August 17, 2015, Monday - DMNA Meeting at CoCo in the Grain Exchange

Time:  5:45pm - 8:00pm

Location: CoCo at the Grain Exchange, 400 S. 4th Street, Suite 401

Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association monthly Board Meeting.

After an update from Council Member Frey, the board will review funding requests from several non-profit organizations that serve Downtown.

Visit this page for the full agenda.

You may have also heard that the neighborhood will be voting to accept or reject a proposal to form two independent neighborhood associations on September 21st. Four info/feedback sessions will be held in preparation for this vote. Visit the website for more information.

August 16, 2015, Sunday - Drag Brunch with The Madams at Mattie's on Main

Time:  11:00am - 2:00pm

Location: Mattie's on Main, 43 Main Street SE

Today: Drag Brunch with The Madams of Mattie’s

The marvel, the mystique - these queens serve it hot, fresh, and with the best brunch around. There’s something for everyone and more to spare!

If you’re looking for a good time on the town, look no further than the stage at Mattie’s!

Show starts at 11:30am with a rotating cast and a different theme each month! You’ll always be surprised, and never disappointed!

No Cover, All Ages!

August 16, 2105, Sunday - Railroad History Tour at Mill City Museum

Time: 1:00pm

Location: Mill City Museum, 704 2nd Street South

Railroad History Tour

Fee: $14 adults, $12 seniors and college students, $10 children ages 6-17 and MNHS members. Includes museum admission.

Reservations: required, call 612-341-7555 or register online.

Beginning with the arrival of Minnesota’s first rail line in 1862, Minneapolis boomed in population. Flour milling, lumber production and warehousing took off as a rail network extended throughout the Upper Midwest. Take a guided tour to discover the impact of railroads on the Mill City, visiting railroad landmarks such as the Stone Arch Bridge, Milwaukee Road Depot and the Minneapolis Eastern Railway engine house and trestle. Along the way find clues to the vanishing railroad landscape and learn about the future of Twin Cities rail.

The tour includes 1.5 miles of moderately paced walking on uneven surfaces. Please call ahead to make arrangements for guests with limited mobility. The tour will begin and end at Mill City Museum, where participants can visit the museum’s gallery, included in the price of the tour. Tours are held rain or shine.

Future date: September 13th

August 16, 2015, Sunday - Swing Brunch at Aster Cafe

Time: 11:00am - 2:00pm

Location: Aster Cafe, 125 Main Stree SE

Today: Swing Brunch with Patty and the Buttons

August 15, 2015, Saturday - The Dance Mile!

Time: 5:00pn-8:00pm

Location: East 15th Lot Between 1st & Nicollet

Next Decibel Events presents The Dance Mile

The Dance Mile is an interactive dance festival on closed off city streets led by a custom parade float, MC, & DJ It's a workout, an endorphin rush and a full dance experience - Dance down the streets of Minneapolis with us!

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August 15, 2015, Saturday - Hennepin Cultural District Walking Tour

Time:  10:00am - Noon

Location: Spoonbridge and Cherry, Loring Greenway

Preserve Minneapolis presents: Hennepin Cultural District Walking Tour

The Minneapolis arts and culture scene has long found a home along Hennepin Avenue. On this tour we will explore the newly designated Hennepin Cultural District, stretching from the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden to the Mississippi Riverfront, and visit a vibrant variety of public art spaces.

We’ll learn how the Hennepin Cultural District came into existence, and discuss some of the buildings that have had a significant impact on the Minneapolis art scene — including theater, visual arts and music — from yesterday and today. This tour will walk about two miles and will be led by Christopher Yaeger. $9 per person. Kids (and strollers) are welcome, but no dogs or other pets, please.

Information and tickets.

August 15, 2015, Saturday - Free Yoga at Gold Medal Park

August 15, 2015, Saturday - Taste Twin Cities Food Tours Minneapolis Riverwalk Tour

Time: 11:00am - 2:00pm

Location: Begins at Gold Medal Park (10th Avenue South & 2nd Street South), next to the Guthrie Theater - ends in Northeast Minneapolis

Hungry for an off-the-beaten path Minneapolis food experience? Join us as we explore one of the city's trendy and historical neighborhoods, Mill District and St. Anthony on Main in Northeast Minneapolis. You'll enjoy the afternoon sampling food at the first Thai restaurant in Minnesota, drinking local Minnesota brewed craft beer at the oldest restaurant in Minneapolis, and enjoy a local favorite - the cheese curds.  You'll also enjoy mouth-watering pasta located in the historical Chase building, home-made gelato, and nosh on savory European style baked bread as we stroll through the local Farmers Market.

