Bring the Kids! The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Opens at Theatre in the Round October 23

Recommended for ages 5 and up

Theatre in the Round Players (TRP) and FAIR School for Arts present The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, running October 23 to November 1. Adapted by Dwayne Hartford from the beloved novel by Minnesota author Kate DiCamillo, this magical play for young audiences and families marks the fourth year of TRP’s partnership with FAIR School for Arts, providing students with hands-on experience in performance and theatrical production.

The story follows Edward Tulane, a toy rabbit tumbles overboard on an ocean voyage, beginning a journey of self-discovery and growth. As Edward passes through the lives of different people, he experiences love, loss, and the courage it takes to open his heart again. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane invites audiences of all ages to consider how we learn to care for others and find our way back to love.

The production is a collaboration between FAIR students and Theatre in the Round’s professional staff and artists. FAIR students make up the cast and crew and participate in set and costume construction, gaining practical experience across multiple areas of theatre arts. Now in its fourth year, this partnership celebrates what students can accomplish when they have the opportunity to learn by doing—and underscores the importance of sustaining spaces where young artists can thrive.

Directed by Gretchen Weinrich, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane offers families an accessible introduction to live theatre and a heartfelt story about learning to love. Before each performance, audiences can also participate in a Creation Station provided by ARTrageous Adventures, creating art inspired by the story.

Performances are scheduled for Friday, October 23 at 7:30 pm; Saturday, October 24 at 7:30 pm; Sunday, October 25 at 2:00 pm; Friday, October 30 at 7:30 pm; and Sunday, November 1 at 2:00 pm. Creation Stations begin 45 minutes before each performance. An Audio-Described performance will be held Sunday, November 1 at 2:00 pm (email tix@theatreintheround.org to RSVP).

Tickets: $15–18. Info & Tickets Box Office Phone: 612-333-3010. TRP’s facilities are accessible to audience members using wheelchairs; assisted listening and captioning devices are available for all performances.

Mill City in Bloom: New Public Art Coming to 800 Washington Avenue

Excerpt from the October 15 DMNA e-newsletter

The Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA), in collaboration with Sherman Associates, is moving forward with Mill City in Bloom, a new public art installation at 800 Washington Avenue S. The project has received City approvals and will be installed by Blackbird Revolt, Sharp Sign Co. and local artist Tiana Nguyen, with financial support from Sherman Associates. The project has its roots in a community conversation that began last year. In 2025, the DMNA Land Use Committee conducted an Interim Use Survey asking residents and other downtown stakeholders what they would like to see happen at the vacant 800 Washington Avenue property while it awaits future redevelopment. More than 200 people responded, with residents making up the largest group of participants. The survey showed significant interest in finding ways to make better use of the property in the interim. Among the ideas receiving support were green space, a native pollinator garden, pop-up markets and food trucks, community gardens, and public art installations. Following the survey, Mill City Farmers Market and Sherman Associates reached out to the DMNA to explore how the community feedback might be translated into an achievable interim project for the site. Those conversations ultimately led to the idea for Mill City in Bloom. Mill City Farmers Market became an important partner in the project, helping connect the project team with local artists and assisting with additional community engagement around the initial design concept earlier this summer. Mill City in Bloom celebrates Minneapolis as a place where nature, culture and community grow together. Inspired by the Mississippi River, urban gardens, music, public spaces and neighborhood life, the installation will feature colorful botanical imagery, pollinators, local landmarks, musical elements and thriving landscapes. At the heart of the artwork is a simple message: “We Love Our City.”

Speaking Through Silence by Minneapolis Author Judi Shink to Debut November 10

When Judi Shink’s parents introduced her to others, they always said, “This is Judith, and she’s an American!” For many years, it didn’t resonate that she was the first American-born member of her family, but eventually, she learned about the miraculous journey her parents and grandparents endured to give her this birthright.

Shink’s memoir, Speaking Through Silence, shares stories from the lives of all four of Shink’s grandparents, who survived the Holocaust. For most of her life, Shink knew them simply as her grandparents - Genia and Jack Grinbaum, and Charlotte and Ted Weiss. But as she learned the magnitude of the miracle of their - and her - existence, they became her heroes, and her identity became more complex.

And then, her daughter came home from school, where kids were making Hitler jokes. “This can’t be happening,” Judi thought. As a former teacher, she was determined to do something about it. She began speaking in schools and sharing her grandparents’ stories as the people she knew them to be, not as the Holocaust statistics one might read in a history book. The more she spoke, the more she realized how many people needed to hear these stories. So, she poured her grandparents’ stories into her first book, a memoir titled Speaking Through Silence.

