Tips for watching the Summer X Games

Why go?

If you thought the Olympics were exciting, just wait till you see the X Games. Championing ‘alternative’, extreme sports, the games is coming to Minneapolis for the first time in 2017.

Surfing, skateboarding, BMX, and a series of eSport championships dominate the X Games schedule, along with live shows from A Day To Remember, Flume, Aesop Rock, Atmosphere, and deM atlaS.

With Minneapolis’ independent music scene,, and a growing collection of micro-breweries, it’s a great city to relax in after a thrilling day at the X Games. Here’s what you need to know before booking your tickets.

The weather

The weekend of the X Games (13th-16th July) averages temperature highs between 17 and 28 degrees celsius, but July also tends to see the most monthly rainfall, with an average of 4 inches.

To pack

With the weather sending out such mixed signals it might be tempting to pack everything from sun visors through to thermal underwear. Thing is, Minneapolis has plenty of shopping malls and indie, second-hand boutiques, so if you’ve been meaning to replenish your wardrobe anyway, pack light and come prepared to shop. Otherwise, summer clothes and a light waterproof jacket should be enough.

To eat

Four words: cookie dough food truck. Five words: two cookie dough food trucks. Minneapolis has doubled-down and become home to two cookie dough food trucks and, in doing so, taken care of breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

But if you’re one of those strange humans who can’t get all your nutritional needs met via uncooked sugar, Minneapolis does also have a good reputation for steak, seafood, Chinese food, and, yep, food trucks. There are also a number of food tours that introduce visitors to Minneapolis while filling their bellies; take a look at the Riverwalk Food Tour.

To do

Visitors interested in the city’s recent boom of microbreweries are spoilt for choice, but the Bauhau Brew Labs is a good place to start. As the X Games will be topping up your daily adrenaline quota, take the chance to unwind at one of Minneapolis’ beautiful lakes, including the Chain of Lakes district which gives Minneapolis one of its (many) nicknames.

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and Lake Harriet Band Shell are also worth checking out, with the latter offering live music every night throughout the summer.

To stay

If you’re planning to spend as much time as possible at the X Games, the University of Minneapolis’ campus is directly opposite the U.S. Bank Stadium (where the games will be held) and The Commons Hotel is also an excellent option for visitors without a car or who may need to break the day up via the time-honoured sport of extreme napping.

Or, if you’re happier to start your days with a leisurely walk, Courtyard Minneapolis Downtown and aloft Minneapolis are just across the Mississippi River.