Our top 5 picks for food and music at free Taste of Minnesota festival

The roots of Taste of Minnesota are now firmly planted in downtown Minneapolis.

For a third consecutive year, Taste of Minnesota, long associated with St. Paul’s Harriet Island, will set up in the heart of Minneapolis on Saturday and Sunday for free music, wrestling, family fun and, of course, good eats.

Even though there’s no admission charge, there are three entry gates: the corner of Washington and Hennepin avenues, the corner of Washington and Marquette avenues and the corner of 4th Street and Nicollet Mall.

The good news is you can bring in empty water bottles and fill up at two free water stations at Taste. Hydration has been an issue on hot, hot, hot Taste days on the pavement of downtown Minneapolis.

Last year, Taste drew 100,000 to its outdoor festivities among office buildings and hotels, according to a Taste spokesperson.

We can’t tell you which wrestling match promises to be the most exciting — F1RST Wrestling bouts are at 12:30, 2:30, 4 and 6 p.m. daily — but we have five recommendations each when it comes to bites and sounds.

Music of different styles has always been on the menu at Taste. There are three stages — the main stage, the jazzclectic series and singer/songwriter place — with 40 acts running from noon till closing time, that’s 10 p.m. And DJ Sophia Eris, who’s part of Lizzo’s squad, spins between artists on the main stage.

Here are five recommendations:

7:30 p.m. Sat., main stage

She rocked the inaugural Minnesota Yacht Club last year and Xcel Energy Center in 2023 opening for Bryan Adams. Now the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, who got her start with the Runaways back in the ‘70s, gets a headline slot to deliver “Bad Reputation,” “I Hate Myself for Loving You” and “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” with snarl and spirit. Often dubbed the godmother of punk, she’s so revered that Mattel made a Barbie doll of her in 2009.

5:45 p.m. Sat., main stage

The pride of Rockford, Ill., have been regular visitors to the Twin Cities for more than 50 years. Robin Zander’s Lennon-esque voice has held up arguably better than just about any other ‘70s rock star. And guitarist Rick Nielsen’s zany antics — dig his bespoke five-neck guitar — never get old. It’s rewarding to surrender to the buoyant power pop of “Dream Police,” “I Want You to Want Me” and, of course, “Surrender.”

7:30 p.m. Sun., main stage

Maybe thought of more these days as actor Chris Bridges in the “Fast & Furious” series, Ludacris has thoroughly entertained us with his hip-hop skills opening for Janet Jackson in St. Paul two years ago and headlining at the Minnesota State Fair last year. It’s a treat to hear the Dirty South OG throw down “Stand Up,” “Money Maker” and “How Low” as well as his collabs like “Break Your Heart” and “Yeah!”

5:45 p.m. Sun., main stage

This homeboy is a hip-hop artist for any and every occasion. The colorful and sometimes cartoonish rapper from Rosemount even does family-friendly shows featuring his latest jam “Sandy Cheeks.” He also can be a serious social commentator as he demonstrated on his post-George Floyd albums “38th” and “Chicago Ave.” He can get sexy as evidenced on his flirty calypso-y “All My Friends Are So Hot” and this summer’s smooth jam “Windows Down.”

7:30 p.m. Sun., jazzclectic series

After playing at First Avenue’s Best New Bands of 2022 program, the singer/rapper has certainly lived up to that promise. The Nigerian transplant offers a vibrant mix of African pop, reggaeton, jazz and R&B. The mesmerizing “Egwu Amala” is Obi’s latest single with the Black Atlantics, though he’s featured on two newer jams with Black Market Brass, the festively jazzy “Battle Ready” and the fierce groover “What You Make It.”

What does Minnesota taste like? Is it molten-cheese inside beefy burgers? An abundant boat of freshly fried cheese curds? Or double wok fried wings with garlic chili fish sauce? With 50 food vendors, the Taste of Minnesota has a cavalcade of flavors representing the great state of our local food scene. There’s a little something for everyone, but these are the first five bites that we’ll be tracking down.

Esquites, $5. Prince Parkway

Is it even summer without esquites from El Burrito Mercado? That charred sweet corn slathered in sauce, crumbly/salty cheese and Tajin is part of the Minnesota experience and the food truck is serving up all those flavors off the cob and in a cup. It’s veggie, GF friendly and a bargain.

Five-piece momos, $10. Family Funway

We know and love sumptuous Tibetan dumplings from the food truck and can’t wait to track them down while the kids run off some steam in the kid zone. These are a choose-your-own-adventure bite served fried or steamed stuffed with meaty and veggie options. Designate a family sauce concierge to build the best bite with combos of the five optional condiments.

Veggie koshari, $6. Magic Midway

Where a lot of these dishes are snack sized, the veggie koshari is a full meal of comfort in one handy bowl. It’s a bargain and perfect for vegetarians and omnivores with slow-cooked flavors of pasta, garbanzos, rice and cozy, savory seasonings that give major mom’s hotdish vibes.

Kenyan beef samosa, $5. Jazz Junction

Made by hand inside this family-run food truck, these beef sambusas are a favorite. Blistered, crispy dough surrounding tender and juicy beef and seasonings. It’s a handheld meal perfect for toting around all the activities.

OG wings, $13. Noon-5 p.m. Sun., main stage

This St. Paul food truck turned restaurant built a reputation on their OG wings and they’re part of a whole wing ding happening Sunday at the main stage with lo-fi games like cornhole and giant Jenga. Along with two other classic wing vendors, Soul Lao will serve these crusty, funky, sweety and spicy bites. They have a siren song that can’t be unheard once you taste them.