Excelsior Apple Days

Fall festival · Excelsior · Minnesota

Excelsior's Water Street closes down for a weekend of craft booths, an apple pie contest, history tours and a beer and wine garden, a few blocks from the Lake Minnetonka docks. It is a smaller, more neighborhood scale fall festival than the big Twin Cities pumpkin farms.

Best for: A lakeside small town festival on Lake Minnetonka

Don’t miss

  • Apple pie contest and craft booths
  • History tours of downtown Excelsior
  • Beer and wine garden with live music

Plan your visit

2026 season: Sep 18 – Sep 20.

Fri 5-10pm, Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-4pm; vendor market Sat 10-5, Sun 10-4

Dates from the official announcement, checked August 20, 2026. Always confirm before you go.

2026 Forecast

Color nearby peaks: October 1–October 5

Color builds from September 23 · mostly bare by October 24

Color starts: September 23Peak: October 3Bare: October 24AugustDecember

Sampled at Excelsior Apple Days’s own coordinates and elevation (292 m) rather than a regional average.

48 weather points cover Minnesota, and the model shifts their answer 9 days earlier, which is what it takes to match 2 published peak dates from smokymountains.com. Minnesota is running 4 days earlier than its own average this year. How the forecast works

When to go to Excelsior Apple Days

Good color holds through about October 12, giving you roughly 19 days from the first turn to past peak. That runs roughly 4 days later than the rest of Minnesota.

It is in Minneapolis, close enough to reach without planning a drive around it.

Excelsior Apple Days on the map

Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of Minnesota, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.

More things to do in Minnesota

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Plan from a city

Frequently asked

When is Excelsior Apple Days open in 2026?
The 2026 season runs Sep 18 – Sep 20. Fri 5-10pm, Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-4pm; vendor market Sat 10-5, Sun 10-4. Dates can shift, so check the official site before you go.
When does Excelsior Apple Days peak in 2026?
Peak color is predicted for October 1–October 5 (best estimate October 3). Color starts around September 23 and is mostly bare by October 24.
How do I get to Excelsior Apple Days?
Excelsior Apple Days is in Excelsior. The closest city is Minneapolis, about 16 mi away (it's right in town). It's part of Minnesota's fall lineup.

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