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,

Art at the Bridgewater Announces August 27 Meet the Artists Reception for "The Future is Present" Installment

Art at the Bridgewater invites you to join them to celebrate their 10-Year Anniversary and 33 Exhibits!

Meet the Artists Reception, Thursday, August 27, 6:00pm–8:00pm

Bridgewater Community Room, 215 10th Avenue S

Wine, Appetizers and Desserts

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Featured Artists: Betsy Byers | Jil Evans | Tim Harding | Megan Jorgenson | Anne Landreman | Kristin Maija Peterson | Shannyn Joy Potter | Jill Van Sickle

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Take a virtual tour of The Future is Present: 

The Future is Present is generously sponsored by the Seebinger Group At DRG, professional realtors with over 20 years of experience assisting local buyers and sellers like you. They know how to find the best properties and negotiate great deals. They stay up to date on market trends, government regulations, and upcoming developments - so you don’t have to.

Mike Seebinger, Lauren MacLeod and Kris Schwab

The Mill Yard Announces Opening of “Where Water Speaks” as Part of the August 23 Mill District Art Walk 2026

Sunday, August 23, 3:00–6:00pm

Visit The Mill Yard during a three-building art walk connecting art to 100 years of Mississippi River restoration. The Mill Yard joins The Legacy and Bridgewater Lofts in hosting the Mill District Art Walk 2026. This special event is being held in conjunction with the Sacred Water Shared Future initiative and in collaboration with the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization and Owámniyomni Okhódayapi, leaders in the movement to protect the Mississippi and reimagine the land on its banks.

Featured artists are local and all art is for sale and benefits the artists. Learn about the Mississippi restoration, enjoy light refreshments, meet neighbors, bring friends and family, and enjoy wood-fire pizza from the Brick Oven Bus onsite.

Exhibiting Artists at The Mill Yard at Stonebridge Lofts: 

• Lisa Fertig - painter
• Jenn Justad, Justad Glass – glass artist
• Karl Herber - photographer
• McP2 Art Studio: Mary Lynn & Susan Rennie McPherson – encaustic artist & photographer
• Kenneth Schweiger - painter 

Lisa Fertig received formal training as a painter at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and Atelier Lack in Minneapolis. Lisa’s style is multi-faceted, creating impressionistic, abstract and realistic fine art. In each style she finds deeply personal responses. Her representational work “embodies my response to the environment…and it centers me in my life.”  Free of visual constraints, working on abstract pieces she is exploring and responding to emotions. The forms “manifest themselves as successive, unfolding, and spontaneous adventures in color, texture and composition.”

Grand Marais by Lisa Fertig

Jenn Justad took a random summer camp art course almost 20 years ago while in college in northern Wisconsin. It was love at first glass! It was there she learned of the community glass studio in Minneapolis, Foci. Upon graduation she returned home to Minnesota and, at Foci, expanded her education in glass blowing. Jenn creates primarily functional glassware and décor. She creates pieces in vibrant color with a playful aesthetic. “Every time I work with glass I learn something new and expand my glass vocabulary.”

Glasswork by Jenn Justad 

Karl Herber has dedicated his professional life to photography. While spending a year in Austria during college the foundation was laid for his development as an artist. His photography has won numerous awards and has been exhibited in Europe and the United States. “My work is about responding to and making tangible what I see and experience. I go out into the world and capture that which catches my eye. Then I refine and enhance that into a tangible form.” He describes his most authentic works as “inquiry into the relationships between memory, my experience, and the creating and existence of the photograph.”

Wave, Monhegan by Karl Herber

McP2 Art Studio / Mary Lynn McPherson always wanted to be an artist. She explored a variety of mediums and over a decade ago discovered what she had been looking for:  encaustic, specifically photo encaustic. After years of training, she became an artist full-time.  Mary Lynn collaborates with Rennie on color and composition and creates all the photo encaustic art. McP2 Art Studio is represented by the Muisca Gallery in Paris and has recently been featured in two shows.

Susan Rennie McPherson discovered photography her senior year in college after purchasing a Nikon EM to explore the natural world. However, photography took a back seat while she completed a doctorate in Clinical Psychology with a residency in Neuropsychology and started her career. Mary Lynn gifted her a digital camera two decades ago and she revived her commitment to photography. She photographed the Gold Medal Women’s Hockey game for Let’s Play Hockey magazine at the 2018 Olympics. Her fine art photography focuses on nature and street photography. She collaborates on color and composition with Mary Lynn at McP2 Art Studio.

