St. Michael Daze and Knights, the community’s annual festival to celebrate the waning days of summer, is set to kick off Friday with food, inflatables and plenty of music.
The weekend starts Friday night as the inflatable midway, featuring the “moonscape” madness, a pirate ship and plenty of “bouncy houses” opens at 5 p.m. and will run until 9 p.m. Wristbands are available now at St. Michael City Hall which gives kids (and young adults) access to almost every inflatable on the grounds for a discounted fee. Wristbands are good both Friday and Saturday.
Friday’s action continues with the beer garden and concession area opening at 5 p.m. Bring the family out for dinner as there will be sandwiches and meats from Dehmer’s, ice cream, hot dogs, corn, pizza and much more to munch on.
Entertainment gets rolling at 5 p.m. with the St. Michael Daze and Knights Open Mic Night, on stage under the big top. Entries will be taken until the show stops at 7 p.m.
Then, it’s time to make way for the hilarity and amazing talents of the Dueling Pianos. This musical act is sensational, and has been to the region twice before, drawing rave reviews. The show starts promptly at 8 p.m., and they’ll run until midnight. This is a 21 and up show ONLY, and there is a $5 cover charge. The St. Michael Lions Club will be manning the ID station and the beer garden as well.
Saturday brings a full slate of activities, kicking off with the third installment of the St. Michael Daze and Knights Softball Tournament, which will take place down at the Rec Center. See some of the top teams in the region close down their summer season here in St. Michael.
This will be the second year for the Magnificent Mile Mud Run, which starts at 8 a.m. at City Hall. Check-in will be in the field across from Allina Clinic. Race starts at 9 a.m., and this is a 14-years and up race (no kids). Cost is just $35 and most will get a t-shirt.
The Classic Car Show will be held from 10 a.m. at 3 p.m. at a NEW location – in front of O’Reilly’s Autoparts near the Colonial Mall, off Highway 241. There will be prizes in several categories.
Let your artistic side show in the annual Chalk Walk, sponsored by shop St. Michael and others. Grab a square on the south side of City Hall around 9:30 a.m. and the contest will run until 10:30 a.m. Several prizes will be awarded with grab bags for almost everyone who participates.
The inflatables pop up again around 11 a.m., running through 10 p.m. Concessions along the midway will open at 10 a.m.
The annual Parade, which runs from Town Center Drive onto Edgewood and, finally, Frankfort Parkway, starts promptly at 1:30 p.m. Dozens of entrants are registered representing local businesses, politicians and youth sports groups. It’s a great way to support the community.
The weekend closes down with the Pork Chop Dinner from 4:30 to 7 p.m., Fireworks at dusk and the Shane Martin Band under the big tent from 8 p.m. to Midnight (again, a 21 and up show with a $5 cover).
Other events include:
Business Expo – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Bean Bag Tourney – 10:30 a.m. registration, 11 a.m. start
Bingo – noon to 3 p.m. in the beer garden (no beer though), sponsored by the Senior Center
Sawdust Pile Treasure Hunt – sponsored by First American Bank, starts promptly at 11 a.m.
Fire Department Demos – at dusk both Friday and Saturday, as well as post-parade Saturday afternoon
Dunk Tank – Right after the parade, sponsored by FYCC
Petting Zoo – 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday
For more information and locations on all of these events, check out the St. Michael Daze and Knights Website. The event is also on Facebook, where you can post pictures and leave messages for this year’s organizers.