May 5, 2011, Thursday - 15th Annual Wine Tasting at Nicollet Island Pavilion

Time: 5:00pm-08:00pm

Location: Nicollet Island Pavilion

One of the most exciting wine events in Minneapolis.

The Fifteenth Annual East Side Wine Tasting, sponsored by Surdyk’s and River Liquor, will be held at Nicollet Island Pavilion, Thursday, May 5 from 5-8 p.m. The event includes 20 Minneapolis eateries and cafes, a variety of over 200 fine wines, a diverse assortment of famous East Side Cuisine, microbrews, spirits, non-alcoholic beverages, a silent auction and live music.

Guests will enjoy treats from northeast restaurants including Stanleys, Sentyrz, Papas Sausage, Jax Café, Cuzzy’s, East Side Good Co-op and Annona Gourmet. Entertainment for the night will be provided by Trio Tipo and St. Mary’s Balalaika Orchestra. The outdoor patio, overlooking the beautiful St. Anthony & Main Riverside and stunning city views, will feature a Cigar Tent, sponsored by Sarna’s Tobacco, with a variety of cigars and exciting spirits. The silent auction will include over 100 items donated from Minneapolis businesses, individuals and corporations.

Tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the door. Cigar Tent tickets are $10 in advance and at the door. You can purchase tickets for the East Side Wine Tasting at East Side Neighborhood Services or at event sponsor locations, Surdyk’s and River Liquor.

All proceeds from the East Side Wine Tasting will benefit East Side Neighborhood Services, a provider of a human services and direct needs programs since 1915.

For more information about the East Side Wine Tasting, visit www.esns.org/eastsidewinetasting. Eat, drink and give to your community at the Fifteenth Annual East Side Wine Tasting! 612.781.6011

May 4, 2011, Wednesday - Shara Worden with yMusic at The Southern Theater (CANCELLED)

Times:  CANCELLED

Location: Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Avenue South

Singer, songwriter and instrumentalist of My Brightest Diamond, Shara Worden mixes elements of opera, cabaret, chamber music and rock. She shares the stage with conservatory-trained/pop-savvy yMusic, whose members are some of NYC’s most in-demand accompanists. Their credits range from performances with Björk to the New York Philharmonic, Jay-Z to Yo-Yo Ma.

May 4, 2011, Wednesday - The Loft Presents: A PEN World Voices Reading

Time: 7:00pm

Location: The Loft Literary Center at Open Book, 1011 Washington Avenue South

PEN American Center was founded in 1922 and is the largest of the 144 PEN centers in 101 countries. With former presidents such as Arthur Miller, Norman Mailer, Susan Sontag, and Salman Rushdie, PEN American Center has remained a writer-centered organization in which members play a leading role. PEN China President Liu Xiaobo, the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner, is our most recent example of our members leading the forefront of the struggle to oppose censorship and defend writers.

Hervé Le Tellier is a writer, journalist, mathematician, food critic, and teacher. He has been a member of the Oulipo since 1992 and one of the “papous” of the famous France Culture radio show. He has published 15 books of stories, essays, and novels. His latest publications include a collection of poetry, Zindien, and a novel, Je m’attache très facilement, which earned him the Guanahani Prize.

David Bezmozgis was born in Riga, Latvia, in 1973. In 1980 he immigrated with his parents to Toronto, where he lives today. Natasha, his first book, was named one of the Los Angeles Times’ Best Books of 2004 and was the winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book, among other honors.

Kyung-sook Shin is the author of numerous works of fiction and is one of South Korea’s most widely read and acclaimed novelists. She has been honored with the Manhae Literature Prize, the Dong-in Literature Prize, and the Yi Sang Literary Prize, as well as France’s Prix de l’Inaperçu. Please Look After Mom is her first book to appear in English and will be published in nineteen countries. Currently a visiting scholar at Columbia University in New York City, she lives in Seoul.

