America's 250th & Minden's 190th Celebration

The Historic Downtown District in Minden will be filled with patriotic fun as they celebrate America's 250th Anniversary and Minden's 190th Birthday!

The festivities kick off Thursday, June 11, with The Great American Cookout at Miller Quarters Park, followed by two action-packed days featuring Grilling on Main, Little Grillers, Run Minden on Main 5K, the Duck Derby, Patriotic Children's Parade, Cornhole Tournament, live concerts, fireworks, and so much more!

Mark your calendars, invite your friends and family, and get ready for a weekend full of community pride, great food, live entertainment, and unforgettable memories in Downtown Minden!

6/11/26 5-7pm

Thursday:

Bites & Beats at Miller Quarters Park

~featuring live music with Therah Newman, kids activities like a water slide and foam party (reminder to bring towels for the kids), The Great American Cookout featuring hamburgers by Fat Guys Catering, and vendor pop ups with Shug’s Minden, Bros Lemonade, Woo's Daiquiri, and Harris Corner Snow cones. The fun starts at 5pm! We hope to see you there!

Live Music all weekend:

Thursday:

Therah Newman at Bites & Beats at Miller Quarters Park

Friday on the Main Stage:

7-8pm- Jimmy Wooten

8-9pm- Mojo

Saturday on the Main Stage:

1:30-2:30pm- Josh Love

2:30-3:30pm- Beaux Atkins

7-8pm- The Accountants

8-9:30pm- Trini Triggs

This event is FREE & open to the public!

Want the best seat in the house for the bands on Friday and Saturday? Reserve a table right in front of the stage and enjoy premier access to all the entertainment while relaxing in a shaded private gathering space in the heart of the action. Reserve your tables now before they’re gone!

EVENT SCHEDULE

2026 Grilling on Main Cornhole Competition

Spots are filling up fast for the 2026 Grilling on Main Cornhole competition this Friday, June 12th, sponsored by Speer Roofing. Make sure you sign yourself and partner up before all the spots are filled! Sign up HERE.

Friday:

Have you signed up your Little Griller yet? The Little Grillers Competition, sponsored by Ace Hardware Minden, is this Friday as part of the 250/190 Celebration, and it's time for our youngest BBQ enthusiasts to show off their skills!

Whether they dream of being a pitmaster someday or just love helping out around the grill, this is a fun opportunity for kids to compete, learn, and be part of one of the biggest weekends of the summer.

Check in between 5:30-6:00PM

Cooks meeting is at 6:00PM and begin cooking immediately

Turn in is between 6:50-7PM

All at Civic Center

Spots are limited, so don't wait! Sign up your Little Griller today and let them join in on the fun.

Saturday CELEBRATION BREAKFAST 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Celebrating 250 Years of America & 190 Years of Minden!

Get ready for a big weekend and Join us for a special patriotic breakfast as we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary and our beloved town’s 190th birthday! Minden will be busy all over downtown!!!

Liberty Lemon Berry Croissant

A flaky croissant filled with our housemade lemon cream filling, fresh strawberries, and blueberries, finished with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Red, White & Blue Biscuit

A warm homemade biscuit filled with sweet lemon cream cheese, fresh strawberries, and blueberries.

Stars & Stripes Breakfast Bowl

Creamy cheesy grits topped with fluffy scrambled eggs, savory sausage crumbles, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Patriot Breakfast Biscuit

A homemade biscuit stacked with a sausage patty, egg, and melted cheddar cheese.

Patriot Hash Brown Bowl

Layers of crispy hash browns, bacon, eggs, and cheddar cheese baked until golden brown and delicious. A hearty breakfast favorite!

Fresh-Brewed Coffee

The perfect way to kick off a morning of celebration.

⸻

Open 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Celebrating 250 Years of America & 190 Years of Minden

Out Of The Blue Boutique will be joining us from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Bring your family, grab breakfast, and enjoy a wonderful day celebrating our community and our country!

Small Town. Big Heart. Proudly American.

MINDEN 250/190 SCAVENGER HUNT

Get ready to explore Minden, LA, during the 250/190 Celebration next weekend, June 11-13th, with our Community Photo Scavenger Hunt. Grab your friends and family and snap photos at landmarks, murals, museums, downtown spots, patriotic displays, festival activities, and more across town.

Scavenger Hunt cards can be picked up Thursday evening at Miller Quarters Park or at any of the 3 Welcome/Information Tents during the festival.

How to play:

• Take photos at the listed locations

• Upload them to Facebook or Instagram using #Minden250/190

• No social media? Email entries to mindenscavengerhunt@gmail.com

Each photo submitted equals 1 raffle entry.

We’ll have multiple drawings for prizes including patriotic entertaining pieces, coolers, beach towels, cash prizes, and more.

There will even be a beer garden for the adults at the 250/190 Anniversary Celebration in Downtown Minden so adults will have a place to rest and recharge with some nice cold brews. They will be offering four beers:

-Mic Ultra

-7th Tap Don Pablo

-Abita Purple Haze

-Great Raft 318

Drink tickets will be on sale at the event.

*Must be 21 or older to purchase with a valid ID

Sign up for Grilling on Main! Don't wait until the last minute to register your team for one of the hottest events of the summer. Gather your crew, fire up the smoker, and get ready to compete for cash prizes, bragging rights, and the coveted Grand Champion belt.

Be part of the excitement and showcase your creativity in this year’s Patriotic Children’s Parade in Minden.They're inviting local children, families, clubs, churches, schools, and organizations to participate in this fun community celebration during the America 250th & Minden 190th weekend.

Line up begins at 3:30 p.m. at the corner of Pine Street and Main Street. The parade will begin at 4:00 p.m. and travel down Pine Street to Broadway Street and continue to West Union Street. It will be led by the Krewe des Ambassadeurs!

Decorate your bikes, wagons, strollers, scooters, or walk in your best patriotic gear and help us celebrate in red, white, and blue. No motor vehicles permitted.

Register today and help make this year’s parade a memorable event for the entire community.

The Greater Minden Chamber's 8th Annual Minden Duck Derby Extravaganza presented by The Mosaic Company is back as part of the three day 250/190 Celebration in Downtown Minden June 11-13th.

Get your ducks in a row:

1 Racing Duck – $5

Quack Pack (5) – $20

Quacker’s Dozen (12) – $50

Flock of Ducks (25) – $100

CASH PRIZES: $1,000, $500, $250

Purchase your tickets HERE.

Join Downtown Minden during the 250/190 celebration for a run like no other! Along the course you’ll find water sprinklers to run through, popsicles, music, ice-cold cooling rags, and plenty of cheering spectators to keep you going every mile.

Participants receive great swag, and awards include:

Cash prizes for overall winners

Most Patriotic Dressed awards

Custom running hats for age group winners

Finisher medals for the first 200 runners

Sign up at the link HERE to reserve your spot!