Kenneth Schweiger is a fine arts painter, classically trained at The Atelier Studio Program of Fine Arts where, currently, he is an instructor. He makes drawings, etchings, and watercolor paintings on paper, and oil paintings on canvas and wood panels. Kenneth has traveled extensively to Japan and studied classical and contemporary art in Tokyo. It was in Tokyo that he “encountered work that inspired me to pursue a fine art career.” The masters of the Renaissance are another source of inspiration, including John Singer Sargent. These influences can be seen in his work. “My goal is to produce paintings with atmosphere, emotion and lived experience. In a painted depiction of a scene from everyday life, I hope to connect my own experiences in a meaningful way with the viewer.”

East Meets West by Kenneth Schweiger 

Additional artists exhibiting at the Mill District Art Walk 2026:

Betsy Ruth Byers / Jil Evans / Regan Golden / Karen Goulet / Mark Granlund / Tim Harding / Megan Jorgenson / Anne Landreman / Dan Mackerman / Jim Meyer / Jane Michalski / Kristin Maija Peterson / Shannyn Joy Potter / John-Mark Schlink / Anika Schneider / Lisa Traux

This show ends November 19, 2026. If you miss The Mill Yard during the Mill District Art Walk 2026, contact TheMillYard.Stonebridge@gmail.com for a private viewing of the August show. 

The Mill Yard at Stonebridge Lofts is located at 1120 S 2nd Street.

Website / Facebook / Instagram

August 23 Mill District Art Walk Features Bridgewater Lofts, Stonebridge Lofts and The Legacy

You are invited to a three-building art walk in the Mill District, hosted in conjunction with the Sacred Water Shared Future initiative and in collaboration with the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization and Owámniyomni Okhódayapi, leaders in the movement to protect the Mississippi and reimagine the land on its banks.

• Buy local! All art is for sale and will benefit local artists.
• Learn about Mississippi River restoration.
• Enjoy light refreshments.

Check out this video for an inspiring story about the birth of the Mill District, the restoration of the Mississippi and its growing art scene: https://vimeo.com/1198120306/b0f9fac579

Minneapolis Downtown Parks August Activities

Join Minneapolis Downtown Parks for movies under the stars, K-pop dancing, outdoor games, art classes, fitness, and a few reasons to stay outside just a little longer.

Featured Events

Men in Black & Inflatable Games
Wednesday, August 5 | 6:30-10 pm
The Commons (425 Portland Ave S)

The only thing more mysterious than the Men in Black? Watching adults race kids through inflatables before the movie. Come bounce, climb, and play from 6:30–8:30 pm before settling in for a free showing of Men in Black at dusk.

Got an inflatable costume collecting dust in the closet? This is its moment. Bring it along and join the fun! Don't have one? No worries—we'll have a few inflatable costumes available to borrow onsite.

Inflatable Games: 6:30–8:30 pm
Movie: Begins at dusk

Paw Patrol Lookalike Party and Pop-Up Dog Park
Saturday, Augst 8 | 9-11 am
North Loop Park

No dog? No problem. Come cheer on some very good boys and girls as they channel their inner Chase, Skye, Marshall, or Rubble. We have a feeling this may be one of the cutest events of the summer.

Hosted by Paramount Pictures, enjoy themed photo opportunities, giveaways, prizes, and plenty of wagging tails.

K-Pop in the Sunset
Saturday, August 8 | 5-9 pm
The Commons Park

One of our favorite nights of the summer is back!

Join MNKPopConnect for Random Play Dance, K-pop DJs, delicious food, K-pop vendors, and hundreds of fans taking over The Commons Park for an evening that's nearly impossible to stand still at.

Whether you're practicing your choreography or simply soaking in the energy, everyone is welcome.

Little Giants & Football Fun
Wednesday, August 26 | 6-10 pm
The Commons Park

Football season starts here!

Before Little Giants hits the big screen, test your skills in our Punt, Pass & Kick Challenge for kids and adults, enjoy Pop-Up Park activities (including Knockerball!), meet the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders, grab dinner from a local food vendor, and settle in for a free movie at dusk.

Whether you've got a cannon for an arm or just want to cheer from the sidelines, it's a fun night for the whole family.