Deborah Baker is the author of In Extremis: The Life of Laura Riding, a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize, as well as A Blue Hand: The Beats in India. She divides her time between Calcutta, Goa, and Brooklyn.

April 30, 2011, Saturday - The Southern Theater’s 7th Annual Benefit Gala

Time: 6:30pm-10:00pm

Location: Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Avenue South

Southern Exposure 2011 - A Bright Future Together

6:30pm
Silent Auction Begins Place bids while enjoying fine wine and hors d'oeuvres

8:15pm
Live Entertainment - Dance/Music/Theater TBA

9pm
Live Auction

9:30pm
The Southern's Cakewalk Contest

April 30, 2011, Saturday - Minneapolis Riverfront Development Initiative Public Meeting

Time: 10:00am-Noon

Location: Minneapolis Park Board headquarters, 2117 West River Road, Board Room

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board launches the Minneapolis Riverfront Development Initiative (MR|DI) this month with several public and committee meetings, April 27-30, ahead of the Park Board’s planned June announcement date. MR|DI is the successor of the Minneapolis Riverfront Design Competition, the largest competition of its kind in state history, which built on the award-winning Above the Falls master plan to address 5.5 miles of the Mississippi River and adjacent neighborhoods stretching from the Stone Arch Bridge to the city’s northern border.

The Minneapolis Riverfront Development Initiative is a design-driven strategy, lead by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, to leverage parks as the engine for sustainable recreational, cultural and economic development along the riverfront, reclaim the Mississippi – one of the three great rivers of the world and America’s “fourth coast” – as the source of our regional identity, and establish our region as a leading river community for the 21st century.

Working in partnership with TLS/KVA, announced as the winning team of the Design Competition on February 10, 2011, the Park Board has established a six-month design strategy phase that will result in a framework for development along the Upper Riverfront, as well as a selected site for the first parks-based development project of the MR|DI.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board will provide multiple avenues of public participation in the Minneapolis Riverfront Development Initiative. Several times throughout the next six months, the Park Board will host public meetings, beginning with three in April. Webcasts of the meetings will be archived on the MR|DI’s website. Additional public meeting dates will be announced as they are finalized. As with its precursor, the Minneapolis Riverfront Design Competition, the MR|DI will develop meaningful avenues to both engage the community in a two-way design education process and re-engage the city and broader regional community with the Upper Riverfront. The MR|DI will announce details of these community engagement projects in the coming weeks; the public is encouraged to visit the initiative’s website at MinneapolisRiverfrontDevelopmentInitiative.com for regular updates.

April 30, 2011, Saturday - Bird Walk at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park

Time: 8:00am (Rain date: Sunday, May 1, 8 am)

Marcy Holmes Neighborhood Association Walk at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park (6th Avenue SE and Main Street)

Audubon Society’s Susan Anderson and “Wingnut” Jim Williams will lead a riverfront walk for neighbors. Bring your binoculars and bird book. There are lots of birds to see right in the park, but if we have time we’ll walk up river. Sponsored by Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association. 

April 30, 2011, Saturday - Children's & Young Adult Literature Conference at The Loft

Time: 8:00am

Location: Target Performance Hall, The Loft, 1011 Washington Avenue South

Children's & Young Adult Literature Conference featuring keynote speaker Arthur Levine

April 30, 2011, Saturday - Northeast Icebreaker Shop Crawl

Time: 10:00am - 6:00pm

Northeast Icebreaker Shop Crawl is a Neighborhood-wide progressive sale with specials, giveaways, and flowers handed out at participating businesses.

