excelsior Blvd) offers a broader menu with lake views and a reliably consistent kitchen — the lake-facing patio fills quickly on festival weekends, so a reservation is worth making ahead of time.

Points of Interest for Families

Lake Minnetonka itself is the main attraction beyond the festival. Excelsior Bay is one of the most accessible entry points for families new to the lake — calm, well-sheltered, and walkable from the festival grounds. Boat and kayak rentals through Lake Minnetonka operators are available for exploring the 14,000-acre lake’s many bays and islands. The Excelsior Amusement Park no longer operates, but the town’s 1925 carousel — rescued from that original park — was preserved and continues to run in Excelsior, making it one of the only vintage carousels in Minnesota still in operation. It is the kind of detail that tends to be more meaningful to a 7-year-old than almost anything else on the schedule. For a gentler day-two activity, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in nearby Chaska (about 8 miles east) covers 1,200 acres of cultivated gardens and natural areas and moves at a pace well-suited to families with younger children.

September Weather and What to Bring

Late September in the Twin Cities metro brings highs in the mid-60s and lows that can drop into the 40s overnight. September 18 to 20 sits at the edge of reliable warm weather — a light jacket for evening is essential, and layers are the sensible approach for the afternoon shift from warm sun to cool lake breeze. Rain is always possible; the festival is an outdoor event, so check the forecast the week before and prepare accordingly.

Book Your Stay on the Lake

Lake Minnetonka has a generous inventory of lakefront vacation rentals — cabins, cottages, and larger group homes on the water that make the Apple Days weekend into a proper lake retreat. Search Lake.com for rentals on Lake Minnetonka to find properties in Excelsior, Wayzata, and the surrounding communities. The lake itself offers enough for a full extended stay: boating, fishing, paddling, and the small-town commerce that lines its various bays. Book early; fall weekends on Lake Minnetonka move quickly with the foliage and the festival calendar.