Free Family Festival Coming To Waite Park In September

(KNSI) – A new event promising a full day of free games, music and activities is coming to Waite Park next month.

The first Minnesota Family Festival is set for Sunday, September 20th, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at The Park Event Center.

Organizer Jason Roering says the festival will take over all five event spaces at the venue, giving it room for more than 1,200 people at a time. Plans call for more than 40 games and activities hosted by community organizations, plus 12 musical performances spread across two stages so there is no waiting between acts.

Roering, who also publishes Minnesota Family magazine, explained the thinking behind the format. “A lot of families, they go to a midway, they want to have fun, and it costs a lot of money. But here, it’s free to get in and the games are free. So you can have a fun day with your family all day.”

Early commitments include a bounce house, an inflatable archery game, puppies and kittens, chess and a ring toss. Organizers are also putting together a passport for kids, with stamps available at each booth and a prize drawing at the end of the day. Roering says those details should be finalized near the end of August.

Minnesota Family was established with the Secretary of State in November of 2020 and became a magazine in the summer of 2022. The publication is now working on its 11th edition. Roering says the festival came together after he went looking for a venue to host a St. Cloud Area Chamber Connection event, and The Park Event Center offered to partner on something larger. A planning committee of about seven volunteers has been meeting since March.

The idea traces back further than that. Roering grew up around the event business; his family operated the Sauk Centre Coliseum, which was torn down in 1997, booking weddings, auctions, professional wrestling and even an Elvis impersonator to keep the ballroom full. He says two things he noticed then stuck with him.

“I’m aware that there’s all these spaces that are empty, and I’m aware that there’s all these families that are idle. And I just feel like there’s an opportunity to get together and have a great time.”

Food will be available for purchase from The Park Event Center’s on-site catering, with separate breakfast and afternoon menus.

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