Judi Shink

“Judi Shink’s story is beautiful and wrenching, and I was excited to partner with her to publish this powerful book. Younger generations need to understand the magnitude of the Holocaust and its reverberations through time by hearing the vibrant stories of real people. Judi does a great job of bringing her grandparents to life and painting a vivid picture of the people behind the atrocity, shining a light on what it takes to survive.”  Lynne Golodner, publisher, Scotia Road Books

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The book is endorsed by Jordana Green, Emmy Award-winning TV news anchor and WCCO radio host; Rabbi Eli Mayerfeld, CEO of the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills, Michigan; Merle R. Saferstein, a memoirist and former Holocaust museum director in Florida; Heidi Shertok, award-winning romance novelist; Jennifer Sonterre, professor at Anoka-Ramsey Community College; Salvador Litvak, filmmaker, author and influencer also known as The Accidental Talmudist; Arthur Myron Horwitz, author and former publisher of the Detroit Jewish News; and Rabbi Marcia A. Zimmerman from Temple Israel in Minneapolis.

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A Milwaukee native who now calls Minneapolis home, Shink is an educator, consultant, and speaker. In 2017, she co-founded Generations After MN, through the Jewish Community Relations Council, as a space for third-generation descendants of Holocaust survivors to share, learn, and build community.

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Speaking Through Silence is available for preorder on Amazon at https://a.co/d/02JlHq73 or through Scotia Road Books. On November 10 it will be available for purchase wherever books are sold. There is a pre-launch event on Wednesday, November 4. Details and RSVP are found on Judi's website.

Clay Squared to Infinity Announces 30th Anniversary Celebration November 5

Clay Squared to Infinity has announced their 30th anniversary celebration on November 5. The event will take place 11a-5p, with a party from 6-8p, at the Flux Arts Building, Studio A, 2505 Howard Street NE.

This event celebrates 30 years of Josh's handmade tile and Layl McDill's work in polymer clay and mixed-media sculpture. Celebrations will include Clay Squared trivia and storytelling; Clay Squared historical artifacts will be on display with studio tours. Highlights of our famous public and private collection projects. A coming together of current and past Clay Squared employees to celebrate the handmade tile shop that made the jump to light speed. 

All are welcome to attend. The evening event will feature Cafe Latte, Farina Rosa pizza, Crescent Moon Pizza, and more. This is a free event and a celebration to thank the community for supporting Clay Squared's endeavors. RSVP to josh@claysquared.com  

You'll learn about the evolution of Clay Squared to Infinity, from starting in an attic studio in 1996, to opening their first storefront on Central in 1999, then their home in the Keg House for fifteen years, and finally to the current co-ownership of the Flux Arts Building at 2505 Howard Street NE. In thirty years, there are many stories of the various tile lines for Josh and art series for Layl. Josh’s Cosmic Cloud series started as a fluke he had for sale at a garage sale, but an artist neighbor named Jim marveled at his multi-layered glazes and encouraged him to make more. Layl’s focus on polymer clay in the late 90s was mainly because her babies wanted to be held all the time, and it was an easy art form to work on in places like parks and long car rides. Now the tile studio has created over 1,000 fireplaces, kitchens, bathrooms, and floor tile projects. Layl has shown her work in over 50 solo exhibits featuring large-scale mixed-media sculptures. 

30% of all in-store sales (excluding custom work) of the day will be donated to nonprofits Art to Change the World and the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. 

Josh and Layl also have a strong commitment to the community, starting with Josh inventing the Handmade Tile Association in 1999 and Layl becoming involved with WARM (Women’s Art Resources of Minnesota) as a protege in 1994. Josh has served as board chair of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District since 2014, where he continues to lift the district's artists. Layl co-founded the Polymer Clay Guild of Minnesota, which thrives as a way for artists to connect. She also serves as board chair of the social practice arts organization Art to Change the World. Together, Josh and Layl host monthly open studio events, “Snack and Squish,” and numerous annual events in the Flux Arts Building. 

Questions? Contact Josh Blanc josh@claysquared.com / 612-781-6409 / www.claysquared.com

Looking for Something to Do? Here's a Compehensive Resource for You!

Fellow Twin Citian, Jon Reynolds, publishes highfivemsp.com, a website comprised of events happening around the St. Paul - Minneapolis metro. You can search over 6,000 Twin Cities events for whatever you're in the mood for!

That might seem overwhelming, but this is a well thought out, easy to navigate site. Click on the Filters button at the top of the home page and you can modify your search by Free / Date / Time / Location / Category / Indoor-Outdoor / Audience (age-appropriate).

Here are some examples: 

• Downtown Minneapolis: highfivemsp.com/area/downtown-minneapolis
• Minneapolis as a whole: https://highfivemsp.com/city/minneapolis
• Free events this week: highfivemsp.com/c/free-this-week
• The weekend event guide: highfivemsp.com/c/this-weekend

Search however you like - it's really slick!  :D

NATIFS “Indigenize Your Kitchen” Holiday Gift Boxes Available Starting October 12

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) has relaunched its Indigenous Food Lab Market (IFL Market), an online shop offering an expanded selection of high-quality Indigenous foods and products, including maple syrups, fruit syrups, sauces, pantry staples, traditional Indigenous ingredients and Chef Sherman’s cookbooks, as well as a new collection of holiday gift boxes. 

Owned and operated by NATIFS, the Indigenous Food Lab Market works to broaden access to Native-made goods, provide consumers with opportunities to experience contemporary Indigenous food offerings and empower Indigenous entrepreneurs to reach new audiences.