Along with sampling food we will also visit the Mill City Museum, stroll by the Guthrie, and enjoy gorgeous views of St. Anthony Falls as we walk along the Stone Arch Bridge into historical St. Anthony on Main.  You'll learn about the history of both these neighborhoods including a stroll along the oldest street in Minneapolis.  You'll taste and chat with other food-loving guests, and leave the tour with an appreciation for these distinct neighborhoods that most tourist never see!

Reservations.

Follow Taste Twin Cities on Facebook and Twitter.

August 15, 2015, Saturday - Mill City Farmers Market

Time: 8:00am - 1:00pm

Location: 704 South 2nd Street

Today at Mill City Farmers Market: Immigrant Farmer Cultural Day!

Aronia berries, arugula, basil, beets, bell peppers, blueberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, chives, cilantro, cucumbers, dill, fennel, garlic, green beans, green garlic, green shallots, kale, lettuce, mache, melons (multiple varieties), mesclun mix, mushrooms, mustard greens, Napa cabbage, new potatoes, oregano, pac choi, parsley, parsnips, radicchio, radishes, raspberries, sage, salad mix, scallions, shiitake, snow peas, sorrel, spinach, spring onions, sugar snap peas, summer squash, sweet corn, Swiss chard, tarragon, thyme, turnips, watercress, watermelon, zucchini, and much more!

Market Chef Heather Hartman will be joined by Sameh Wadi of Saffron Restaurant in the kitchen demo at 10 AM! Wadi will be preparing an Heirloom Tomato and Melon Salad and will also be available to sign his book The New Mediterranean Table.

MCFM Board member and dedicated Zero Waste volunteer Kathy Klink will also be giving a short talk before the demo about composting at the Market.

Live Music, 11 AM - 1 PM:
MCFM welcomes back the The Eddies this week!

Meet Your Vegetables, sponsored by Allina Health, all day:
Stop by the Allina Health/Meet Your Vegetables booth this week to sample this week's featured recipe Summer Mosaic Salad and visit with members of the Allina Health Diabetic Education department. Staff members will be on hand to answer questions and provide educational materials.

Community Booths, all day: 
Big River Farms is a program of Minnesota Food Association (MFA), whose mission is to build a sustainable food system based on social, economic and environmental justice through education, training and partnerships.
 
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) promotes environmentally sound, socially beneficial and economically prosperous management of the world's forests by setting standards for responsible forest management. Consumers can choose responsibly-grown forest products by looking for the FSC logo on wood and paper products. Come by their community booth to learn more about how you can impact the health and well-being of our global forests!

Power of Produce, all day: 
Kids ages 5-12 get a free $2 Token to be spent on a fruit or veggie of their choosing just for trying a raw veggie! Stop by the PoP Booth for more information.

Art Market, all day:
Featuring Spring Finn &  Co., Christy Wetzig, Chris Chookiatsirichai & Crookedwood!

August 15, 2105, Saturday - Riverfront Quest Family Tour at Mill City Museum

Time: 1:00pm (Bookmaking 1 to 1:30 p.m., Tour 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.)

Location: Mill City Museum, 704 2nd Street South

Fee: $11 adults, $9 seniors and college students, $10 children ages 6-17; $7 MNHS members ages 6-17, free for adult and senior MNHS members.

Reservations: required, call 612-341-7555 or register online.

Try questing with a tour of the Minneapolis riverfront. A quest is a treasure hunt that guides people through, and teaches them to see, a unique part of their community. This quest includes solving rhyming riddles and searching for hidden boxes with pictures to place in a quest journal that participants can make before the tour. Journal materials and admission to Mill City Museum are included in the tour cost. The tour is designed for ages 6–11, but can be enjoyed by all ages. Adults and seniors must accompany a child.

The tour includes one mile of moderately-paced walking on uneven surfaces. Please call ahead to make arrangements for guests with limited mobility. The tour will begin and end at Mill City Museum. Tours are held rain or shine.

For more information visit http://www.millcitymuseum.org/tours.

August 13, 2015, Thursday - Hennepin Island Hydropower Tour with the Mill City Museum

Time: 1:00pm-2:30pm, approx. 1.5 miles

Location: Meet at 125 Main Street SE (at the green awning between Pracna on Main and the Aster Café).

Future dates: August 13th & 27th

$14 adults, $12 senior citizens & college students, $10 children ages 6-17 and MHS members. Includes a voucher for museum admission. Tickets on sale online or at 612-341-7555.

Mill City Museum and Xcel Energy will partner on a series of weekday walking tours highlighting the story of waterpower at St. Anthony Falls, including rare access to an operating power plant.

