Editing Apple Valley, Minnesota (section)

==Arts and culture==

===Annual cultural events===
Apple Valley hosts an annual July 4 festival called "Apple Valley Freedom Days".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avfreedomdays.com/|title=Apple Valley Freedom Days – Celebrating 57 Years|accessdate=August 29, 2023}}</ref> Festivities include one of the area's largest parades that features local marching bands, service organizations, and many local businesses. There is also a carnival and a fireworks display during the event.

In February, the city hosts the Apple Valley Winter Carnival. Events include ice skating, a medallion hunt, contests and children events.

===The Minnesota Zoo===
Apple Valley is home to the [[Minnesota Zoo]], a nationally recognized [[zoological garden]] that houses hundreds of animals from several distinct climatological zones. Collections include an indoor Tropics Trail featuring animals from the worlds rain forests and tropical habitats, the Minnesota Trail with native animals from Minnesota including black bears, wolves, wolverines and beaver pond. The Northern Trail features large animals from the worlds cold climates. Highlights of this trail are <ref>{{cite web | url=https://mnzoo.org/blog/saying-goodbye-to-musk-oxen-at-the-zoo/ | title=Saying Goodbye to Musk Oxen at the Zoo | date=May 13, 2021 }}</ref> Asian wild horses, Takins from China and animals from remote east coast including brown bears, amur leopards, and wild boars. The zoo also features an aquarium, an exhibit of penguins from South Africa and the popular Japanese snow monkeys,<ref>{{cite web|title=Minnesota Zoo|publisher=mnzoo|url=http://www.mnzoo.org|access-date=September 6, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070909044623/http://www.mnzoo.org/|archive-date=September 9, 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>