“Supporting Indigenous food producers means more than purchasing a product — it means helping create a marketplace where Native entrepreneurs can build their businesses, share their foods and reach consumers who may not otherwise have access to them. The Indigenous Food Lab Market gives producers a place to connect directly with customers and helps us build greater access to Indigenous foods and foodways.”  Sean Sherman, Oglala Lakota chef and co-founder of NATIFS and the Indigenous restaurant Indígena by Owamni 

Just in time for the holiday season, NATIFS is bringing back gift boxes, available beginning October 12 through the IFL Market online, and in person at Indígena by Owamni (in the Guthrie). The collection features multiple boxes showcasing Indigenous foods and products from a range of Native producers and makers. Options include pantry staples, snacks, specialty foods, Indigenous foodways resources and three versions of the popular “Indigenize Your Kitchen” gift boxes. The boxes combine Indigenous pantry staples and specialty products, including:

• Red Lake Fruit Jam
• Ramona Farms Tepary Beans
• Native Wise Maple Syrup
• Leech Lake Hand Harvested Wild Rice
• The Warrior Blends Spice Rub
• Blue Corn Custom Designs Juniper Ash
• IFL Market Blue Cornmeal
• Sakari Farms Blueberry Tea
• Barnacle Spruce Tip Jelly

Indigenize Your Kitchen gift boxes start at $129.95. Boxes that include signed copies of Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America are $174.95, or with The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen are $164.95.

Other gift boxes include:

Indigenize Your Snack $35.95 featuring an assortment of Indigenous-made snacks and treats:

• 3 Cricketeers Caramel Cricket Crunch
• Chuza Nopal or Strawberry (randomly selected)
• Bedré Dark Chocolate Pecan Bark
• Barnacle Kelp Bar
• Pemmican Patty Food Protein Bars

Tanka Snack Box $79.95 featuring a selection of savory and sweet Indigenous food products:

• Barnacle Salmon Caviar
• Bedré Espresso Chocolate Beans
• 3 Cricketeers Cricket Toffee
• Tootsies Tea
• The Warrior Blends Mushroom Salt

Select items are also available in-person at NATIFS Kitchen in the Midtown Global Market, Monday-Friday, between 10:00a-4:00p, including:

• Fresh Tortillas: $7.99 for 1 dozen | $13.99 for 2 dozen
• Masa: $2.99/lb
• Hominy: $7.00/qt
• Wild Rice:

- Select Hand-Harvested: $19.50 for 1/2 lb | $32.50 for 1 lb
- Sa'be Rice: $14.00 for 1/2 lb | $24.00 for 1 lb

Gallery13 Opening at Aloft, October 9, Features Derek Meier's Smashed Realities

Gallery13 with Aloft Presents: Derek Meier 'Smashed Realities'

Opening Night October 9

5:30-7:30pm

Aloft, 900 Washington Ave S

Derek Meier's Smashed Realities is about small spatial constructions in the artist's paintings that occur throughout his work. Each work provides visual anchors where the eye may want to go back to over and over again to sense the variance in individual spaces, signs, and forms, checking and rechecking their significance within the entirety of a work. This event is free and open to the public. More info

Shakespeare’s As You Like It Opens Ten Thousand Things’ 2026-2027 Season

Ten Thousand Things (TTT) launches its 2026-2027 season with Shakespeare’s As You Like It, September 30 – November 8, directed by Artistic Director Caitlin Lowans in TTT’s signature style.

To escape death, our heroine, her best friend, and one of Shakespeare’s iconic fools flee to the forest, where outside conventions, they encounter earnest shepherds and ironic aristocrats alike. This comedy considers how we choose to live in community, with one another and with the natural world, as love – both romantic and familial – transforms us each in turn.

The cast features Nubia Monks as Rosalind, Darius Dotch as Orlando and Isa Condo-Olvera as Celia, with Katie Bradley, Dustin Bronson, Bill McCallum and Greg Watanabe. Original music by Joni Griffith; design by Sarah Bahr; text coaching by Will Sturdivant and wrestling choreography by Annie Enneking.

The tour includes free performances at correctional facilities, low-income elder centers, centers for people with disabilities, adult English language learning centers, schools and shelters, as well as paid public performances in Minneapolis at Open Book and Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church; St. Paul performances will be at the Playwrights’ Center and 825 Arts.

Tickets for As You Like It are available at www.tenthousandthings.org. Suggested price is $40, with pay-as-you-can starting at $15. 

