3 Easy Spring Outings For ACR Homes Residents
As the snow melts and spring arrives in the Twin Cities, spring brings renewed opportunities to engage with nature, enjoy the outdoors, and celebrate the changing season. Many spring activities in the Minneapolis-St.Paul Metro Area are designed with accessibility in mind, ensuring everyone can take part. If you're like us at ACR Homes, helping our residents engage in enriching activities is part of our mission and vision when it comes to great care. So use our guide titled "3 Easy Spring Outings for ACR Homes Residents" to build a fun season for yourself, your loved ones, or people within your care as well.
1. Enjoy time at the Walker Art Center & Minneapolis Sculpture Gardens
The Walker Art Center is a contemporary art museum located in Minneapolis focusing on visual, performing, and media arts. Not only is a trip to their museum worth it, especially on the rainy spring days, but held within their grounds is a the free Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Found on a beautifully maintained and expansive, 11 acres, are 60 sculptures. Guests can enjoy the grounds on a series of connected paved paths, making the Minneapolis Sculpture Gardens ADA compliant and wheelchair accessible.
Guests can visit during one of their spring events such as Free Thursday Nights, Sensory Friendly Sunday, or the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden Spring Fair.
2. Walks at Minnehaha Falls
Minnehaha Regional Park is one of the most iconic parks in Minneapolis, and in the spring, it becomes a breathtaking sight with blooming flowers and running waterfalls. The park is fully accessible with paved pathways leading to the falls. The trails are suitable for individuals using wheelchairs or mobility devices, ensuring everyone can enjoy the beauty of nature.
3. Enjoy fresh produce, flowers, and locally made products at farmers markets & spring festivals
Nobody appreciates the coming of spring like Minnesotans after a long winter. Capitalize on the changing season by enjoying the newly opened Twin Cities Farmers Markets and Festivals. Spread across all of the Twin Cities Metro Area of Minnesota, you could spend a morning or afternoon meandering through locally grown and created products while enjoying the spring weather. To get you started, here are a few options to choose from:
- St. Paul Farmers Market (Downtown): Indoor market at 308 Prince St. (Saturdays & Sundays, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.) through March, moving to 290 5th St. E for the outdoor season opener in late April.
- Mill City Farmers Market (Minneapolis): Features indoor winter markets at the Mill City Museum on the first and third Saturdays from November through April (10 a.m.–1 p.m.).
- Maple Grove Indoor Market: Held at the Community Center (3–6 p.m.) on select dates, including April 9 & 23, 2026.
- Bachman’s Indoor Markets: St. Paul (Apple Valley/Maplewood/Fridley locations) host Saturday markets (10 a.m.–1 p.m.) featuring local vendors.
- Minneapolis Farmers Market (Lyndale Ave): Open year-round, expanding its outdoor offerings in early spring (6 a.m.–1 p.m.), with early produce like radishes and greenhouse plants.
- Twin Cities Spring Babies Festival (Brooklyn Park): Weekends Apr 11–May 3. Features baby goats, lambs, bunnies, food trucks, and family activities at 8001 109th Ave N.
- Mayday Parade & Festival (Minneapolis): May 3, 2026. A large parade with puppets and floats ending in Powderhorn Park.
- Art-A-Whirl (Northeast Minneapolis): May 15-17, 2026. The nation's largest open studio art tour.
- Springtime & Sunshine Festival (Anoka): May 8-10, 2026 at the Anoka County Fairgrounds.
- Art in Bloom (Minneapolis): April 23-26, 2026, at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
- St. Paul Art Crawl (St. Paul): April 25–27, 2026, featuring open studios across multiple weekends.
- Nicollet Island Spring Market: May 3, 2026, featuring local artists and live music.
- Old St. Anthony Spring Market: April 19, 2026.
- Minnesota Qeej and Hmong Arts Festival: April 27, 2026, at Union Depot, focusing on traditional Hmong music and culture.