Cole and I have been to Northfield a lot over the last few years, so we finally decided to do a write up to show you our favorite things to do in Northfield MN!
This little town is full of history, shopping, and good food. We visited in February, but we also love spending time there in the summer! Keep reading to see how you can spend a day in this adorable town. Most of these are located right downtown, except for the last three!
Lunch at Smoqehouse
Smoqehouse is located right downtown Northfield and is a local barbecue joint. We tried two hand-crafted sandwiches, the pulled pork and the rosemary chicken. Both were amazing and had the softest buns! We were bummed they didn’t have any wings the day we were there because they looked SO GOOD online. Next time! Make sure to get the fries with the homemade fry sauce!
Take in some Jesse James history
If you can’t make it to Northfield’s Defeat of Jesse James Days in the summer, stopping by the Northfield Historical Society is the next best thing. (Side note, in the summer they re-enact the Jesse James bank robbery!) If you’re not familiar with this, Jesse James and his gang attempted to rob the Northfield bank back in the day, and the failed attempt led to the capture of the gang. There were some casualties on both sides, and the Northfield Historical Society has preserved artifacts from that day. My favorite part was walking into the actual bank where the attempted robbery took place, and seeing the horse saddle from one of the robbers! Admission is only $5 and so worth it.
Try infused olive oil
If you’ve read my blog before, you know I always seek out a local olive oil and vinegar shop while we’re traveling. Cole and I love to cook with infused olive oils and Northfield Olive Oils and Vinegars is one of our favorite spots to get some! We tried a few kinds and landed on the rosemary and tuscan herb. If you like to try new things and like to have fun in the kitchen, these are a must buy!
Shop around at The Rare Pair
The Rare Pair is the best name for a shoe shop and also one of the cutest shops in town! They have so much more than shoes, and this is where you can find some adorable Northfield goodies. I personally loved the NFLD necklace – the perfect gift for someone with a connection to Northfield!
Find unique goodies at Makeshift Accessories
In my opinion, Makeshift Accessories is the most unique shop in Northfield. It’s full of reclaimed pieces that are made into jewelry, accessories, signs, and more! I’ve had a ring from here for years and it’s the coolest piece of jewelry I own. It’s so fun to roam the shop and see what all their pieces are made from. My favorite pieces were those made from WWII aircraft oil tanks!
Take a walk by the river
We’ve been in the middle a winter vortex here in Minnesota, but it decided to get above 30 degrees while we were in Northfield for the day! We decided to walk along the river for a while and were surprised at how pretty the river walk area is. In the summer, so many patios open up along the river, making for some pretty views.
Take a break at The Contented Cow Pub
All our shopping wore us out, so we stopped into the cozy alleyway bar The Contented Cow. Northfield is known for its live music scene, so a band was starting to play while we were there. We loved this little spot and enjoyed a beer before heading to our next stops!
Grab some beers at Tanzenwald
Northfield is home to not one, but TWO local breweries! We only had time to try one, so we stopped at Tanzenwald Brewing Company being it is on our Hop Passport. If you don’t know what a Hop Passport is, check it out here! Anyways, Tanzenwald not only has good brews, but has amazing food as well. We didn’t order any this time, but I’ve had it before and can assure you it’s awwwwesome.
Try a cocktail at Loon Liquor Company
Loon Liquor Company was established in 2011 which makes it one of the oldest distilleries in the state. It uses organic, local suppliers and is one of the only spots in Minnesota that does this. The other is J Carver Distillery in Waconia MN. For more info on J Carver, read my blog post here! We spent a few hours at Loon Liquor playing games and trying cocktails and snacks. I loved my Raspberry Balsamic Twist gin cocktail, and to make this place even better, all cocktails are between $6 and $9. Way cheaper than specialty cocktails in the Twin Cities! We even bought some Loonshine (so clever!) and gin home with us – I couldn’t resist the design of the bottles!
Get dinner at Fielders Choice
Fielders Choice may look like your traditional bar and grill restaurant, but it is far from that. We went for the locally sourced food and made from scratch kitchen and weren’t disappointed. I ordered the pork chop (which is sourced from my hometown! So cool!) and loved it. Definitely stop in!
Please make your way to Northfield Minnesota soon! And let me know when you do 🙂
I was just at the Contented Cow the other night…LOVE it there! I live nearby and there are even some places on your list that I didn’t know about. Thanks for giving me some new ideas!
Isn’t it the most cozy place? Love it! Glad you like the list! Let me know if there are any spots I’m missing 🙂
Thank you very much for the nice ‘shout out’!
Great Photos of several fun places to stop while in downtown Northfield!
Stop by again sometime!
No problem! We love your shop and will definitely be back!