I’m very excited for this year’s Taste of MN, coming up in my hometown of St. Paul, MN starting this weekend. Every year for 20 years now, they take over a large area of St. Paul….used to be the grounds of the State Capitol, but now it’s on Harriet Island..an Island on the Mississippi River right in Downtown St. Paul, and they have a variety of food vendors, several specialties form local restaurants, but also some things you can’t get anywhere but during the Taste. They also have a variety of crafters and merchandise, as well as sample booths, corporate displays (almost like a vendor fair), and the big attraction is multiple stages of music. This year they’ve booked The Romantics, Staind, Chevelle, Whitesnake, Judas Priest, Elvis Costello and Brett Michaels among other acts. Up until last year, the event was 100% free to get into, but this year to discourage the criminal element (which has never been all that troublesome, in 20 years I don’t think anyone has been seriously harmed there in any way that I know of), they are charging a $10 gate admission, but you get $10 in food coupons (which doesn’t go far, you’d be unlikely to go there and not spend $10 anyway). I’ve seen so many great live acts there over the years….Heart, Rollins Band, Dread Zeppelin, War, Modern English, Seether, just to name a few. And to top it off, one of the biggest fireworks shows in the midwest happens every night at 10:30. I’m going Friday and Saturday this year, and I can’t wait.