Dinkytown in Minneapolis, MN. (Flickr)
Go ahead and Google “Best College Bars Minnesota.” We’re fairly confident the results will point to one place: Dinkytown. There are few college spots in the US that claim the party fame as well as Dinkytown in Minneapolis. Though the origin of the name is debatable, there is no debate when it comes to the amount of fun to be had in the area between 6th Street and University Avenue.
A lot of uh, “experienced” college students begin their weekend on Wednesday night, and Sally’s Saloon in Dinkytown is the perfect place to start. With great happy hour specials running all day, and good food to boot, Sally’s is one of the best options to wet your whistle. In addition to this, Sally’s is one of the most coveted spots near campus to watch a Gopher game on Saturdays—besides the Stadium, of course.
If you’re one of the lucky few without a Friday class—or your teacher doesn’t take attendance his/her attendance policy very seriously—then you most likely already know about “Kill the Keg” night at Stub & Herb’s. For just seven dollars, you can get loose and fill your cup as many times as you want until the kegs are tapped. And if there are two things college students love the most, it’s cheap stuff and alcohol.
To keep up appearances, feel free to tell your mom you’re pulling an all-nighter at The Library—she doesn’t have to know “The Library” you’re actually referring to is a favorite Dinkytown hangout for students looking for cheap drinks as opposed to micro-econ books. With nightly specials like “Bacon Night,” you won’t even feel guilty about omitting the details.
If bars aren’t your thing (or you’re not yet 21), there are always plenty of house parties in Dinkytown. UMN students occupy the majority of the neighborhoods in the area, and that means there’s no shortage of houses with loud music, cheap beer and sweaty basements filled with dancing collegegoers. You don’t have to try too hard to find (or even be invited to) a rager—just follow the sound of the bass and the trail of students heading toward the parties. Take advantage of that “Minnesota Nice” reputation and find someone willing to fill up your cup or have a dance with you to forget the pop quiz you bombed earlier that day.
Want to live near Dinkytown? Browse the complete list of UMN apartments and houses near Dinktown on Rent College Pads.
Callie Kollenbroich
Callie Kollenbroich has been the Operations Coordinator and Content Writer/Editor at Rent College Pads since 2015. When she's not working, you can find her at home, eating peanut butter out of the jar and bingeing an unhealthy amount of Forensic Files. She's not as lame as she sounds.