Thousands expected to attend Minnesota Yacht Club festival in St. Paul

The Minnesota Yacht Club Festival is expected to bring thousands upon thousands each day to Harriet Island in St. Paul between Friday and Sunday.

“Dude, I’m excited for The Black Keys,” said Justice Czarnik of St. Paul while waiting in line to get inside.

Anticipation built on the Mississippi River before the gates opened.

“We do probably about double what we typically do on an average weekend this weekend, so it keeps us busy,” said Miranda Budach, the manager of City House, a restaurant across the river from the tunes.

“One of the stages faces directly at us so you can hear it really well,” said Budach.

The festival results in the restaurant being filled with reservations for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“Even leading up to the festival, we’ve had people coming over that are setting up, saying, ‘We’re from Oklahoma or Texas and scoping out the area,’” Budach added.

All for names like The Black Keys, The Lumineers, The Strokes, Matchbox Twenty, Mt. Joy and a few artists from nearby.

“Yam House!” said Patti Ekman of Rochester.

Police in St. Paul say the festival is bringing nearly 35,000 to 36,000 folks into the city each day this weekend and they recognize it’s hot out. They’re asking people to be careful.

“We’ve actually equipped the ground with two empty seat-cooling buses, misting cooling fans, more tenting, several hydration stations and more,” said St. Paul Police Department Senior Commander Jesse Mollner.

“You just fill up your water bottle, a little fan on your neck and today’s going to be a great day,” said Czarnik.

The hustle and bustle also gives some the excuse to get away.

“I appreciate it brings a lot of music fans to the island, but it’s a good time to also take a trip away from it because we’re so close to it,” said Paul Thomas of St. Paul.

“Stay cool, drink lots of water,” said Budach. “It’s gonna be hot.”

Metro Transit has multiple bus and light rail routes ready to serve the festival.