PAID, TTT-HOSTED PERFORMANCES

• Thursday & Friday shows at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 2 pm and 7:30 pm; Sundays at 2 pm
• Tickets are $40 suggested and Pay-As-You-Are from $15
• Pre-Show Readings from the Loft Literary Center, Cow Tipping Press and ReEntry Lab on Thursdays
• Pre-Show Matches from Wrestle Yr Friends on Fridays

Open Book, 1011 Washington Avenue S

• Thursday, Oct 15 (all tickets $15)
• Friday, Oct 16 (post-show reception)
• Saturday, Oct 17
• Sunday, Oct 18

Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, 511 Groveland Avenue

• Thursday, Oct 22
• Friday, Oct 23 (post-show conversation)
• Saturday, Oct 24 (open-captioned)
• Sunday, Oct 25

Playwrights’ Center, 710 Raymond Avenue, St. Paul 

• Thursday, Oct 29
• Friday, Oct 30 (post-show conversation, ASL-Interpreted)
• Saturday, Oct 31 (matinee only)
• Sunday, Nov 1 

825 Arts, 825 University Avenue W, St. Paul 

• Thursday, Nov 5
• Friday, Nov 6
• Saturday, Nov 7
• Sunday, Nov 8 

FREE, COMMUNITY-HOSTED PERFORMANCES (reservations required) 

• Wed, Sep 30, 6:30 pm at Gustavus Adolphus College (800 W College Ave, St. Peter)
• Thu, Oct 1, 2 pm at Episcopal Homes – Carty Heights (412 N Dunlap St, St. Paul)
• Fri, Oct 2, 10 am at MSS (900 Ocean St, St Paul) (Audio-Described)
• Mon, Oct 5, 9:45 am at Harmony Learning Center (1961 County Rd C E, Maplewood)
• Wed, Oct 14, 1 pm at Dellwood Gardens (753 E 7th St, St. Paul)
• Tue, Oct 20, 9:45 am at Adult Options in Education (6300 Walker St, St. Louis Park)
• Tue, Oct 27, 1:15 pm, St Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists (16 W 5th St, St. Paul)
• Thu, Oct 29, Time TBD, OWL at Humboldt High School (30 Baker St E, St. Paul)
• Thu, Nov 5, 12 pm at Interact Center (1860 W Minnehaha Ave, St. Paul)

Story Feast Minneapolis, a Harvest Dinner at the Weisman Art Museum, October 24

Saturday, October 24, 6:00pm reception, 7:00pm dinner

On October 24, Story Feast Collective is hosting a five-course, family-style harvest dinner at one long table inside the Weisman Art Museum, Frank Gehry's landmark building overlooking the Mississippi. James Beard nominated chefs Chefs Mateo and Erin Mackbee of Krewe and Flour & Flower (both recently named among the Star Tribune's "Minnesota's Most Vital Restaurants") are cooking a menu built around Minnesota's harvest and food traditions. The chefs were also recently featured on PBS Minnesota, Cooking With Community.

Every dish is served from and on handmade ceramics by Maine Prairie Studio. The Minnesota-based husband and wife team have created over 1,000 original pieces exclusively for the event, transforming the long tables into museum pieces themselves. 

The all-inclusive ticket includes a cocktail hour, the 5-course feast (every course includes at least one vegetarian offering), all beverages throughout dinner, and a goody bag filled with Minnesota-made products guests will want to take home and use.

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A wide variety of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages will be offered. Beverage partners include Milk & Honey Ciders, Northstar Kombucha and TÖST along with Brother Justus Whiskey.

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Brother Justus is hosting the cocktail hour and has created a signature cocktail especially for the event. Founder Phil Steger will be pouring his whiskey throughout dinner into handcrafted whiskey tumblers from Maine Prairis Studios. 

Guests also get exclusive access to the Weisman galleries during the cocktail hour, and can join optional tours created for the weekend: the Hmong Museum and Hmong Village with founder Mai Vang Huizel, a Nordic tasting created especially for the event at Ingebretsen's, a studio tour at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, and a distillery tour and tasting at Brother Justis.

Tickets:  storyfeast.co/minneapolis

Kolman & Reeb Gallery's 3rd Annual "The Big Tiny Show" to Showcase Artists From Across Minnesota

The Big Tiny Show begins Saturday, October 3, and runs through November 7

Artist Reception: Saturday, October 3, 6:00pm – 8:00pm

From its inception, Kolman & Reeb Gallery has been committed to supporting Minnesota artists. Now in its third year, The Big Tiny Show continues that commitment by giving artists from across the state an opportunity to share their work with a broader audience. The tremendous response to this year’s juried call for art reflects the enthusiasm of Minnesota artists and the breadth of perspectives they are eager to share.

From tried-and-true oil on canvas to fiber arts and wire sculptures, gallery patrons can expect an inspiring and diverse exhibition. Adopting its name from the guideline that no one piece of art can be larger than 12 inches, The Big Tiny Show involves a variety of subject matter and media. With the varied assortment, the depth of the show has allowed for an innovative and contemporary curation.

“With this show, Anita and I were eager to open the call to all media types and expressions. The results were overwhelming, and we received a significant response from Minnesota artists interested in showing their work. Our panel of judges was delighted by the superior quality of the art submitted. We’re eager for our patrons to come and view the diverse collection from across Minnesota. Opening the call to all types of media offered a unique experience as the curator." Jodi Reeb, gallery curator and co-partner

All are invited to come and view this interesting blend of styles from emerging and established Artists. All art on display during The Big Tiny Show will be available for purchase.

Kolman & Reeb Gallery is in Studio 395, The Northrup King Building, 1500 Jackson Street NE. For more information, please visit kolmanreebgallery.com or call 612-385-4239.

Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation’s Heart 360 Concert to Feature Russell Dickerson, Nov 13

Supporting Twin Cities-Based Research for Heart Patients Worldwide

November 13 at The Armory – Tickets Start at $50

Doors open 6pm / Concert 8pm

Heart 360 is an annual concert event benefiting the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF) and lifesaving heart research and education for patients around the world. It’s more than a concert - it’s a night to unite, celebrate, and fuel lifesaving heart research. This year it will take place at The Armory, 500 6th Street. Presenting sponsors are Great Clips and K102.

The theme, Heart 360, celebrates the 360-degree approach that is critical to advancing heart and vascular care – renowned physicians, committed researchers, grateful patients – and a community that believes in this work.

Russell Dickerson, known for his high-energy stage presence, has achieved multiple number-one singles on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, including "Blue Tacoma," "Every Little Thing," and "Love You Like I Used To."

General Admission tickets are all-in priced at only $50. A Premium VIP Experience is offered featuring admission to the concert and a reception with a hosted bar with appetizers. All VIP ticketholders have access to premier concert viewing from the first-level balcony as well as the main room. Prices start at $250.

A recognized leader across all specialties of heart and vascular research, MHIF strives to create a world without heart and vascular disease. Their work is funded by generous donors and sponsors, and engages in cutting-edge research initiatives with its physician partners from the Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute® at Abbott Northwestern Hospital and at 38 community sites across Minnesota and western Wisconsin. 

Each year, MHIF leads more than 220 research studies with more than 2,200 patients and publishes more than 250 articles to share learnings from research. MHIF research has improved the standard of care around the world through protocols like Level One for heart attack, which significantly improved outcomes and survival for patients. They provide more than 11,000 hours of education each year putting its research into practice to improve outcomes among health care providers.

Pritzker Hageman Invites the Community to October 15 Blood Drive

Memorial Blood Centers' bloodmobile will be parked in Pritzker Hageman's lot throughout the drive, and they’ll also have therapy dog teams from North Star Therapy Animals onsite to visit with donors.

Community Blood Drive with Memorial Blood Centers

Thursday, October 15, 2026 | 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Pritzker Hageman Law Firm, 100 University Ave SE, Minneapolis

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Appointments: pritzlaw.us/donateblood

14th Annual Cine Latino Film Festival, October 7-11

Full line up and ticket options

MSP Film Society's Cine Latino Film Festival returns to The Main Cinema from October 7 – 11, with five days and nights of film screenings, fiestas, flamenco dancing, food trucks, visiting filmmakers, family activities, and more.

 

Screening Wednesday, October 7 at 7:30pm • Opening Night Party 5:30pm

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The opening night film is La Bola Negra. From Cannes-winning directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, La Bola Negra follows three generations of men across pivotal moments in Spanish history, bound by pain, desire, and love. Carlos (Milo Quifes) longs to belong in a fractured Spain. Sebastián (Guitarricadelafuente) finds connection across enemy lines. And Alberto (Carlos González) uncovers a long-buried family secret — one that finally gives voice to truths the past tried to erase. Co-written by Calvo, Ambrossi, and Alberto Conejero, and adapted from Conejero's play La Piedra Oscura, and La bola negra and other texts by Federico García Lorca.

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The screening will be preceded by the Cine Latino Opening Night Party sponsored by Netflix and featuring Flamenco dancers.  

MPRB is Hosting 6 Community Engagement Sessions on the 2027-28 Budget

Join MPRB for any of six community engagement sessions on September 10, 17, 19 and October 8, 22 and 24.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is hosting six community engagement sessions on the 2027-28 budget. They will walk attendees through their budget and how how they use your tax dollars and leverage other revenue sources to serve the residents of Minneapolis. They are also asking for input on what matters most to residents.

MPRB is requesting a 5.86% tax levy increase to sustain current service levels. This funding won't restore previous cuts, but it will: 

• Keep their team stable and ready to serve you 

• Protect and grow the tree canopy 

• Support hundreds of teen jobs and after-school programs 

• Maintain child care and summer camp services 

• Protect natural areas and open Upper Harbor and North Commons in North Minneapolis 

Attend any of six community budget meetings this fall. Park commissioners and MPRB leaders will walk through exactly how they spend our dollars and what each program means for our city. These are city-wide meetings - you can attend the one closest to you, some of them, or all of them. Light snacks provided.

September 10, 6–8 pm | 40th Street Park (1900 E 40th St) 

September 17, 6–8 pm | Harrison Park, Spark'd Studio (503 N Irving Ave) 

September 19, 1–3 pm | River Hub at Graco Park (810 Sibley St NE) 

October 8, 6–8 pm | Lyndale Farmstead Park (3900 Bryant Ave S) 

October 22, 6–8 pm | Powderhorn Park (3400 15th Ave S) 

October 24, 1–3 pm | Elliot Park (1000 E 14th St) 

If you can't make a meeting, take their survey and tell them what you value about Minneapolis Parks. These decisions belong to all of us.