Arts & Creativity

Cyanotype (Sun Print) Workshop
Wednesday, August 12 | 6-8 pm
Graco Park

Get creative with the power of the sun! Design and create your own custom bandana using the fascinating cyanotype printing process. We'll provide all the materials you need, and you're welcome to bring leaves, flowers, lace, or other textured objects from home to make your print uniquely yours.

This outdoor class is weather dependent. Wear clothing you don't mind getting messy.

Registration: $15 Minneapolis residents | $22.50 non-residents

Minnesota, a Literary Powerhouse Book Club
Monday, August 17 | 6:30-7:30 pm
Water Works Park

This month's selection is Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn.

Blending Hawaiian culture, family, and magical realism, this acclaimed novel follows one family's journey after a miraculous event changes their lives forever. New readers are always welcome.

Printmaking on a Budget
Thursday, August 20 | 6-8pm
Graco Park

Discover creative printmaking techniques using simple, affordable materials you can recreate at home. All supplies are provided.

Free. Registration required.

Upcycle T-shirt Bar
Monday, August 23 | 6-8pm
Water Works Park

That concert shirt hiding in the back of your closet? Bring it.

We'll help you turn it into something you'll actually wear again using fabric paints, stencils, visible mending, Cricut-created patches, and plenty of creativity.

Bring a shirt you don't mind altering—we'll take care of the rest.

Registration: $15 Minneapolis residents | $22.50 non-residents

Silent Night Silent Disco
Monday, August 23 | 6-8pm
Water Works Park

Dance like nobody's watching...because they probably can't hear your music anyway.

Grab a pair of wireless headphones, choose your favorite DJ channel, and spend the evening dancing under the stars along the Mississippi River. Silent Nights is a monthly silent disco series bringing local DJs, great music, and plenty of energy to Minneapolis parks and public spaces.

Whether you're dancing all night or just stopping by to see what all the smiling people in headphones are up to, everyone is welcome.

Free to attend.

Active Outdoors

Yoga with Bouldering Project

Sundays | 10-11 am | Water Works Park

Start your Sunday with a free outdoor yoga class overlooking the Mississippi River. All experience levels are welcome.

Minneapolis Jazzercise
Saturdays | 11 am-Noon | Water Works Park

If your workout playlist still includes Whitney, Prince, Madonna, or Journey...you've found your people. Join Minneapolis Jazzercise for a fun, high-energy workout that proves neon never really went out of style.

Line Dance with Billie
Thursday, August 27 | 6-8:30 pm
The Commons Park

If you've ever wanted to learn line dancing—or just wanted an excuse to spend an evening outside—Billie has you covered. No partner, no experience, and no pressure. Just show up and have fun.

Lawn Games at Water Works Park
Fridays | 3-7 pm | Water Works Park

Never heard of Kubb or Mölkky? Perfect. They're easy to learn, surprisingly competitive, and a great excuse to spend a Friday afternoon by the river.

Free. Drop in anytime.

Graco Game Nights – Outdoor Edition
Thursdays | 4–8 pm | Graco Park

Grab your friends and join us for an evening of outdoor games. Challenge someone to a classic lawn game, discover a new favorite, or simply enjoy a relaxed summer evening in the park.

Free. Drop in anytime.

Recurring Programs

Pop-Up Dog Park
Mondays & Thursdays| 4–7:30 pm 
The Commons Park

Bring your pup to our temporary off-leash dog park in the heart of downtown. Whether your dog is meeting up with old friends or making new ones, it's a great way to spend a summer evening—and a pretty good excuse for you to meet a few new neighbors, too.

Free.

Trivia with The Bar Exams
Wednesdays | 6 pm
Water Works Park

Spend your Wednesday evenings by the river with free Trivia in the Park, hosted by The Bar Exams. Gather your smartest friends—or make a few new ones—and compete for prizes from local favorites like La Madre, Off The Rails, Red Cow and Red Rabbit.

Bring a picnic, soak in the sunset over the Mississippi, and make Water Works Park your new midweek tradition. No registration or team size limits—just show up and play!

Wednesdays, August 5 & 12 | Lunch Hour
The Commons Park

Take a midday break with free trivia and prizes from the onsite food trucks.

Free to play. No registration required.

Graco Game Nights
Thursdays | 6–8 pm
Graco Park

Challenge your family and friends to giant lawn games, meet your neighbors and enjoy a summer evening along the Mississippi River. Stop by, play a few games and make Graco Park part of your Thursday night.

However you choose to spend August, we hope you'll spend a little of it with us in Downtown Minneapolis Parks.

