Why this weekend
Families ask us what to do after the tour. The honest answer is that Porter Falls is small, which helps: everything below is within a 15-minute walk of the depot or one Porter Loop ride away. We built the sample around Friday, October 23 to Sunday, October 25, 2026. The leaves are still up, the Depot Plaza farmers market has one of its last Saturdays, the fall play is running, and Saturday is an Ironclad Preview Day. If you came for the Preview Day, it takes most of Saturday, so move the market to 8 a.m. and the trail walk to Sunday. Book a room early using where to stay.
Friday: campus and a fish fry
| Time | What | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:30 p.m. | Arrive, park, pick up maps | Welcome Center, Lot D | Free for 2 hours |
| 1–3 p.m. | Friday information session and financial aid overview, then the 2 p.m. student-led tour (or the tour alone) | Founders Hall, then the Millrace path | Free; book on visit |
| 3:30 p.m. | Coffee and a look at the roaster through the window | Roast & River, Mill Street | $4–$6 |
| 5:30 p.m. | Friday fish fry: lake perch, rye bread, a brandy old fashioned for whoever is not driving | Sundog Supper Club, old highway 12 frontage road | $18–$24 per plate |
| 7:30 p.m. | Fall play, The Supper Club. Yes, after the supper club. | Thorsen Theatre, Applied Arts Building | $12 adults, $5 youth; box office |
Saturday: market, river and Main Street
| Time | What | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:30 a.m. | Rye sourdough and cardamom twists (cash only; opens at 6) | Mabel’s Bakery | $3–$5 |
| 8–10 a.m. | Farmers market: apples, cheese curds, the precollege greenhouse kids’ herb starts | Depot Plaza, outside the Welcome Center | Bring cash |
| 10 a.m.–noon | Walk the Riverfront Trail, 3.2 paved miles: the Depot Reach, the historic Millrace Bridge, and the Campus Reach past Millwright Stadium | Starts at Depot Plaza | Free |
| Noon | Look into the Millrace through the Foundry Viewing Window, then lunch | Main Street; Riverbend Bistro (the walleye sandwich) | $14–$18 |
| 2 p.m. | Free time: the campus store, the Porter Falls Public Library, or a nap | Founders Union / Main Street | — |
| 6 p.m. | Dinner. Pasta at the 12-seat counter (reserve), or wood-fired pizza (cash only, BYOB) | Osteria Lucia, Cedar Bluff; or Depot Pizza | $15–$35 |
| 7:30 p.m. | If you skipped the play on Friday, see it tonight. If not, take the Bluff Staircase (147 steps) to the Blufftop Park overlook while there is still light | Thorsen Theatre; Lakeview Drive | $12 / free |
Restaurant details are on eating in Porter Falls, and the trail segments and parks are on parks, trails and public spaces.
Sunday: brunch and a slow exit
- 10 a.m. Brunch at The Forge in Founders Commons. It serves 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays, guests pay at the door, and current students can bring family on a guest swipe.
- 11:30 a.m. Walk the Millrace corridor to the Depot Plaza overlook, which has the best view of the actual falls. The Millrace and Porter River page explains why a town dug a river in 1856.
- 2 p.m. Closing matinee of The Supper Club, or head home before dark. It is 40 minutes to Lake City and 75 to the Cities.
A family of four doing all of this, not counting lodging, usually spends $260–$340. The tour, the trail, the market browsing and the overlook are free.
Other good weekends this year
| Weekend | The draw |
|---|---|
| Nov. 6–8, 2026 | Senior Day football against Lakeview Lutheran, Sat. noon at Millwright Stadium (schedule); Fall Jazz Night that evening in the Founders Ballroom, $8. The market has closed for the season. |
| Dec. 4–6, 2026 | Winter Choral Concert (Sat.) and Wind Symphony Winter Concert (Sun.) in Heritage Auditorium; the faculty exhibition Load Bearing in the Furlong Gallery |
| Feb. 12–14, 2027 | Winter drama What the Coulee Keeps in the Black Box; STEM Saturday for younger siblings on Feb. 13; groomed ski loops at Blufftop Park |
| Apr. 16–18, 2027 | Junior Preview Day (Fri.) and the spring musical, The Millrace Follies of 1911 |
The full list is on the arts season page and the events calendar.
Fictional information
UW–Porter Falls is a work of parody. Porter Falls, its bakery, supper club, trail, falls and farmers market are invented, and so are the play, the game and every price on this itinerary. The cardamom twists exist only in our hearts.