Thursdays Downtown: Rochester’s staple summertime event! A weekly street festival with live music performances and an artisan and food market held just outside of the Gonda Building.

Rochester Farmers Market: Held on Saturdays year-round, and also on Wednesdays during the summer months.

Down by the Riverside Concerts: Summertime free concerts are held every Sunday night at Mayo Park, along the Zumbro River.

Rochester Honkers Baseball: Rochester’s home baseball team and member of the Northwoods League. The Honkers play at Mayo Field, which features a party deck in left field with unlimited food and drinks - our favorite way to cheer on the team!

Social Ice: Social Ice is Rochester’s annual ice bar event held in February! Over 30,000 people gather outside in downtown Rochester for three days of themed ice bars, life-sized ice sculptures, nightly DJs, and more!

ROCA: Climbing and Fitness: Indoor climbing, yoga, and fitness are offered here.

Are you a fan of the great outdoors? Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes. Let us show you some of the greenery we have to offer.

Hike: Minnesota is home to 75 state parks, Voyageurs National Park, and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. With infinite trails to explore, waterfalls to chase, and sites to camp, there is no shortage of hiking activities here. Some of our favorite nearby parks are Whitewater State Park and Frontenac State Park.

Snowshoe and ski: Many trails in our state parks become snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling trails in the wintertime. The snow-covered trails are beautiful in the wintertime and allow us to be outdoors year-round. For downhill skiing, Welch Village is 30 minutes outside of Rochester and has day passes.

Paddle: Minnesota actually has 11,842 lakes that are 10 acres or larger. With this much blue, it’s no surprise that canoeing and kayaking are huge sports in Minnesota.

Cycle: Rochester has 85 miles of bike trails. In addition, the Root River trail and Douglas trail nearby are well-maintained state trails that are great for weekend rides. We have trails for mountain bikers, too!

Dog parks: Do you have a pup? We love our furry friends, and there are plenty of off-leash dog parks in and around Rochester for our dogs to roam free. Some of our favorite parks in town in Rochester are River Road Dog Park and Foster Arend Park, where your pup can swim freely.

As part of the program’s resident well-being program, there are a variety of fun social events scattered throughout the year including Escape Room, Top Golf, and group lunches and dinners, to name a few.  The department’s Social and Wellness Committee also host many events during the year, including pickle ball tournaments, fitness challenges, and an annual Community Giving Campaign with a silent auction and raffle, among others.