My Very Own Bed Announces 6th Annual Steps for Sleep, September 26

The Twin Cities community is invited to a free event at DeLaSalle High School on September 26 (or to Walk Anywhere) - optional donations and individual fundraisers support $100,000 goal for children's beds.

Twin Cities nonprofit My Very Own Bed will host its 6th Annual Steps for Sleep walk and wellness event on Saturday, September 26, from 3:00-5:30pm at DeLaSalle High School on Nicollet Island. This free, all-ages community gathering combines a scenic outdoor walk through Boom Island Park, an interactive Wellness Fair, and family-friendly activities to highlight the powerful link between physical activity and healthy, restorative sleep for children and families. More info.

Open before and after the walk, the interactive Wellness Fair offers practical tools to improve daily energy and sleep. Attendees can try hands-on activities, explore new movement and stress-relief techniques, connect with local health experts, and take home giveaways to help the entire family build healthier habits.

Steps for Sleep pairs active fun for the community with a goal to raise $100,000 through sponsors, donors, and peer-to-peer fundraisers. All proceeds directly fund brand-new beds and personalized Dream Kits for local children moving out of shelters and into stable homes.

A good night’s sleep is essential for a child’s physical health, emotional stability, and academic success. Yet across the Twin Cities, thousands of kids sleep on floors, air mattresses, or share overcrowded beds. Since 2014, My Very Own Bed has delivered more than 12,000 beds and Dream Kits, including a new mattress, frame, sheet set, blanket, mattress pad, pillow, stuffed animal, and age-appropriate books. In 2026 alone, the organization aims to reach 2,100 more children.

Ways to Participate:

• In-Person Walk & Wellness Fair, Saturday, September 26, 3:00–5:30pm: Join the free, family-friendly event at DeLaSalle High School (1 DeLaSalle Drive, Minneapolis) to walk, explore the interactive Wellness Fair, and enjoy community activities.

• Walk Anywhere, September 12–26: Can’t make it to Minneapolis? Take steps from your own neighborhood over two weeks. 

• Launch a Fundraiser: Multiply your impact by starting an individual or team fundraising page to earn event prizes. The first $15,000 raised will be matched dollar-for-dollar by generous sponsors.

• Cost and Registration: Free admission for all participants. Optional donations and peer-to-peer fundraisers directly support kids in the community. More info.

Founded in 2014 by Michael Allen, My Very Own Bed is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to ensuring children in the Twin Cities have a dedicated, comfortable place to sleep. By partnering with local social service agencies and community volunteers, the organization delivers brand-new beds and Dream Kits directly to families transitioning from homelessness or shelters into stable housing.

Ukrainian Global Symphony Celebrates Ukrainian Heritage at Orchestra Hall, September 12

Pre-concert events take place 6:30pm-7:45pm

On September 12 at 8:00pm, the stage at Orchestra Hall will come alive with the Ukrainian Global Symphony as conductor Nickolai Podvin makes his long-awaited debut on the Orchestra Hall stage - fulfilling a dream he has held since he was five years old. A conductor of Bulgarian and Roma heritage and a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London, Podvin will lead an extraordinary ensemble of musicians from the Minnesota Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, Rochester Symphony, South Dakota Symphony, Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, University of Minnesota, and the Twin Cities Musicians Union.

Tickets

At the heart of the evening lies a performance of the uncensored version of Ukrainian composer Borys Liatoshynsky’s Third Symphony - a monumental work first heard in this restored form in 1991 following the fall of the Soviet Union, when the original fourth movement was finally recovered. Recent discoveries have since revealed Soviet alterations within the first, second, and third movements as well. To help fully restore the work, Podvin has digitized the current score and provided the Liatoshynsky Foundation in Ukraine with crucial resources to reconstruct and publish the complete, uncensored score for the first time.

The program will also feature a rediscovered cello concerto, performed by multi-Grammy Award-winning, world-renowned cellist Matt Haimovitz. 

“In these times, our concert halls must become sanctuaries for Ukrainian music. We must preserve and protect Ukraine's cultural identity, now more than ever.”  Nickolai Podvin

This concert is more than a performance - it is a movement. It seeks to raise awareness of Ukraine's rich contributions to classical music, long overshadowed and suppressed. This event was made possible through generous community support, strong partnerships, and funding provided by the Minnesota Humanities Center Cultural Heritage Fund. With gratitude to the Twin Cities Musicians Union, Orchestra Hall, and the Ukrainian American Community Center.

Fine Art Opening Event at Washburn Lofts, September 17

Free art opening event submitted by the Washburn Lofts

“Atlas of Elsewhere” Fragments from Worlds Between the Natural and Imagined / A Solo Exhibition by Megan Gonyo 

Opening Reception Thursday, September 17, 5-7pm

Wine & Cheese

Free and Open to the Public

 

Megan Gonyo is a Minneapolis-based abstract artist and multi-passionate entrepreneur with a curiosity about how we experience the world and how our environments shape our well-being. Come view her large-scale installation on the first floor of the historic Washburn Lofts condo building, 700 S 2nd Street, adjacent to the Mill City Museum.

