This is not just another Fourth of July weekend. This weekend, America celebrates 250 years — and lake country is ready for one of the biggest holiday weekends we have seen in years.

All around Mille Lacs, the small towns are getting ready for the kind of Fourth of July weekend people remember: fireworks over big water, parades where kids still chase candy along the roadside, music drifting through summer evenings, food stands, lake days, and that unmistakable feeling of being Up North when the whole country is celebrating.

And right in the middle of it all, Deer Lake Farmstead is welcoming guests to our new family-friendly RV park and campground in Malmo, Minnesota. We are located on Deer Lake, less than a mile from Malmo Bay on Mille Lacs Lake, giving families an easy home base for the biggest holiday weekend of the summer.

Large RV sites are available for this weekend, and if you have been looking for a place to bring the camper, gather the family, and experience the July 4th energy of the Mille Lacs area, this is the weekend to come see us.

Reserve your large RV site online now.

Questions before booking? Call 218-232-3060 or email [email protected].

Start the Weekend with Fireworks and a Street Dance in Onamia

The celebration begins before the Fourth even arrives. On Friday, July 3, families can head to Onamia’s July 3rd Street Dance and Fireworks, a classic Mille Lacs-area kickoff with music, a beer garden, a cash raffle, and fireworks at dusk.

There is something perfect about starting the holiday weekend this way. You arrive in lake country, the evening stretches out warm and bright, and before the first full day of the long weekend even begins, the sky is already lighting up. It is the kind of event that feels easy, local, and full of summer energy.

For Deer Lake Farmstead guests, Onamia makes a great first outing. You can get your RV settled, gather the family, and head out for an evening of music and fireworks without driving far from the Mille Lacs area. It is the kind of simple, memorable start that sets the tone for the whole weekend.

Reserve your large RV site for this huge holiday weekend.

Small-Town Fourth of July Magic in Glen

On Saturday morning, the holiday turns wonderfully old-fashioned with the Glen 4th of July Parade. This is the kind of parade families love because it feels personal. It is not polished in the big-city sense. It is better than that. It is local, familiar, happy, and full of the little details kids remember.

Expect the simple joy of a country parade: families lining the road, floats rolling by, candy flying through the air, people waving from trucks and trailers, and that easy holiday rhythm that belongs to small towns. For children, it is pure fun. For adults, it is a reminder of why holidays like this still matter.

This year, with America celebrating 250 years, a small-town parade feels even more meaningful. It is one of those moments where the celebration becomes less about spectacle and more about place — neighbors, visitors, families, flags, and summer mornings in Minnesota.

Deer Lake Farmstead is close enough to make Glen an easy part of your weekend, and our large RV sites give families a comfortable place to land after the parade and before the evening fireworks begin.

Check availability and reserve your Deer Lake Farmstead RV site.

Fireworks Over Mille Lacs in Garrison

When people picture a Fourth of July weekend at the lake, they picture a night like this: dusk settling over open water, boats drifting into position, families waiting on shore, and fireworks bursting over the lake.

The Garrison 4th of July Fireworks are one of the signature Mille Lacs events this weekend. Fireworks over Garrison Bay bring together everything people love about spending Independence Day Up North: big water, big sky, and a crowd gathered for the same simple reason — to celebrate.

For families staying at Deer Lake Farmstead, Garrison is a natural holiday highlight. You can spend the day exploring the Mille Lacs area, then head toward the bay as evening arrives. The fireworks over the water are the kind of scene that makes a holiday weekend feel complete.

And this year, that scene carries extra weight. America only turns 250 once. Watching fireworks over Mille Lacs during a milestone year like this is more than a night out; it is the kind of memory families talk about later.

Reserve your RV site near Mille Lacs before the weekend fills up.

Pequot Lakes Brings the Big Family Festival Feel

Families who want a full festival experience can make the drive to Stars & Stripes Days in Pequot Lakes, one of the region’s most popular Fourth of July celebrations.

Pequot Lakes knows how to do a summer holiday. The town fills with food vendors, kids’ activities, music, a craft fair, a parade, and fireworks. It has the feel of a classic Up North festival — busy sidewalks, families moving from one activity to the next, kids begging for one more treat, and parents trying to fit just a little more fun into a long summer day.

This is the kind of day trip that works especially well for families who want the weekend to feel big. You can go for the parade, stay for the food and festivities, and let the day unfold in that cheerful, sun-soaked way that makes July in Minnesota so hard to beat.

Then, when the festival crowds have had their moment, Deer Lake Farmstead is waiting back in the Malmo area with room for your RV, your family, and all the gear that comes with a Fourth of July getaway.

Book your family’s large RV site for this weekend.

Crosby and the Cuyuna Lakes: A Full Day of Small-Town Celebration

Another excellent family day trip is the Fourth of July celebration in Crosby, where the Cuyuna Lakes area brings together a parade, food, music, festivities at Serpent Park, and fireworks over Serpent Lake at dusk.