Looking Ahead...

Pickleball on the Parkway
Saturday September 12 | 10 am-4 pm
Water Works Park and the West River Road

West River Parkway transforms into one of Minneapolis' most unique sporting events as dozens of pickleball courts stretch down the parkway for a day of tournament play, open play, beginner lessons, adaptive pickleball, mascot matches, food trucks, music, and plenty of opportunities to grab a paddle.

Whether you're a seasoned player, pickleball curious, or just looking for a fun day in the park, there's something for everyone.

Registration is now open! Reserve your spot today and join us for one of Minneapolis' most unique sporting events.

Downtown Minneapolis Parks

The Commons Park - 425 Portland Avenue South

Gateway Park - 1 1st Street South

Graco Park - 15 8th Ave Northeast

Nicollet Island Park - 40 Power Street

North Loop Park - 731 N 3rd St 

Water Works at Mill Ruins Park - 425 West River Parkway

The Market at Malcolm Yards is Celebrating Their 5 Year Anniversary With $5 Menu Specials August 7-8

All Nine Kitchens Are Featuring $5 Menu Specials August 7-8

The Market at Malcolm Yards, 501 30th Avenue SE, is celebrating five years in business at the beginning of August. To celebrate, all nine local, chef-driven kitchens are featuring $5 menu item specials August 7 – 8 and a live music performance with Mike Bustin on the patio on Saturday, August 8, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.  

Since opening its doors in 2021, The Market at Malcolm Yards has grown into one of the Twin Cities' premier food halls, bringing together locally owned restaurants, craft beverages and community events under one roof. As the market celebrates its fifth anniversary, it continues to serve as a hub for culinary innovation and neighborhood gathering, welcoming guests from across the region while supporting local chefs, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. The milestone reflects five years of fostering connections through food, creating memorable experiences, and contributing to the continued growth of Minneapolis' Prospect Park neighborhood.

“Over the past five years, The Market at Malcolm Yards has grown into so much more than a food hall. It has become a gathering place where community, culinary creativity, and local entrepreneurship thrive together. We’re incredibly proud of the chefs, small business owners, team members, and guests who have helped shape this journey. What began as a vision to transform a historic building into a vibrant destination has exceeded our expectations, and we’re excited to continue evolving, supporting independent food businesses, and creating memorable experiences for years to come.” Patricia Wall, Owner of The Market at Malcolm Yards

$5 fifth anniversary specials are available all day on August 7 and 8:

Bebe Zito: Oreo, strawberry, and chocolate shakes

Boxcar Bar: tap wall beers, pints of Malcolm Yards lager, select canned beer, mystery shots.

Chick’N Flip: 4-piece chicken tenders lightly breaded, served plain or tossed in a choice of sauce

EggFlip: Simple egg sando on milk toast bread, made with signature scrambled eggs, cheese, mozzarella, chive, house Gochujang aioli.

Kinsley’s Deli: birthday cake cannoli.

Martes Tacos: elote corn on the cob, chili mayo, cotija, chili con limón, micro cilantro.

Saturday Dumpling Company: mapo tots with Chinese pork chili, tater tots, mozzarella.

SushiFlip: 8-piece California sushi roll made with crab mix, avocado, cucumber, mozzarella, chive, house Gochujang aioli.

Wall added, “As we look to the future, our commitment remains the same: to create a place where people connect, discover incredible local food, and celebrate the creativity of our community. The Market at Malcolm Yards will continue to evolve alongside Minneapolis, welcoming new culinary concepts, expanding opportunities for local entrepreneurs, and offering experiences that bring people together. We’re energized by what’s ahead and grateful to everyone who has been part of our journey. The best is still to come.”

Laura Andrew's Exhibition, Transparent Eye, Opens at Kolman & Reeb Gallery August 8

I Saw my Mother in a Bird, a Flower, the Sky oil on canvas, 30 x 72 inches

Transparent Eye runs August 8 through September 26 

Make and Take Demonstration by Laura Andrews August 15, 1:00pm-3:00pm

Artist Reception: Saturday, August 15, 6:00pm–8:00pm

Kolman & Reeb Gallery has announced its next Project Space Grant Exhibition, Transparent Eye, featuring new work by Laura Andrews. This new series of paintings challenges traditional landscape formats through shifting perspectives, layered compositions, and unexpected spatial relationships. Inspired by plein air studies and collaged imagery, Andrews invites viewers into landscapes that feel both grounded in observation and altered by memory.

