The Minneapolis Aquatennial is an annual outdoor event held in the U.S. city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, during the third full week of July. Originating in 1940, overshadowing the teamster picnics "to take the minds of Minneapolis citizens off past troubles and focus all minds throughout the state on some pleasant event", the Minneapolis Aquatennial celebrates the city's lakes, rivers, and streams.
thumb|321x321px|Aqua Follies at Theodore Wirth Park, undated postcard.
Advertised as The Best Days of Summer the festivities initially included some 200 events over 10 days (hence Aqua-ten-ial), The Aqua Follies included the Aqua Dears, a synchronized swimming troupe with strict height and weight limits of 5'4" and 125 lbs
In 1971 the Tom Thumb Milk Carton Boat Races was conceived by advertising executives looking to drum up sales. The city's sesquicentennial was July 18–27, 2008, the year Minnesota celebrated 150 years of statehood.
The Aquatennial was cancelled from 1942 to 1945 because of World War II, and in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scholarship program
The Queen of the Lakes Scholarship Program is a week-long candidate program for women ages 18–22 that is held in Minneapolis in conjunction with the Minneapolis Aquatennial every July.
The Queen of the Lakes and two Aquatennial Princesses are chosen to represent the festival and city of Minneapolis all over the state, nation and world. Fifty young women representing communities throughout the state of Minnesota participate in the program.
Gallery
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| style="width:110px" | Minneapolis Fireworks || style="width:110px" | Fireworks || style="width:110px" | Xcel Energy Sandcastle Competition, Bde Maka Ska || style="width:110px" | Kemps Milk Carton Boat Race, Bde Maka Ska || style="width:110px" | Kemps Milk Carton Boat Race, Bde Maka Ska
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