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Exhibition on view by appointment. Contact megan@megangonyo.com

30 State Fair Crop Artworks Will Make Their Way to Mia in September

“Cream of the Crop: The Second Harvest” runs September 19 thru November 29

A reception will be held Thursday, September 24, 6-8pm, in Mia’s Community Commons

Minnesotans love their crop art. Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) will give some of the Minnesota State Fair’s most creative crop artists an encore, bringing prize-winning and standout works from the 2026 crop art competition to the museum for Cream of the Crop: The Second Harvest. It will be on view September 19 through November 29 in Mia’s Community Commons.

Mia’s curatorial team and museum director Katie Luber were tasked with selecting 30 works from hundreds at the State Fair. These works showcase the skill, patience, humor, and ingenuity behind one of Minnesota’s most beloved artistic traditions.

Think intricate portraits made from seeds. Landscapes built from grains. Unexpected masterpieces assembled from humble agricultural materials. Crop art transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, and at Mia, these works get a second chance to shine beyond the Fairgrounds.

The exhibition will showcase highlights from the Minnesota State Fair’s crop art competition, including:

• Five winners of Mia’s crop art awards:

  • Four artworks featuring the best interpretations of a Hidden Gem at Mia, interpreting a lesser-known piece from the museum’s collection.

    • The winners are La Petite Bergère – At Night by Diane Klein, Tiger Cat by Kaela Reinardy, Rainy Evening on Hennepin Avenue - Crop Art Edition by Megan Bell, and St. Paul, 2026 by Stephanie Schempp.

  • One overall Mia Favorite original creation showing exemplary creativity, craftsmanship, and artistry:

    • The winner of this category is Twin Cities 2026 (Guernica 1937) by Jennifer B Nelson.

• 25 additional honorable mentions will also be selected.

Crop art is a meticulous craft using seeds, grains, and other plant materials to create detailed images, designs, and stories. The tradition has long been a beloved feature of the Minnesota State Fair, where artists demonstrate just how much artistic potential can be packed into a handful of humble agricultural materials.

Theater Latté Da’s 2026-2027 Season Opens With Paula Vogel’s Indecent

Single tickets start at just $39. Subscriptions are also available and offer a wide range of subscriber-only perks and significant savings over single ticket pricing.

Theater Latté Da has announced single tickets are now available for its first production of the 2026-2027 Season, Indecent, by Paula Vogel, with a score and original music by Lisa Gutkin and Aaron Halva. The production’s official opening will take place on Saturday, September 19 at 7:30pm, with previews beginning on Wednesday, September 16. Performances take place at the historic Ritz Theater, 345 13th Avenue NE -  the permanent home of Theater Latté Da.

Indecent is a play about a play - and the artists who risked everything to tell it. Inspired by the true story of Sholem Asch’s seminal Yiddish work, God of Vengeance, and its infamous 1923 obscenity trial, Indecent is a haunting, klezmer-infused play with music that traces the turbulent journey of a troupe determined to stage a work deemed “indecent.” As their story unfolds across continents and decades, so too does a powerful meditation on censorship, nationalism and the policing of queer love. At once tender and thunderously relevant, this breathtaking theatrical experience shines a light on the enduring struggle between artistic expression and societal control. In a moment when questions of whose stories are “acceptable” feel increasingly urgent, Indecent invites us to bear witness to the courage of artists, the cost of silence and the unshakable power of theater itself.

"There are few plays that feel as urgently necessary today as Indecent. It is a breathtaking work about artists who refuse to let fear dictate what can be imagined, expressed, or shared. At a moment when conversations around censorship and cultural memory continue to shape our public life, this play reminds us that the freedom to create is never guaranteed... it is something every generation must actively protect." Latté Da Artistic Director, Justin Lucero

Indecent is directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh. Music direction is by Spencer Chandler and movement direction by Emily Michaels King. The design team includes scenic and costume designer Sarah Bahr, lighting designer Søren Olsen, sound & projections designer Peter Morrow, props designer Madelaine Foster, hair and makeup designer Emma Gustafson and dialect coach Spencer Chandler. Shelby Reddig is production stage manager and Austin Schoenfelder is assistant stage manager.

Theater Latté Da’s 2026-2027 season invites audiences to engage with the complexities of the present moment through five powerful works that challenge silence, celebrate resilience, and honor the transformative power of shared experience. Following Indecent, the lineup continues with the holiday tradition All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, and then Justin Huertas’s indie-rock musical Lizard Boy.

TICKETS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

Tickets for Indecent are currently available for purchase, starting at $39. Additionally, season subscriptions are available for purchase for the entire 2026-2027 season, offering a wide range of discounts, subscriber-only perks and show packages for every schedule. Pricing and additional details available at www.LatteDa.org.

Tickets, subscriptions and FLEXPacks may be purchased online, by calling the Box Office at 612-339-3003, or in person at the Ritz Theater. Box Office hours are 12-5pm, Tuesday to Friday, and 12-5pm on Saturdays during performance days only.