Laura AndrewsAndrews’ paintings begin with the landscape, but they do not remain fixed in familiar formats. Rather than presenting nature from a conventional distance or horizon line, she shifts the viewer’s point of view. Many works are inspired by di sotto in sù, an Italian Renaissance ceiling-painting technique meaning “seen from below.” This perspective allows Andrews to reimagine the landscape as unstable and enveloping, creating the feeling of being inside the landscape rather than simply looking at it.

For this exhibition, Andrews' outdoor studies capture the changing color, light, and atmosphere of a specific place. In the studio, they become raw material for a more experimental process where Andrews cuts, tears, combines, and reassembles fragments of landscape imagery. From this process, separate views and experiences merge into larger compositions, creating what she describes as conglomerate senses of space.

Mirage mixed media on canvas, 24 x 84 inches

In this new body of work, Andrews uses large-scale oil paintings to create a more immersive experience. Rooted in the natural world, her paintings suggest trees, ponds, fields, and wooded spaces without depicting them realistically. Instead, she layers color, light, and form to create landscapes that feel remembered, shifting, and dreamlike.

Trip Mid oil on panel, 60 x 30 inchesAt the heart of Transparent Eye is Andrews’ interest in how landscape can be experienced, remembered, and transformed. Her paintings invite viewers into spaces that are not simply seen, but felt. They ask us to consider how light changes perception, how memory reshapes place, and how the natural world can become both familiar and mysterious through the act of painting.

“What excites me about Laura’s paintings is the way they shift our sense of space. Her compositions draw us in through light, color, and unexpected points of view, creating landscapes that feel both familiar and transformed. There is a beautiful tension in the work between observation and abstraction, and that tension invites viewers to keep looking.” Gallery curator and co-partner Jodi Reeb

Laura Andrews is a Minneapolis-based painter and educator who teaches drawing, painting, and printmaking at Minneapolis College. She began as a plein air painter, learning to paint on her grandfather’s tree farm. Her work continues to grow from observation, incorporating urban plein air, video imagery, and large-scale studio painting. Andrews has exhibited at the Phipps Center for the Arts, Silverwood Gallery, Duluth Art Institute, the Bell Museum, and Red Wing Plein Air.

Kolman & Reeb Gallery is in Studio 395, Northrup King Building,  1500 Jackson Street NE, Minneapolis.

MacPhail Announces Inaugural Contemporary Music Program Concert in Gold Medal Park, July 25

Join MacPhail Center for Music for the inaugural showcase of the Contemporary Music Program, featuring the talent and artistry of MacPhail students and world-class faculty. The concert will highlight contemporary genres from rock to Latin, amidst the scenic backdrop of Gold Medal Park on Saturday, July 25, from 10:00am to 12:00pm.

Launched in Fall 2025, MacPhail’s Contemporary Music Program (CMP) brings together decades of offerings into one program that expands opportunities for students of all ages.

This event is free and open to the public. Advance RSVP requested.

Featuring:

• Alessandria Rhines, CMP Student, Singer-Songwriter
• MacPhail Youth Rock Band
• Isaac Rohr, CMP Teaching Artist, Composer/Producer
• Miguel Gonzalez, CMP Teaching Artist, Guitarist

Flamenco X Brings Salvador Dalí’s Surrealism to Life in “Dances with Dalí” at The Southern Theater

Flamenco X will premiere “Dances with Dalí — A Surreal Flamenco Experience” at The Southern Theater, 1420 S Washington Avenue, August 21–23. The 90-minute production, performed with one intermission, uses Dalí’s recurring visual motifs — distorted time, dreamlike landscapes, the tension between memory and reality — as the framework for a program of original flamenco choreography, live cante, and guitar.

The production is led by a four-person creative team. María de los Reyes, founder of Flamenco X, serves as Artistic Director and soloist dancer. Marija Temo, a classical and flamenco guitarist, vocalist, and composer trained at the Peabody Conservatory, serves as Musical Director. Dra. Jeanne D’Arc Casas, an interdisciplinary dancer and choreographer with an MFA from the University of New Mexico and touring credits with Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca, serves as Director of Dance & Movement. Visual artist and educator Monica Barela-Di Bisceglie leads design as Visual Arts Director, building puppetry, sets, and costumes drawn from surrealist imagery alongside costume and set designer Eamon Ryan.

