Five last-minute staycation ideas for MEA weekend

It’s MEA weekend, the four-day stretch in mid-October when educators traditionally flock to St. Paul RiverCentre for a conference organized by the statewide teachers union as students and their families take an extended break.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport has already borne the brunt of the weekend travel as folks book trips out of town. Even though the weekend marks some of the busiest travel days of the year, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to cross state lines to have a good time. Here are five last-minute staycation ideas:

‘Tis the season to visit an apple orchard and gorge yourself on cider doughnuts. Good thing there’s this handy list of 41 Twin Cities-area apple orchards that offer that experience and more.

Some orchards offer visitors the opportunity to pick their own fruit, while others operate sprawling general stores that sell a variety of apple-themed goodies.

October is usually a happening month at the Minnesota Zoo. The annual Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular is chock-full of meticulously decorated gourds, and this year’s event runs until Nov. 2. Tickets start at $18 for adults and $14 for children (kids younger than 2 get in free but must still register for tickets). The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular begins at 6 p.m.

There’s also a new attraction at the Como Zoo: the pair of Amur tiger cubs born to 7-year-old mom Bernadette just a couple of months ago. This week, zoo officials named the young felines Marisa and Maks. The zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day.

With so many people out of town, there’s no better time to visit some of the Twin Cities’ most popular eateries.

Whether it’s finding the best pizza or the best burgers in the metro area, the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Taste team has you covered. If you’re looking for particularly scenic restaurants, check out the guide to the best places to eat near Minneapolis’ many lakes. There’s even a list of places to check out near Lake Waconia.

And, hey, if you can ditch the kids, why not try one of the Taste team’s favorite dive bars?

The Lynx are fighting for their lives. (Well, for a shot at the championship, anyway.) The New York Liberty is one victory away from claiming the WNBA championship and it’s up to Napheesa Collier, Courtney Williams and the rest of the squad to force the finals series into Game 4 in Brooklyn. Either way, Friday marks the final Lynx home game until 2025.

Despite the fact that the league championship hangs in the balance, tickets for Friday’s game start at $19 before fees. Sure, the outing is a little spendier than the rest of the suggestions on this list. But it’s still a fraction of the cost of seeing Taylor Swift on tour — or even the Timberwolves in the playoffs.

Temperatures are forecast to hit the upper 70s on Sunday, and the rest of the weekend is looking cooler but mild nonetheless. Good thing there are plenty of activities to help families take advantage of the unseasonably warm autumn weather.

The Minneapolis Parks Foundation is hosting a poster contest and exhibition at the Minnehaha Regional Park pavilion next to Sea Salt Eatery on Saturday. We’re also heading into the Minneapolis Farmers Market’s penultimate weekend for the summer season.

There are plenty of trails that offer nice, leisurely bike rides. And Minneapolis has no shortage of suggestions for folks looking to rent a pair of wheels.