This years sponsors include: 20 Below Studio • Artistic Indulgence • Aveda Institute • Bella Lana • Belle Reve Boutique • Benessere Body in Balance • Bibelot Shops • Bone Adventure • Bulldog NE • Denny Kemp Salon • Doctor Sam • Froeber Dentistry • Ginger Hop • GH2 • Hoffman Parkin Urban Realty • Key North • Kramarczuk's Sausage • Look & See Eye Care • Melrose Antiques • Miyagi Salon • Northeast Bank • Northeast Community Acupuncture • Ollu Dog Wash • Pacifier • Parc Boutique • Punch Pizza • Red Stag Supper Club • Sir Speedy • Spot Spa Boutique • Surdyk's Liquor & Cheese Shop • T Lee Fine Designer Jewelry • Whitey's Saloon

Sign-up to win a round-trip airline ticket to anywhere in United States.

April 30, 2011, Saturday - Lucia Watson, 'Eating Local' at Mill City Museum

Time: Noon and 2:00pm

Location: Mill City Museum, 704  2nd Street South

Join Chef Lucia Watson, proprietor of Lucia’s Restaurant in Minneapolis, in the Baking Lab for a demonstration connecting visitors with local and sustainable food. Visitors of all ages will learn about local food sources, and take away recipes to make together at home. Samples will be provided. Watson’s books, "Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland" and "Cooking with Freshwater Fish," will be available for purchase, and she will be available for signing following each demonstration.

Fee: Programs included with museum admission of $10 adults, $8 seniors and college students, $5 children ages 6-17; free for MHS members.

April 29, 2011, Friday - Minneapolis Riverfront Development Initiative Public Meeting

Time: 11:30am – 1:30pm

Location: Minneapolis Park Board headquarters, 2117 West River Road, Board Room

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board launches the Minneapolis Riverfront Development Initiative (MR|DI) this month with several public and committee meetings, April 27-30, ahead of the Park Board’s planned June announcement date. MR|DI is the successor of the Minneapolis Riverfront Design Competition, the largest competition of its kind in state history, which built on the award-winning Above the Falls master plan to address 5.5 miles of the Mississippi River and adjacent neighborhoods stretching from the Stone Arch Bridge to the city’s northern border.

The Minneapolis Riverfront Development Initiative is a design-driven strategy, lead by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, to leverage parks as the engine for sustainable recreational, cultural and economic development along the riverfront, reclaim the Mississippi – one of the three great rivers of the world and America’s “fourth coast” – as the source of our regional identity, and establish our region as a leading river community for the 21st century.

Working in partnership with TLS/KVA, announced as the winning team of the Design Competition on February 10, 2011, the Park Board has established a six-month design strategy phase that will result in a framework for development along the Upper Riverfront, as well as a selected site for the first parks-based development project of the MR|DI.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board will provide multiple avenues of public participation in the Minneapolis Riverfront Development Initiative. Several times throughout the next six months, the Park Board will host public meetings, beginning with three in April. Webcasts of the meetings will be archived on the MR|DI’s website. Additional public meeting dates will be announced as they are finalized. As with its precursor, the Minneapolis Riverfront Design Competition, the MR|DI will develop meaningful avenues to both engage the community in a two-way design education process and re-engage the city and broader regional community with the Upper Riverfront. The MR|DI will announce details of these community engagement projects in the coming weeks; the public is encouraged to visit the initiative’s website at MinneapolisRiverfrontDevelopmentInitiative.com for regular updates.

April 29, 2011, Friday - MacPhail Spotlight Series: Musical Folklore

Time: 8:00pm

Location:   MacPhail Center for Music, Antonello Hall, 501 South 2nd Street

Enjoy a rich mix of lively tempos and memorable
folk music from around the world. From classics to original compositions, this music is created with imagination and performed with breathtaking precision. The concert will
feature three unique performance segments.

