Thursdays Downtown!
June 11 – August 13, 2026 (Except July 2) | 11 am to 8:30 pm
1st Ave SW (from W Center St to Historic 3rd St SW) & Peace Plaza
Now that we have officially entered the summer season in Rochester, MN, it means the return of one of our most beloved local outdoor festivals – Thursdays Downtown! This outdoor street festival takes place in downtown Rochester every Thursday throughout the summer (except July 2), from 11:00 AM – 8:30 PM.
Thursdays Downtown is a true community celebration! This free weekly event invites Rochester-area residents and visitors to taste incredible food and drinks from 50+ local food & beverage vendors, enjoy 6 live music performances each week, shop 50+ local artisan vendors, family-friendly fun and activities, and experience the best of Downtown Rochester throughout the summer season.
New in 2026: Thursdays Downtown will feature Youth Booth Vendors, showcasing talented young entrepreneurs ages 12-18 selling handmade art, crafts, baked goods, and more during select event dates.
Thursdays Downtown began over a decade ago as a way for Downtown Rochester, MN to bring community and excitement to the heart of the city. Today, it features hundreds of food vendors, restaurants, crafters, artisans, and local businesses—offering something for everyone to enjoy. And let’s not forget the live music! With two stages and performances scheduled throughout the day, you’ll have plenty of chances to sit back and enjoy the sounds or dance along to great tunes from talented local musicians and bands.
Helpful tips for Thursdays Downtown this summer:
Parking
The blue line represents where Thursdays Downtown is held. The blue icons with the letter “P” represent parking ramp options that are close to Thursdays Downtown. The RED Parking Icon indicates the Center Street Ramp which is CLOSED temporarily and unavailable for parking during Thursdays Downtown. A few notes about parking:
- Parking in the ramps downtown is an easy, convenient, and affordable way to visit downtown.
- If you use one of the ramps after 5:00 PM, parking is FREE (until 2:30 AM) in all ramps downtown. (This pertains to street parking as well: free after 5:00 PM!)
- All parking sessions under one hour in public ramps are FREE. {INSIDER TIP} This means that you could arrive at 4:00 PM and use one hour of free parking and then not pay at all after 5:00 PM!
- While ramp parking is abundant, it can fill up quickly during Thursdays Downtown. Don’t forget about neighborhood and street parking (particularly to the south/southwest of the festival area). If you are up for a short walk, there is often easy and plentiful parking further away from the event. Please be sure to observe any posted parking signs!
Dedicated Family Space: Mayo Clinic Family Nook
The Mayo Clinic Family Nook is a dedicated family space in the Peace Plaza. This space features kids’ activities, chairs to rest, stroller parking, and more, and is open from 11:00 AM to 7:30 PM each Thursday.
Activities include:
- Giant Jenga
- Basketball Toss
- Mini Golf
- Bean Bags
- Giant chess
- Connect Four
- Adirondack Chairs
Food + Bev
One of the best parts of Thursdays Downtown is the variety of food choices!! From gelato to tacos, burgers to gyros, pizza, beer, popcorn, and cookies the size of your face, there’s no shortage of amazing things to eat and drink.
- Many vendors are located on 1st Avenue SW between 2nd Street SW and 3rd Street SW. You can also find food vendors on 1st Avenue SW (north of 2nd Street) until the Peace Plaza.
- After 5:00 PM, this area of the festival becomes quite busy and packed with people enjoying happy hour or dinner with family and friends.
- Planning to eat downtown with small children or a large group? Consider visiting at a non-peak time (2 PM – 4 PM, after the lunch hour, and mid-afternoon tends to see less traffic).
- While there are plenty of places to sit at Thursdays Downtown, spots are at a premium during peak times! Consider a nontraditional place to eat. {INSIDER TIP} Some of our favorite places to sit and eat are the steps of the Old Courthouse between BeBap Korean Eats and Third Street. Bring your picnic blanket, and you’re good to go!
Entertainment
Thursdays Downtown has two main stages: the Altra Federal Credit Union stage on 1st Avenue at 2nd Street SW and the Kahler Grand Hotel Stage on Peace Plaza. Each week will feature 6 live performances with scheduled start times of 11:30 AM, 5 PM, and 7 PM
Thursdays Downtown Entertainment Line-up
- Talent is featured on both stages from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM, 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM, and 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM. Enjoy music from regional and local musicians in a variety of styles and music genres!
- Both stages have seating near the stage. If you want to ensure a seat, be there early. {INSIDER TIP} Keep in mind that the music is pretty loud, so if you have young children along, you might want to sit further back. OR, you could head to the skyway connecting the 1st Avenue ramp and Lumi restaurant and have an eagle-eye view of the festival while staying cool!
Tips
Rochester Local LOVES Thursdays Downtown and has been attending this fun festival every year since the beginning. Many of us have become parents in that time and we’ve learned a few tips and tricks along the way. Here are some ideas to keep in the back of your mind to make your time the most fun:
- If you have young kids with you, be sure to use the restroom before you get to street level. There are portable restrooms with hand-washing stations in a few spots (one is located along 1st Avenue between the Minnesota Bio Business Center and the 201 Building, and the other is near the Peace Plaza stage), but they can be tricky to navigate with kids.
- If you are pushing a stroller, it won’t be easy at peak times. The busier areas near the 1st Avenue stage are standing-room-only, with very little walking space, from 5 PM until the festival ends each Thursday. Consider visiting at a non-peak (2 PM – 4 PM is pretty quiet) time if you have young children or are pushing a stroller.
- Bring along plenty of wet wipes for easy cleanup. No one wants sticky hands.
- If you need a bit of shade or to cool off, access the Skyway from the parking ramp on 1st Avenue by Lumi Restaurant.
ENJOY! Thursdays Downtown is one of our favorite things to do in Rochester MN in the summer. We hope you love it as much as we do!
Looking for more summer fun? Check out the Rochester Local events calendar or the Rochester Guide to Summer Events + Activities