Crosby has its own personality. It is lake country with a little red-dirt adventure mixed in, a place where families can feel the energy of the Cuyuna area while still enjoying the warmth of a small Minnesota town. On the Fourth of July, that energy becomes even more noticeable — people along the parade route, music near the park, children moving from snacks to games to fireworks, and a whole town leaning into the holiday.

For guests staying at Deer Lake Farmstead, Crosby is far enough to feel like a real outing but close enough to make sense for the day. It is a strong choice for families who want more than one celebration during the weekend and want to see another corner of Minnesota lake country while they are here.

Reserve your Deer Lake Farmstead RV site online now.

Brainerd Lakes Adds Even More Holiday Energy

The Brainerd Lakes area is always a major summer destination, and this weekend it adds even more options for families looking for parades, fireworks, restaurants, shopping, and classic vacation energy. The Brainerd Lakes Fourth of July events guide is a helpful place to see what is happening across the area.

Brainerd is about a 45-minute drive from Deer Lake Farmstead, which makes it an easy choice for families who want to turn part of the weekend into a bigger outing. You can head that direction for a parade, dinner, live music, or fireworks, then return to your site near Mille Lacs when the day is done.

That is one of the best parts of staying in Malmo for the holiday. You are close to Mille Lacs, close to small-town celebrations around the lake, and still within reach of the Brainerd Lakes area if your family wants more to explore.

Make Deer Lake Farmstead your family’s RV home base this weekend.

Crosslake and Crooked Lake for Families Who Want to Roam

Some families love a holiday weekend with options in every direction. If that sounds like your crew, the greater lake country area has even more to offer.

Crosslake is a favorite Brainerd Lakes destination with a true Up North feel, and its fireworks tradition brings families toward the water for a big summer night. Meanwhile, the Crooked Lake Firefighters Dance and Fireworks Show in the Outing area offers another full holiday experience with food, music, dancing, and fireworks.

These are longer drives from Deer Lake Farmstead, but for families who like to explore, they add even more possibility to the weekend. That is the beauty of this part of Minnesota: one campground stay can put you within reach of Mille Lacs, small-town parades, Brainerd Lakes festivals, Cuyuna celebrations, and fireworks over more than one lake.

For a milestone weekend like America’s 250th birthday, that kind of variety is exactly what makes the trip feel special.

Reserve your large RV site and explore the holiday weekend your way.

Why Families Should Discover Deer Lake Farmstead This Weekend

Deer Lake Farmstead is new, and this Fourth of July weekend is the perfect time for families to discover us.

We are a family-friendly RV park and campground in Malmo, Minnesota, on Deer Lake and less than a mile from Malmo Bay on Mille Lacs Lake. The location is one of our biggest advantages. Families can enjoy the events, restaurants, boat launches, lake towns, and holiday celebrations around Mille Lacs, while staying at a new campground with large RV sites and plenty of room to settle in.

Our sites are designed for comfort. With 4,800+ square feet, there is space for the camper, the chairs, the grill, the coolers, the bikes, the toys, and the family members who all somehow brought “just one more thing.” Anyone who has packed for a holiday camping weekend knows how valuable that extra breathing room can be.

This weekend is also a chance to see the area at its most alive. The Mille Lacs region is full of family fun in summer, but July 4th weekend brings everything into focus. The towns are busier. The lake is brighter. The events are bigger. The fireworks feel more dramatic. And in 2026, with the nation celebrating 250 years, the whole weekend has a sense of occasion.

Whether your family is coming for fireworks, parades, fishing, food, music, lake time, or simply a reason to get away together, Deer Lake Farmstead gives you a convenient place to stay close to the action.

Reserve your site online for this weekend.

Book a Large RV Site for This Weekend

This is the weekend to come north.

America is celebrating 250 years. Mille Lacs is ready for fireworks over the water. Small towns across the area are filling the weekend with parades, music, food, and family fun. And Deer Lake Farmstead has large RV sites available for families who want to be part of it.

If you have been waiting for a reason to check out our new RV park and campground, this is it. Bring the camper. Bring the kids. Bring the grandparents. Bring the lawn chairs, the sparklers for wherever they are safely allowed, the bikes, the snacks, the sweatshirts for after dark, and the excitement of being in lake country for a truly historic Fourth of July weekend.

Large RV sites are available now, but this is a huge holiday weekend and availability is limited.

Reserve your large RV site online now.

Questions before booking? Contact Deer Lake Farmstead directly:

Call: 218-232-3060
Email: [email protected]
Location: 22100 320th Avenue, Malmo, MN 56431

Come celebrate America’s 250th birthday near Mille Lacs and make Deer Lake Farmstead your family’s campground for one of the biggest weekends of the summer.

Book your July 4th weekend RV site at Deer Lake Farmstead.