On stage, the creative direction is carried out by the full Flamenco X ensemble: dancers Rafaela del Sol, Cecilia Calvo, Hilde De Roover, Estefanía Alvarez, and Katie Fuller, with additional dancer Jeanne D’Arc Casas Panouze, and guitarists David Elrod, Ross Fellrath, and Mateo Davies. Louis appears as Dalí.

The evening unfolds as a series of connected scenes rather than a single narrative, each built around a different piece of Dalí’s visual vocabulary — melted clocks and distorted time, doubled figures, shifting landscapes.

The production has been developed with support from donors and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC), through a legislative appropriation from Minnesota’s arts and cultural heritage fund.

Performances: 

• Friday, August 21 — 7:00pm (doors 6:00pm)
• Saturday, August 22 — 7:00pm (doors 6:00pm)
• Sunday, August 23 — 5:00pm (doors 4:00pm)

Tickets: southerntheater.org/shows/dances-with-dali-a-surreal-flamenco-experience

New Interactive Bike Map of Minneapolis

Per the City, at the end of 2025 there were 89 miles of trails, 36 miles of curb-protected bikeways, 24 miles of bicycle boulevards, and 140 miles of painted bike lanes in the city. 

In 2026, Minneapolis completed a mid-term evaluation and update to the city's Transportation Action Plan. As a part of that update, the City has launched a new map of Minneapolis bikeways. This map, which will be updated annually at the end of every construction season, shows the Trails, Protected Bikeways, Bike Boulevards, and Bike Lanes within the city. The map can be accessed by clicking "View bicycling network map" on the City's Bicycling homepage, or go directly to the interactive map here. 

Indígena by Owamni in the Guthrie Theater Soft Opening Set For June 23, Official Grand Opening on July 4

Regular service at Indígena by Owamni in the Guthrie Theater begins June 23d, and the restaurant will be open to the public with reservations available through Open Table. Indígena (In-DEE-Hay-Na) will have a grand opening event on July 4 - more information about this event are forthcoming.

The restaurant’s hours will be:  

• Sunday: 11am-11pm
• Monday: Closed
• Tuesday: 11am-11pm
• Wednesday: 11am-11pm
• Thursday: 11am-11pm
• Friday: 11am-midnight
• Saturday: 11am-midnight

A pre-theater menu tailored for guests dining before Guthrie performances will be available, as well as post-show drinks and bar food service. There is a bar menu, theater menu and a la carte menu. 

Reservations will end at 9pm, after which walk-ins are welcome.

Indígena by Owamni will offer:

• An expanded menu offering steaks, and larger game cuts such as bison, elk, and venison.
• A full oyster bar and expanded seafood offerings highlighting the Indigenous diaspora.
• A comprehensive bar program specializing in BIPOC-produced beer, wine, and spirits, alongside inventive cocktails and mocktails.
• Continued shareable plates and tapas-style service.
• A new Chef’s Table—seating 14 guests—will be available for curated tasting menus, coursed dinners, and guest chef residencies.

As part of its next phase, Indígena by Owamni is working toward a zero-waste model by collaborating with purveyors to eliminate plastic and single-use packaging, reinforcing its commitment to environmental stewardship.

Rhythmically Speaking's Groovers & Makers 2026: 4 Takes on Jazz Dance at The Southern Theater

Groovers & Makers 2026 is an evening of lively jazz and American social dance-inspired works for the stage featuring new dances from both local and visiting choreographers, performed by a company of 11 of the Twin Cities' most dymanic dancers.

Rhythmically Speaking (RS) will present their 18th annual Summer production, Groovers & Makers 2026: 4 Takes on Jazz Dance, July 30 - August 1 at the The Southern Theater. Though the format and name of this annual Summer production have shifted throughout the years, it has always delivered innovative, vibrant and thought-provoking takes on jazz and American social dance ideas from exciting movers and shakers in the field. We take great care to engage artists that share our appreciation of jazz - and related styles - as forms that encourages simultaneous expression of difference and similarity, creating community through their common roots of groove, interaction and improvisation. This production continues our Summer tradition of commissioning new work by local choreographers while providing opportunities for dance artists who are based outside of Minnesota to show their work here.

