Four days. Kids home. No school until Monday.
MEA weekend runs Thursday, October 15 through Sunday, October 18 this year, and if you’re anything like the parents who come through our door every October, you’re already wondering how to fill it without spending half of it in the car. Good news: you don’t have to cross the metro every day to make it a good one. Most of what you need is right here around the lake.
Here’s a loose plan. Steal the whole thing or just the parts that work.
Thursday: Stay Close to the Lake
Ease into it. Walk the Lake Nokomis loop at whatever pace little legs allow, stop at the playground by the beach, and let everyone find the biggest leaf pile on the path. (There will be leaf piles. It’s mid-October in south Minneapolis.)
When fingers start getting cold, come warm up with us. Cocoa and a pastry fix almost everything. We’re open [MEA weekend hours].
Friday: One Big Outing
If you’re going to make one trip out, make it Friday. The Minnesota History Center in St. Paul is running History HiJinx for MEA week on Thursday and Friday from 11 to 3. Kids learn about Minnesota’s trees and make their own leaf suncatcher, which pairs nicely with all the leaves they collected Thursday. It’s a paid event, so grab tickets at mnhs.org before you go.
Grab a coffee for the drive on your way out. You’ll want it.
Saturday: Fall Color Hunt
This is about when fall color tends to hit its stride in the city, so Saturday is for looking up. Follow Minnehaha Creek from the lake and see how far everyone makes it before someone asks for a snack. The lake path is a good backup if you’d rather keep it short.
Make it a game if you need to. First person to spot a tree that’s fully red picks the next stop. (We’d suggest the next stop.)
Sunday: Slow Morning
No plans. Sleep in if anyone will let you. Come in for a coffee and something warm for the kids, take one more lap around the lake, and reset before the alarms go off Monday morning.
Four days goes fast. The lake will be here, the leaves will be falling, and we’ll have the cocoa ready. Come say hi at some point this weekend. We’d love to see you and the whole crew.
See you at the cafe. ☕