Alan Johnston, guitar; Heather MacLaughlin, piano
PLANXTY Heather MacLaughlin and Alan Johnston by Ian Krouse

Julie Johnson, flute; Jacqueline Ultan, cello; Adam Linz, bass; JT Bates, percussion
Original arrangements by Julie Johnson and Jacqueline Ultan based on folk tunes from around the world

Peter Ostroushko, mandolin and fiddle
Selections will be announced from the stage

April 29, 2011, Friday - Ten Thousand Things Theatre "Man of La Mancha" at Open Book

Time: 8:00pm

Location: Target Performance Hall, The Open Book, 1011 Washington Avenue South

Man of LaMancha by Dale Wasserman, Joe Darion and Mitch Leigh Directed by Michelle Hensley Music by Peter Vitale With Steven Epp, Luverne Seifert, Regina Williams, Tracey Maloney, Matt Guidry, and T. Mychael Rambo In its inimitable barebones style, TTT looks at the complexities and consequences of believing in an impossible dream-despite the evidence that reality presents Only 2 Show at Open Book, Friday April 29 and Saturday April 30 ALL others are performed at MN Opera Center April 15-17, 22-24, and May 6-8, 2011 See the Ten Thousand Things home page for more details.

April 29, 2011, Friday - Voices of Experience Concert at MacPhail

Time: Noon

Location: MacPhail Center for Music, Antonello Hall, 501 South Second Street

Cost - Free

Voices of Experience, a choir for adults ages 55 and older, was created last fall as collaboration with The Minnesota Chorale and MacPhail Center for Music.  Dr. Mary Kay Geston, an associate professor of music at Northwestern College in St. Paul, is the ensemble’s conductor.

For more information call 612-321-0100.

April 28, 2011, Thursday - Minneapolis Riverfront Development Initiative Public Meeting

Time: 7:00-9:00pm

Location: Minneapolis Park Board headquarters, 2117 West River Road, Board Room

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board launches the Minneapolis Riverfront Development Initiative (MR|DI) this month with several public and committee meetings, April 27-30, ahead of the Park Board’s planned June announcement date. MR|DI is the successor of the Minneapolis Riverfront Design Competition, the largest competition of its kind in state history, which built on the award-winning Above the Falls master plan to address 5.5 miles of the Mississippi River and adjacent neighborhoods stretching from the Stone Arch Bridge to the city’s northern border.

The Minneapolis Riverfront Development Initiative is a design-driven strategy, lead by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, to leverage parks as the engine for sustainable recreational, cultural and economic development along the riverfront, reclaim the Mississippi – one of the three great rivers of the world and America’s “fourth coast” – as the source of our regional identity, and establish our region as a leading river community for the 21st century.

Working in partnership with TLS/KVA, announced as the winning team of the Design Competition on February 10, 2011, the Park Board has established a six-month design strategy phase that will result in a framework for development along the Upper Riverfront, as well as a selected site for the first parks-based development project of the MR|DI.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board will provide multiple avenues of public participation in the Minneapolis Riverfront Development Initiative. Several times throughout the next six months, the Park Board will host public meetings, beginning with three in April. Webcasts of the meetings will be archived on the MR|DI’s website. Additional public meeting dates will be announced as they are finalized. As with its precursor, the Minneapolis Riverfront Design Competition, the MR|DI will develop meaningful avenues to both engage the community in a two-way design education process and re-engage the city and broader regional community with the Upper Riverfront. The MR|DI will announce details of these community engagement projects in the coming weeks; the public is encouraged to visit the initiative’s website at MinneapolisRiverfrontDevelopmentInitiative.com for regular updates.

April 28, 2011, Thursday - Dining Out for Life at Sanctuary

Time: 5:00pm–10:00pm

Location:  Sanctuary, 903 Washington Avenue South

Help fight HIV/AIDS.  Sanctuary will donate 15% of dinner sales to The Aliveness Project.

April 27, 2011, Wednesday - Annual Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival Runs Thru May 5 at St. Anthony Main Theatre

CELEBRATING THE BEST OF INTERNATIONAL AND INDEPENDENT FILM!
 