Tickets

Groovers & Makers 2026 features an exciting line-up of choreographers (i.e. the Makers) creating new works for the company. This year’s local artist is Karla Grotting, a celebrated dance artist with McKnight Fellowship and Citypages ‘Artist of the Year’ awards to prove it and a unique approach to jazz that is a sum of her deep and varied experiences. Grotting’s new work will use the hard swinging, emotionally wide-ranging, irresistible grooves of Danish group The Saxopaths and inter-Scandinavian composer Snorre Kirk to drive exploration of how we dialogue with our own thoughts. Maiya Redding of New York City, one of this year’s visiting artists, is an Assistant Professor in the Hofstra University dance program who was recently commissioned to create a new work for the Joel Hall Dancers (Chicago). Redding will be creating a work that reflects the music she was raised listening to while growing up in Chicago - classic jazz and house - exploring the duality and the similarities between them through jazz movement.

The other visiting artist this year is Alexis Robbins of New Haven, CT, the director of amrDANCE tap company and recent New England Dance Fund awardee. Robbins will be creating a tap dance piece through the lens of contemporary jazz that explores how we can collectively communicate through rhythm and learn more about ourselves in the process. RS Artistic and Executive Director Erinn Liebhard will also create a new work for the show, which will consider human fascination with time travel, exploring the rub between how we fallible are and time is not - at least not right now. The production will run a gamut of feelings while showing a breadth of what "jazz and American social dance-inspired" can mean. It will be danced by RS company members (the Groovers) Malia Craft, Jayde Grass, Doug Hooker, Amy Jones, Sara Karimi, Erinn Liebhard, Kelli Miles, Shannon Mulcahy, Jake Nehrbass, Kathleen Pender and Betsy Schaefer-Roob.

Rhythmically Speaking is a local and national leader in celebrating the rich history of these forms while nurturing their innovation. Since their founding in 2008, they have presented 119 original and remounted works and engaged 360+ artists and thousands of audience members and outreach program participants.

Dinner du Nord Returns to Nicollet Mall September 10

Dinner du Nord - America’s Longest Dinner Table - is returning to Downtown Minneapolis on Thursday, September 10 at 5pm. The open-air culinary celebration set on seven blocks of Nicollet Mall will bring together dozens of hospitality establishments to serve dinner to thousands of guests.

At Dinner du Nord, guests select signature prix fixe menus from participating Minneapolis establishments, ranging from fine dining destinations to casual food trucks, all served al fresco on the bus-free Nicollet Mall. A wide variety of cuisines and ticket packages are available to appeal to every palate and budget.

“Dinner du Nord was created to promote our city’s hospitality industry and downtown, and an unanticipated benefit from last year’s inaugural event was the joy people experienced in sharing a meal with friends and meeting new people, too. Maureen McDowall is leading the production this year, and we both are excited that this year’s participating restaurants are even more diverse.”  Founder Scott Mayer

Tickets for Dinner du Nord 2026 go on sale July 1 at DinnerduNord.org. Pricing is all-inclusive, with taxes and gratuity included. A portion of event proceeds will benefit the Help the House Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting hospitality workers through emergency assistance, community care, and advocacy efforts that strengthen both front-of-house and back-of-house teams throughout the industry. helpthehousefoundation.org

Sampling of restaurants and food trucks expected to participate: 

Aster Café, Barbette, Bario, Brit’s, Butcher and The Boar, Come and Get It, Dakota, D’Amico Catering, Esther’s Kitchen, Fogo de Chao, Four Seasons, Habanero Tacos, Hawlin New Orleans, Hell’s Kitchen, Hyatt Regency, Kapok, Lotus, Lumi, Marquette Hotel, Muddy Tiger, Murray’s, noa, Parlour, PS Steak, Revival, Ruth’s Chris, Soul to Soul Barbeque, Starling, The Local, and Tom’s Watch Bar.

Dinner du Nord was named Minnesota’s Best Public Event of 2025 by the International Live Events Association MSP Chapter.

Above and below, photos from the 2025 event.

Jujube Construction Update

Via a June 11 email update from Saturday Dumpling Co.

UPDATE on JUJUBE

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE! Things are moving along quickly at Jujube, our first full-service restaurant that is set to open this fall near Gold Medal Park in the Mill District of downtown Mpls. As of this week, we're finishing demolition, framing, and plumbing in the former Izzy's Ice Cream space and are moving on to electrical. We're very excited by the wallpaper game we plan to bring, as we've been looking at samples that compliment our mission of bringing a Texas barbecue vibe to modern Chinese food.

