A Weekend in Minneapolis: Mall of America, Minnesota State Fair & More
Updated: 7 days ago
Looking for a fun long-weekend road trip from Kansas City? Minneapolis had been on our list for two very specific reasons: Mall of America and the Minnesota State Fair. So, over Labor Day weekend, we packed up the car and headed north for a weekend built around shopping, fair food, and a little time exploring downtown Minneapolis.
This definitely wasn’t a “see everything in Minneapolis” kind of trip. We spent the majority of our time at Mall of America and the Minnesota State Fair, with a few stops for drinks and exploring downtown mixed in. And honestly, both of our main attractions could easily take up an entire day on their own.
Why Visit Minneapolis?
The Twin Cities have a lot more to offer than we were able to squeeze into one weekend. Minneapolis is known for its lakes, parks, arts scene, breweries and restaurants, while nearby St. Paul adds historic neighborhoods and even more places to explore.
If you have extra time, a few spots worth adding to your Minneapolis itinerary include:
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden & Walker Art Center – Home to the famous Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture.
Chain of Lakes – A great option if you want to add some outdoor time, especially during warmer months.
Minnehaha Falls – One of the area's best-known outdoor attractions and an easy addition to a Minneapolis trip.
North Loop – One of the areas we did get a small taste of, with restaurants, cocktail bars and nightlife.
Paisley Park – Prince's former home and studio in Chanhassen for anyone interested in Minneapolis music history.
Explore St. Paul – If you have another day, it’s worth crossing over and making this a full Twin Cities trip.
For us, though, this weekend was all about two of Minnesota's biggest attractions.
Mall of America
First up: Mall of America.
I knew Mall of America was huge, but I underestimated just how much time you could spend here. We originally gave ourselves about four hours, and that was not enough.
Mall of America isn't just a shopping mall. Along with hundreds of stores, there are more than 50 places to eat and attractions throughout the property, including SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium, FlyOver America and the seven-acre Nickelodeon Universe indoor theme park.
Even if you aren't a huge shopper, it's worth visiting just to experience the scale of the place. You could easily spend most of a day here if you want time to shop, eat and try some of the attractions without rushing.
My tip: Don't make our mistake and assume a few hours will be plenty. If Mall of America is one of the main reasons you're visiting Minneapolis, give yourself at least half a day — and honestly, a full day wouldn't be unreasonable.
Minnesota State Fair
The other big reason for our road trip was the Minnesota State Fair, and this was easily one of the highlights of the weekend.
The fair takes place for 12 days leading up to and including Labor Day and is MASSIVE. To put it into perspective, the 2026 Minnesota State Fair welcomed more than 1.9 million visitors.
There are rides, live entertainment, agricultural exhibits, shopping and seemingly endless amounts of food. The fair lists nearly 1,600 menu items from almost 300 food concession locations, including more than 80 foods served on a stick.
Naturally, we made trying the food one of our main activities.
We tried 17 different foods throughout the day, but my favorites ended up being some of the classics: the corn on the cob, Sweet Martha's cookies and fried olives on a stick.
Besides eating our way around the fairgrounds, there are plenty of attractions to break up the food stops. You'll find everything from the Giant Slide and SkyGlider to the Mighty Midway, live performances and exhibits.
If you're planning your own trip around the Minnesota State Fair, I would dedicate an entire day to it. The grounds are huge, and trying to squeeze the fair and Mall of America into the same day would mean rushing through both.
Drinks & Downtown Minneapolis
We didn't spend a ton of time exploring downtown Minneapolis on this trip, but we did make it out for a few drinks. One of the most unique stops was Meteor Bar, where there’s no traditional cocktail menu. Instead, you tell the bartender what flavors you’re in the mood for and let them take it from there.
I gave them strawberry, lemon and mint, and they made me two completely different cocktails using those same flavors. It was such a fun way to order a drink — especially if you’re indecisive and would rather let the bartender get creative.
If you're building a longer Minneapolis itinerary, I’d definitely leave at least one evening open for exploring the city’s cocktail bars and nightlife.
Breakfast at Perk Up
We started one of our mornings in Minneapolis with breakfast at Perk Up. I wasn't looking for a huge breakfast, so I ordered just one lemon pancake with a side of bacon and an egg — and honestly, the lemon pancake was incredible. If you stop in, I highly recommend adding one to your order!
I kept it simple with a black coffee, while my friend Chloe went for a vanilla latte. It was an easy breakfast stop before heading out for another full day in Minneapolis.
One Last Stop: Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store
On our way home, we made one last Minnesota stop at Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store in Jordan. This place is packed with pretty much every kind of candy you can imagine, plus chocolates, snacks, sodas and plenty of random finds.
Naturally, I loaded up on sour candy, while my friend Chloe went for chocolates — and somehow even left with treats for her cats. 😂 If you’re road-tripping through the area, it’s a fun stop to break up the drive and stock up on snacks for the ride home.
Is Minneapolis Worth the Road Trip From Kansas City?
For a long weekend? Absolutely.
What I liked about this trip was that we didn't need a packed itinerary for it to feel worthwhile. Mall of America and the Minnesota State Fair were destinations in themselves, and we could fill in the rest of our weekend with whatever we had time for.
If you're driving from Kansas City specifically for the State Fair, I'd plan at least two full days in the Twin Cities: one for Mall of America and one for the fair. Add another day if you want to explore Minneapolis and St. Paul beyond those two attractions.
And there's still plenty we didn't get to see.
Next time, I'd love to spend more time around the lakes, visit Minnehaha Falls and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, explore more of the North Loop, and cross over into St. Paul. Mall of America itself also deserves another visit considering how much we missed the first time around.
So if you're looking for a Midwest road trip that feels a little different from your typical weekend getaway, put Minneapolis on your list — and if you can time it with the Minnesota State Fair, even better.
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