During the early 20th century over two dozen mills and hydroelectric plants used the water power from St. Anthony Falls. Today there is just one left: Xcel Energy’s Hennepin Island Hydroelectric Plant. On this tour of Hennepin Island and Father Hennepin Bluffs Park led by a Mill City Museum guide, participants will get special access to this power plant. Along the way participants will learn about the historic uses of waterpower at the falls for flour milling, sawmilling, and hydroelectricity, the role of hydroelectricity in Xcel Energy’s green energy and energy efficiency initiatives, and the future of waterpower on the Minneapolis riverfront.

August 13, 2015, Thursday - Creative City Market: Celebrating the Art of Making in Minneapolis

The second Creative City Market will be held on Thursday, August 13, 4-9pm, at the Minneapolis Convention Center Plaza (1301 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55403).

Creative City Market is a free monthly experience in the heart of downtown that celebrates the act of making. Each month the public is invited to the Minneapolis Convention Center Plaza to participate in an evening under the setting sun surrounded by Minnesota-made art, wares, and interactive experiences.

• Hang out at mini_polis, winner of the 2015 Creative City Challenge
• Browse original goods created by local artists and creators
• Enjoy craft beer selections on the lawn from the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild from the Craft Bar & Lounge
• A grill station and fresh MN-grown roasted corn
• MPLS Write Now: Join One Minneapolis poets in creating a community manifesto, writing live-tweeted haikus, taking a peek into the Poetry Fort, getting a line of a poem written on your body with a temporary tattoo, honoring your favorite veggies in verse, and watching spoken word performances. Projects and performances by Camille Gage, Andrea Jenkins, Brian Beatty, Paula Cisewski, and Lisa Brimmer
• Learn about medicinal plants and make your own tinctures and flower essences with Jess Hirsch, Ginny Sims, and The Herbalist Guild
• Watch a fashion show on the lawn, presented by Milu Milu Couture
• Make incredible cardboard creations with Adventures in Cardboard, the artists behind Hennepin County Library's Night Library at Northern Spark!
• Experience live music and performances
• Relax, play, and linger on the central lawn
• Watch MN Made MSPIFF short films, presented by the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul

Find out more about Creative City Market vendors and programming here and join the Facebook event here. The final market will be held on September 10, with a different selection of vendors, artists, films, and experiences.

August 12, 2015, Wednesday - Group Ride to Internet Cat Video Festival

The Walker is hosting it's annual Internet Cat Video Festival at the new CHS field in Lowertown, St. Paul. The Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition wants to help you get there!  After you buy your tickets we'll meet at Gold Medal Park on the top of the hill at 5:30. We'll roll out together at 6:15.  Map

An easy-paced 10 mile ride for all you cats and kittens! We won't leave anyone behind, and we're not lion. We will have some Walker swag to hand out before the ride, and some snacks for the journey.  The weather should be purrfect. More information

FAQS
• Tickets are required.
• Seating is available in the stands or on the outfield. No reserved seating; all space is first-come, first-served.
• Bring blankets to sit on; chairs are not permitted.
• No outside food or beverages are allowed, but there will be plenty of choices at the event.
• The event will be ASL interpreted.
• Wheelchair-accessible seating available. For more information about accessibility, call 612.375.7564 or e-mail access@walkerart.org.
• In case of rain, this event will be held Tuesday, August 25. Original tickets will be honored. See More

August 12, 2015, Wednesday - Mill City Live at the Mill City Museum

Mill City Live returns for its twelfth season with four outdoor concerts on Wednesday evenings in August.

Set in the museum's dramatic open air Ruin Courtyard, "Mill City Live" features four great evenings of outdoor music by top local artists. 

• Time: 6 to 8 p.m.
• Fee: $5 includes concert and museum admission from 4 to 9 p.m., an opportunity to visit Mill City Museum at a significant discount.  Free for Minnesota Historical Society members.  
• In case of rain, Mill City Live goes on indoors! 

Wednesday, August 12th, 6-8pm

Black Diet Garage, Indie, Soul

 

 

Recent winners of Vita.mn’s Are You Local? Showcase and named one of First Avenue’s Best New Bands of 2013, Black Diet is a garage/indie/soul band with a sartorial flair. Indebted to Stax records, they put on shows that look like Baptist church services held at punk houses. Part of a stream of vintage sounding acts coming out of Minneapolis’ Piñata Records, they’re spitting out sharp, testimonial jams for the masses.