The Film Society of Minneapolis-St. Paul 2011 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival began April 14 and runs through May 5.  They will be presenting over 170 films from some 50 countries at the five-screen St. Anthony Main Theatre.  For three weeks, the Twin Cities celebrates the arrival of the best of international and independent filmmaking in the region.

Click here for daily list of films. 

April 26, 2011, Tuesday - An Evening of Rhyme, Swine, and Wine at Central Library

Time: 7:00pm

Location: Pohlad Hall, Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall

In celebration of National Poetry Month.

Local poetry legend Jim Lenfestey has edited a new collection of poems on the subject of pigs. This porcine-anthology, Low Down and Coming On: A Feast of Delicious and Dangerous Poems about Pigs, features the work of 105 poets from around the world and throughout time, including works by Margaret Atwood, William Blake, Pablo Neruda, Sylvia Plath, and dozens of local authors.

The idea behind the collection came from Minnesota author Bill Holm before he died in 2009. In the introduction dedicated to Holm, Jim roots through the history of pig poetry since Homer, uncovering many tasty surprises. Join Jim and contributing poets Jim Heynen, Jill Breckenridge, and Katherine Grant for an evening of rhyme swine, and wine. A wine toast will kick-off the program and a book signing reception will follow.

April 26, 2011, Tuesday - International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) at the Southern Theater

Times: 7:30am

Location: Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Avenue South

International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) - Prism Path: Music of Phyllis Chen, Steve Lehman and Mario Diaz de León

A “powerhouse of new music programming” (The New Yorker), ICE has established itself as one of the leading and most innovative musical ensembles in the U.S. and a champion of young composers. Members of ICE pair with three brilliant young composers to incubate new chamber music tailor-made for this Southern Theater performance. Toy pianist and multimedia magician Phyllis Chen weaves light, sound and video into an elegant package. Master jazz saxophonist Steve Lehman breaks jazz harmony and rhythm into its spectral components. Minneapolis native Mario Diaz de León creates a hybrid sound that fuses the energy of metal and noise bands with acoustic instruments.

Click for information and tickets.

April 26, 2011, Tuesday - Books & Bars Series: Peter Bognanni at Aster Cafe

Time:  6:00pm 

Location: Aster Cafe, 125 SE Main Street

Author Peter Bognanni discusses his book, The House of Tomorrow. 

Books & Bars isn’t your mother’s book club. We provide a unique atmosphere for a lively discussion of interesting authors, fun people, good food and drinks.

April 25, 2011, Monday - Public Workshop: Historic District Design Guidelines for the St. Anthony Falls Historic District

Time:  6:30pm – 9:00pm

Location: City Hall, Room 319, 350 South Fifth Street (Enter City Hall at the Fourth Street South Entrance)

The City of Minneapolis announces an upcoming community meeting on the development of the new Historic District Design Guidelines for the St. Anthony Falls Historic District. The Public is invited to help shape Design Guidelines for the St. Anthony Falls Historic District
 
This is the second public meeting regarding these guidelines.  Attendees will participate in exercises to:

- Refine and define character areas within the district.
- Indentify key views.
- Define the vision and guiding principals of the design guidelines.
- Identify design issues.
 
What are Historic District Design Guidelines?

Historic district design guidelines are a local policy and regulatory tool used in decision-making to evaluate alterations and new development within the historic district.  The new design guidelines will include guidance on the following:

- Archaeological sites and sites of specific cultural/historical significance.
- Existing and new infrastructure; sites of specific engineering and transportation significance.
- Natural features and open space.
- Existing buildings and the construction of new buildings; sites of specific architectural significance.

More information on the project can be found online or by contacting:

Brian Schaffer, AICP, Senior City Planner
Minneapolis Department of Community Planning & Economic Development 
Planning Division, Preservation & Design
250 South 4th Street, Room 300, Minneapolis, MN 55415
Phone: 612-673-2670 Fax: 612-673-2526
brian.schaffer@ci.minneapolis.mn.us