Parade, ski show and Park & Rock headline Granite City Days weekend

(KNSI) – St. Cloud’s Granite City Days reaches its busiest stretch from Friday through Sunday at sites across the city.

Alisa Schmidt, co-chair of the Granite City Days Committee and executive assistant in the mayor’s office, told KNSI News it’s their pleasure to put this on every summer. “It’s really important to us to make sure that we offer free events to our community, especially ones that they may never get a chance to experience outside of this.” She added that the weekend takes roughly a year of planning and the work of more than 100 people across city departments and partner organizations.

Here is how the final weekend shapes up.

Friday, June 26th: Park & Rock

The weekend opens with Park & Rock, the festival’s family-focused evening at Lake George/Eastman Park from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. The event is sponsored by Liberty Bank Minnesota and is free to the public.

The band Sawyer’s Dream performs live from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., and the park fills with a Touch-a-Truck display, food trucks, a petting zoo, a Kids Zone with games and activities, and a Vendor Village of local businesses and artisans. Organizers say Vendor Village drew more than 2,500 visitors in 2025. Face painting, temporary tattoos and a hoped-for helicopter landing round out the evening.

Schmidt weighed in on the Friday fun. “So, we’ve got music, games. I mean, quite literally anything for everyone at that event. So that is a big event that we host.”

Mayor Jake Anderson also pointed to the park as a centerpiece of the weekend, noting the Touch-a-Truck and Vendor Village run at the same time and encouraging families to come hungry for the food trucks.

Saturday, June 27th: Pre-Parade Party, parade, Panstock and the ski show

Saturday is the fullest day on the calendar, with four events spread from morning into the evening. New this year is the Pre-Parade Party from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. The day begins at the Great River Children’s Museum, where kids can pick up parade candy bags and stay to play before heading downtown. Admission is $5 all day.

Mayor Anderson weighed in on the morning’s events. “Something for everyone — bring your small ones to the Children’s Museum before the parade downtown. Again, that’s from 8:00 to 10:00. And then, from 10:00 to noon, we have the actual parade.”

The signature Coborn’s Granite City Days Parade steps off at 10:00 a.m. and runs the same route as in past years, along 6th Avenue North and St. Germain Street. Spectators who want to catch the marching bands can find designated viewing areas along the route.

Schmidt said organizers expect 60 to 80 floats for the parade, with a returning element this year. “The theme this year is honoring our past, celebrating our future, and so all these groups and organizations have an opportunity to honor their past and celebrate their future.”

Floats are competing for prizes, with the mayor selecting first place ($300) and second place ($200), and a separate People’s Choice award good for a free registration in next year’s parade, a value of about $150.

This year’s Grand Marshal is the Zonta Club, recognized in part for its 75th anniversary in the community.

Pantown Brewing Company hosts Panstock from noon to 9:00 p.m. A free cookout starts at noon while supplies last, with Wandering Cow Ice Cream and yard games on hand throughout the afternoon. Live music runs across three sets: J Streitz and the Long Odds from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., The Star Chiefs from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., and the Sparky & Lee Band from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

The event nods to local history. On July 4th, 1917, Pantown’s namesake, Samuel Pandolfo, threw one of the largest picnics the state had seen. The picnic fed the crowd with 15,000 pounds of beef and 8,000 loaves of bread as he unveiled his Pan Car prototype and sold company stock.

New to the festival this year, the Granite City Ski Show brings water-ski performances to the Mississippi River at Wilson Park, with shows at 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Each performance runs about 45 minutes and is free. The elite Twin Cities River Rats team debuts its 2026 production, “The Never River,” a costumed, family-friendly storyline featuring Peter Pan characters brought to life through swivel skiing, barefooting, ballet lines and multi-tier human pyramids.

For the best views, organizers suggest sitting near the Wilson Park dog park area at 625 Riverside Drive Northeast. Bleacher seating is limited, so spectators are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets.

Mayor Anderson said the show replaces the old water portion of the former Wheels, Wings and Water festival.

Sunday, June 28th: Pancake breakfast and African Arts Festival

The festival winds down Sunday with two events that bookend the day.

A returning favorite, the Fly-In/Drive-In Pancake Breakfast runs from 8:00 a.m. to noon at St. Cloud’s Sky Central Airport. The event is free, with all-you-can-eat pancakes available for purchase at $10 for adults and $6 for ages 10 and under. Attractions include static airplane displays, a classic car show, airport heavy equipment, an open hangar with aircraft inside, an RC airplane display, a POW/MIA hot air balloon display and emergency-responder vehicles.

The weekend closes at Lake George/Eastman Park with the Fred Yiran African Arts Festival from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The celebration honors the legacy of the late artist Fred Yiran with live drumming, dance, storytelling and art showcasing African traditions and heritage.

The Friday-through-Sunday lineup caps a five-day community celebration organized by the Granite City Days Committee, the city’s Parks and Streets departments, and a long list of community partners and sponsors. Nearly everything on the schedule is free to attend, with food, rides and a few items available for purchase on-site.

Get all the details and schedule by clicking here.

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