A range of discounted attendance opportunities and physical access initiatives are offered for every production to ensure a welcoming experience for patrons of all backgrounds. Access offerings include ASL interpretation, open captioning and audio description at select performances, and services including braille and large-print programs, assistive listening devices, multiple accessible seating choices, wheelchair companion seating, bariatric chairs and physically accessible all-gender restrooms are available for every performance.

Key dates for Indecent: 

• Previews – September 16-18, 7:30pm
• Opening Night – September 19, 7:30pm
• Open Captioned – October 16 & 17, 7:30pm; October 17 & 18, 2:00pm
• American Sign Language & Audio Described – October 15, 7:30pm

 Post-show talkbacks: 

• Thursday, 7:30pm: September 24; October 1, 8 & 15
• Sunday, 2:00pm: September 20 & 27; October 4 & 11 

Theatre in the Round Players Celebrates 75 Years With Minnesota Stories and Artists

Theatre in the Round Players (TRP) is celebrating its 75th season by celebrating the community it calls home.

Theatre in the Round’s 2026–2027 season, We’ve Been Around: A Celebration of Minnesotan Art and Resiliency, celebrates Minnesota art and artists. The season also celebrates something that has been at the heart of TRP since its founding in 1952: the belief that theatre is something a community can build together. 

A Season Full of Minnesota Connections

Opening September 11 with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, adapted by Simon Levy and directed by Vanessa Brooke Agnes, Season 75 celebrates the remarkable artists and stories Minnesota has sent into the world. The season features beloved Minnesota authors F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kate DiCamillo and Charles M. Schulz, acclaimed Minnesota playwrights Carlyle Brown and

Jeffrey Hatcher, two world premieres by Minnesota playwrights John Gaspard and Pamela Hill Nettleton and music from acclaimed singer-songwriter Eric Peltoniemi. The season – including collaborative efforts with FAIR School for Arts, The American School of Storytelling, and The Bearded Company - explores the many ways Minnesota has shaped American theatre and storytelling and, conversely, the many ways that theatre and art has shaped Minnesota. 

Together, the productions offer a broad definition of what a Minnesota season can be - not simply stories set here, but stories connected to the people, artists, history and experiences that have shaped the state. 

75 Years of Community-Made Theatre

Theatre in the Round Players was founded in 1952 by seven artists who wanted to create a theatre supported by its members. They persuaded 50 friends to contribute $10 each and opened their first season, Life with Father, at the YWCA in downtown Minneapolis in January 1953. That spirit of community participation remains central to TRP today. The organization’s model provides opportunities for people to learn and participate in many facets of theatre, bringing together professional and amateur artists, volunteers and audiences. 

Over the decades, TRP has also played an important role in the growth of the Twin Cities arts community, pioneering opportunities and helping support the development of multiple organizations including Penumbra Theatre and Youth Performance Company. TRP moved to its current home in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood in 1969, transforming a fire-damaged restaurant into a theatre with thousands of hours of volunteer labor. Today, the building houses every part of the organization’s operation under one roof.

Theatre in the Round - Literally

Theatre in the Round’s name comes from its distinctive arena configuration: the audience surrounds the stage. The theatre’s approximately 240 seats are only seven rows deep, putting every audience member within 30 feet of center stage. There is no traditional “back row” and no fourth wall separating actors from the people watching them. That intimacy is central to the TRP experience.

“Arena theatre represents the soul of this organization. This form of theatre is a beautiful metaphor for community – we have a shared experience, but everyone’s perspective is a little different.”  Executive Director, Larisa Netterlund

Still Here - and Still Growing

Seventy-five seasons is a remarkable milestone for any theatre. For TRP, the anniversary is also an opportunity to think about what comes next. The organization has weathered changing artistic landscapes, changing funding realities, a pandemic that forced the theatre dark, and the ongoing challenges of maintaining an aging building. Through it all, the basic idea has remained: bring people together, make good theatre, and make room for people to be part of it. 

Season 75 celebrates the people who built the theatre, the artists who have filled its stage, the volunteers who have kept it running and the audiences who have come back year after year - while inviting a new generation to become part of TRP’s story. 

Season information and tickets are available at theatreintheround.org. 

Season 75 productions:

• Sept 11-Oct 4: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby adapted by Simon Levy
• Oct 23-Nov 1: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, Adapted by Dwayne Hartford, a Co-Production with FAIR School for Arts
• Nov 20 – Dec 20: Dial M for Murder by Frederick Knott, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher
• Dec 4-Jan 10: Acting Can be Murder a world premiere by John Gaspard
• Jan 22-24: Home is Where the Art is: Stories of Art & Belonging, a Co-Production with The American School of Storytelling
• Feb 12-March 7: Ten November by Steven Dietz and Eric Peltoniemi
• Feb 17-21: Swords & Sorcery a Co-Production with The Bearded Company
• April 2-25: Quantumly Entangled: Love & Rock’N’Roll in the Age of AARP a world premiere by Pamela Hill Nettleton
• May 7-30: The African Company Presents Richard III by Carlyle Brown
• June 18-July 18: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown by Gesner, Mayer, and Lippa,