MENU EXCLUSIVE! We're making a lot of progress on building out the menu. Here's a little treat for our newsletter subscribers on something you'll see at Jujube: Smoked Char Siu Pork

Sweet, savory, and aromatic, char siu is one of the cornerstones of Chinese barbecue. Traditionally roasted in a charcoal-fired oven, our version is slowly smoked over post oak (a preferred choice of wood for traditional Texas barbecue) for an added layer of depth and complexity. The result is a balance of tradition and technique: tender, flavorful pork with the unmistakable character of classic char siu and the subtle richness of post oak smoke. We can't wait for you to try it!

Theatre in the Round Presents Classic Comedy, Blithe Spirit, June 19 - July 12

Packed with razor-sharp wit, eccentric characters, and Noël Coward’s signature sophistication, Blithe Spirit is a fast-paced comedy of manners where the dead refuse to stay buried and the living are left scrambling to keep up.

Theatre in the Round Players (TRP) presents Blithe Spirit running June 19 to July 12. In this sparkling supernatural comedy by Noël Coward, novelist Charles Condomine invites an eccentric medium to conduct a séance as research for his next book - but instead accidentally summons the ghost of his late wife, Elvira. As Elvira wreaks ghostly havoc on Charles and his current marriage, things spiral from strange to delightfully chaotic. 

Directed by Dann Peterson, this stylish production embraces the play’s supernatural absurdity and comedic elegance, bringing Coward’s classic farce vividly to life in Theatre in the Round’s intimate arena setting. Equal parts haunting and hilarious, Blithe Spirit offers audiences a witty reminder that the past has a way of lingering - especially when it’s not quite ready to leave!

A Pay-What-You-Can performance is scheduled for Monday, June 29 at 7:30pm, and an Audio-Described performance will be held on Sunday, July 12 at 2:00pm (email tix@theatreintheround.org to RSVP).

Tickets: $20–29. Info & Tickets, Box Office: 612-333-3010

Content Notice: This production utilizes water-based theatrical fog and flashing lights.

TRP’s facilities are accessible to audience members using wheelchairs; assisted listening and captioning devices are available for all performances.

Uptown Farmers Market Moves 2 Bocks North, 2026 Season Launch is June 11

Multi-neighborhood initiative moves two blocks north to MoZaic Plaza and will once again bring “fresh eats, live beats, good vibes” to the heart of Uptown every Thursday evening.

On Thursday, June 11, the Uptown Farmers Market will return for its second season, giving residents from across the community a reason to come together, shop local produce, foods and crafts, as well as support Uptown’s small businesses.

Due to construction at Seven Points, the market will move two blocks north from its original location, opening at MoZaic Plaza, at Lagoon and Girard Avenues, behind the Lagoon Theater. Once again, it will run every Thursday from 4pm to 8pm, this year through October 1. Facebook

Per Dan Sutton, a co-chair for the market and a volunteer with the East Isles Neighborhood Association (which serves as fiscal sponsor of the market), “Building on the success of last year’s first season, we're very excited about activating the new location — an Art Park with sculpture installations throughout the plaza, situated right next to the Greenway. We’re excited to capitalize on our inaugural season’s momentum and continue this important effort to help revitalize the Uptown community, highlighting all that the area has to offer.” 

All eight neighborhood associations surrounding Uptown are once again supporting the market efforts this year, as is the City of Minneapolis and a coalition of returning sponsors including The Minneapolis Foundation, MetroTransit, Ragstock and Bridgewater Bank.

As people who frequented the Uptown Farmers Market know, the event is a destination for not only great local food, but art, music, and family-friendly activities, as well. Musicians will once again grace the market weekly, and several artists will be partnering again with the market to help promote the season, including Mark Hermann - well known for portrayals of iconic Minneapolis and broader Minnesota locations. His art for the market will run soon on MetroTransit buses/stations citywide.

The market will also be supporting a concerted business activation effort, current working under the banner of "Thursdays are for Uptown." Leveraging the farmers market as a cornerstone platform for cross-promotion, Uptown businesses are being encouraged to promote Thursday evening specials — events, experiences or discounts — that will help activate the core business district.

Last year, Moona Moono, collaborating with Magers & Quinn, to introduce “Silent Bookclub” on Thursday evenings, as well as Lake & Irving’s cross-promotion of trivia night on Thursday evenings, planted the germ of this idea. This year, close-by businesses, including the Lagoon Theatre, the Green Room and Cyclebar are already onboard. The market will be collaborating with the Uptown Association, Uptown United, Hill & Lake Press, and Lowry Hill's Holidays on Hennepin team to broaden participation.