 

Wednesday, August 19th, 6-8pm

 

Malamanya Cuban Soul, Salsa, Latin

Malamanya is a six-member Minneapolis-based Cuban Son ensemble, composed of a diverse group of musicians who share a mutual respect and enthusiasm for traditional rhythms and melodies of Latin American and Caribbean music. Their onstage energy and compositions reflect the communal, complex, and celebratory spirit prevalent in these musical genres.

Wednesday, August 26th, 6-8pm      

Davina and the Vagabonds New Orleans Blues, Jazz & Soul  

Davina and The Vagabonds are known for their high energy stage performances and their genre-busting mix of jazz, blues, and roots music. Led by Florida transplant Davina Sower’s powerful and evocative voice this guitar-less, horn-heavy band has the ability to make any crowd happy.

"Davina is the hardest -working Blues woman in Minnesota, but......two things remain consistent at all her shows, though: her throaty but cushiony voice, which has a sort of hardmattress comfort to it that's part Bonnie Raitt, Etta James and a little Amy Winehouse, and her band's rollicking New Orleans flavor, driven home by dueling horn players and a bayou-thick standup bass” – Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune

August 12, 2015, Wednesday - The Soap Factory Common Room Tour

Time:  6:30pm

Location: The Soap Factory, 514 Second St SE

Common Room began as a month-long series of interactive art events, out of a refurbished art deco office at The Soap Factory. Since 2011, Vucci and Sturdevant have taken the Common Room concept outside the four walls of The Soap Factory and into the city, activating public spaces and redefining our relationship with our surroundings.

Scroll down to take a look at this summer's tour descriptions!

2015 Common Room Tours

Wednesday, August 12, at 6:30pm // The Repatriation Tour

Wednesday, August 19, at 8:45pm // The Mobile Karaoke Dance Party Tour with Mike Hoyt

Wednesday, August 26, at 6:30 pm // The Youth Tour

Wednesday, September 2, time TB // The Minnesota State Fair Tour with Peter Haakon Thompson

AUGUST 12
The Repatriation Tour: Have you ever visited a city where you once lived, years ago, and attempted to make your way through it again, finding yourself surprised at all that's changed, and how unreliable your own memories are? Live that experience over again: Common Room has invited Detroit artist and one-time Minneapolis resident Jonathan Gabel to lead a walking tour of the city, beginning from The Soap Factory. Gabel hasn't visited the city in nearly a decade, and won't be making a set itinerary or agenda in advance. We'll follow Jonathan through the potentially familiar, potentially alien landscape, revisiting a familiar city through the eyes of someone who hasn't experienced it in years, comparing our own experiences and memories with his.

AUGUST 19
The Mobile Karaoke Dance Party Tour with Mike Hoyt: Join Common Room and artist Mike Hoyt of Rolling Revelry and Norae Shanty fame on a bike-driven dance themed karaoke excursion down the Greenway. Meet up in the back parking lot of Calhoun Village Shopping Center (behind Punch Pizza), 3226 W Lake St, at 8:45 pm.

AUGUST 26
The Youth Tour: The geography of childhood is radically different than the geography of adults. A group of students from the Marcy Open School near The Soap Factory, ranging in ages from 10 to 13, have created a tour focused around Marcy Field, the open park that serves as a playground, gathering place and landmark for the school. The students will walk Common Room attendees through important historical landmarks, remembered experiences, sites for games, points of conflict, and other notable spaces they've experienced through in their childhoods.

SEPTEMBER 2
The Minnesota State Fair Tour with Peter Haakon Thompson: Join Common Room and artist Peter Haakon Thompson, founder of The A Project and co-founder of Art Shanty Projects, at the Great Minnesota Get-together. See the fair through an artist's lens as we embark on an epic, endurance version of the artist's classic Auto-ethnographic Tours of the fair and its offerings. Join for the whole day or just segments. Meeting times and locations to be posted.

August 11, 2015, Tuesday - Music & Movies at Father Hennepin Bluff Park

Time: Music 7:00pm

Location: Father Hennepin Bluffs Park (East Bank of the Stone Arch Bridge)

Tonights entertainment: (See website in case of scheduling changes.)

Music:
August 11 Matt Hannah
August 18 The Knotty Pines
August 25 Manny Phesto
September 1 Doug Otto & the Getaways

Movies:
August 11 The Hundred Foot Journey
August 18 Million Dollar Arm
August 25 Top Gun

What to bring: Blanket or chair, sunblock and bugspray, picnic basket.

Reminders: Watch our facebook or twitter page for weather cancellations of the evening festivities. Post photos of you, your family and friends enjoying the concerts and movies on the facebook page Support the artists by picking up a CD or other merchandise.

Music & Movies in The Parks is produced by the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board. Enjoy more than 250 FREE concerts and movies in Minneapolis parks this summer!

August 11, 2015, Tuesday - Food Dialogues at Mill City Museum

5:30pm - Event Registration
5:30pm to 7:00pm - Cocktails and Networking
7:00pm - Panel Discussion

Location: Mill City Museum, 704 South 2nd Street

Food Dialogues

FARM TO CONSUMER: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN CONSUMER CONCERNS AND FOOD PRODUCTION AND SOURCING DECISIONS

On August 11 at 5:30p.m. at the Mill City Museum, a panel of farmers and food executives will convene to discuss and answer your questions about environmental sustainability, GMO safety, animal welfare, methods used to grow and raise food, and health and environmental impacts, and ultimately to help make agriculture more accessible to you, the consumer. 

From environmental sustainability to GMO safety and animal welfare, consumers increasingly want to know if the methods used to grow and raise food are impacting their long-term health or that of the planet. Steps are being taken by food company executives, registered dietitians and chefs to address these questions and better meet consumers’ needs, including sharing more information about the farms and ranches from which food is sourced, by creating rating systems, and more.  Farmers and ranchers are also connecting to consumers, using digital assets from blogs and websites to social media to share their stories and make agriculture more accessible to consumers than ever before.
 
Yet, questions and concerns about food production are abound. Join a panel discussion, moderated by Bloomberg’s Alan Bjerga and featuring Minnesota soybean farmers and food executives, for a conversation that will focus on bridging the information gap between food production practices, consumer concerns on health and the environment, and choices food executives must make when sourcing their products. This event is co-sponsored by the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance, the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council and the Nebraska Soybean Board.

Register here for the free event. If you can't make it, a video will be uploaded after the event. 

August 11, 2015, Tuesday - Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission Public Meeting

Time: 4:30pm

Location: Room 317, City Hall, 350 South Fifth Street

More Info

August 10, 2015, Monday - Meet us at THE MARKET. at Target Field Station

Time: 4:30pm - 8:30 pm

Location:  Target Field Station & Rail Platform, 5th Street NE

Mondays - August 10, 17, 24 and 31

Meet us at THE MARKET. is a new addition to the Downtown Minneapolis experience. THE MARKET. is a destination, a place to browse an eclectic group of pop-up shops, watch a movie on the Target Field Station big screen, grab a bite and listen to musicians serenading you. THE MARKET. is an evening gathering point at downtown’s premier transportation hub. It is easy to access and conveniently runs through the evening.

Join us for two showings of Ratatouille at 4 pm and 6 pm on Monday, August 10!

For a full vendor list and more information, visit www.downtownmpls.com/themarket.

August 10, 2015, Monday - Downtown Public Realm Framework Plan Discussion at Central Library

City of Minneapolis is Hosting a Public Meeting to Discuss Downtown Public Realm Framework Plan

On Monday, August 10, the City of Minneapolis department of Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) will be hosting a public meeting to discuss the Downtown Public Realm Framework Plan. The Downtown Public Realm Framework will establish a framework, goals and policies for enhancing the pedestrian experience downtown, with a focus on priority streets and public spaces.  

The public meeting will begin with welcome and brief comments by Council Member Jacob Frey and Downtown Council President Steve Cramer followed by a short presentation by City staff. Attendees will be invited to participate in an interactive exercise and to provide feedback.

The Downtown Public Realm Framework is the City’s plan to provide unified guidance to inform and coordinate the work of public and private entities that shape the public realm. The Downtown Public Realm Framework includes an inventory of existing policies, practices, and elements in the public realm. It is intended to inform and guide outcomes in capital planning, site plan review, and public/private partnership toward the coordinated enhancement of the public realm. A Public Realm Framework is a guiding policy document for the management of the Right-of-Way. The purpose of Public Realm Frameworks is the creation of a unified document for the public realm within a certain geographic area. The document will address connections, networks, assets and conditions.

You can learn more about the Downtown Public Realm Framework including access to the project description, meeting minutes, and presentations on the City’s website.

WHEN:                  Monday, August 10, 2015, 6:00-8:00pm

WHERE:                Downtown Central Library, Pohlad Auditorium, 300 Nicollet Mall

MORE:                  The City of Minneapolis’ Downtown Public Realm Framework will run on a parallel and integrated track with the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board’s process to create a Downtown Service Area Master Plan (DSAMP). The two processes will result in separate but integrally related documents, the Downtown Public Realm Framework and the DSAMP, which will jointly create the Pathways to Places initiative, for the entire network of downtown public spaces and corridors. The Downtown Public Realm Framework and the DSAMP will each be adopted by their respective elected bodies.